@tamb 13 stairs is an amazing feat!
I have been tracking my walking distances since my brace came off on September 10. On the 13th, I walked 1.28 miles, the 14th 1.78 miles and the 16th was my first 5 mile hike. I was very sore after that first hike and scaled back by hikes and walks to 3 miles. At week 16 I am able to walk 4 miles without too much trouble. I do sit on ice when I get home and use heating pad at night.
October is a bad month for arthritis and I am thinking of asking my surgeon for a hyaluronic injection at my November appointment for my non surgical knee. My PT manipulated the injured leg’s knee cap twice a week while I was in the brace. That knee was replaced in April of 2024. My hips are very sore at night and work themselves out once I get going in the morning.
November 17 with be my fourth post operation appointment. I am hoping it will be my last, driving the 100 miles south to Green Bay in the snow does not sound ideal.
It does not matter how low your squats are, just that you engage the quads. Strong quads and IT bands will help once you can start the hamstring work. I did not start hamstring work until week 12. It started with bridge work with different feet placements.
7 weeks is just the beginning of the hard physical therapy work. Hang in there and keep up the good work.