So last week Tom, the PT said that I should try to find a place where I could use a leg press to help build up the strength in that leg to prevent my knee from giving out. So on Thursday I joined Snap Fitness in Big Lake using our Silver Sneakers option so we didn’t have to pay a monthly fee just the $20 for the key card.
This afternoon we took a drive in to Big Lake so I could use that machine and also the treadmill which Tom said I could use for about 5 minutes. The plan was to use the leg press, then the treadmill and then go back to the leg press. I just want to get this knee strong!!
There was no one else in there when I came in which was kind of nice because there is no waiting on any of the machines I wanted to use. Tom had said I could do 60 lbs on the leg press so 55 lbs was the closest option but there was NO WAY I could press through with that. So I took it down to 25 lbs and that seemed to work. I used both legs first and then he said he wanted me to just use the “bad” leg…which seemed to work fine.
I was done and ready to get the disinfectant spray on the equipment and head over to the treadmill. I pulled the walker closer and then not 100% sure what I did, I assume put all the weight again on that bad leg and down I went. I really mostly landed on my good leg so at least not new damage to the already bad one. But what the HECK is wrong with me!!! Was I not paying attention??? Or was it possible that both legs were exhausted from the leg press and I just went down!! Hindsight I am not even sure!! I just know it was a nightmare!!
So as I said I am the only one in there….and I am on the floor like a fool. David had gone to the hardware store next door and of course I did not have my phone it was in my bag in the cubby. I crawled over to the next machine and tried to get on my good leg and push myself up to the seat of that one, but even the good leg would not have the strength and that seat seemed a little too high. So I crawled over to the next machine looking at the seat and it seemed to be lower. Oh and I am also trailing my walker along too!! Cameras would have been interesting at this point.
Got over to that 2nd machine and I could pull myself up on that seat and could finally get up and seated. I pulled the walker closer but then was not sure if either leg would work!!! DUMB ME!!!! Sat for a minute…I was just shaking. I finally got the nerve to pull up on the walker and was not even going to test out the bad leg so was very, very cautious…but my GOOD leg was now hurting!! Not hurting like a sprain or anything but my muscle behind the calf was throbbing. I did use the walker to go over to a chair in the front to wait for David to get back. I could only walk little shuffle steps (think Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett show), but I finally made it there. I thought about hobbling over to the cubby to get my phone and call David but I know that would panic him and I knew he was coming back over.
It is now evening…5 hours after this happened…and that calf muscle is so sore!!! Going up the steps into our place was not easy so I think I will be laying low for a couple of days. I am just guessing that I just pulled a muscle…and scrapped both knees…landed on my right shoulder so that is in pain now….and it will just take a day or two to get loose.
So why am I venting?!?!? What the heck is wrong with me??? Again, I was feeling confident about the leg and even not using the walker inside just hanging on to the counters or walls. Same thing happened the last time…my confidence level was elevated and I thought no problem. Using the leg press was tiring and I really should have sat there for a couple of minutes rather than try to just jump up and get going on my walker. You know what it was? I was so focused on getting the disinfectant spray and towel to wipe down the leg press that my focus was completely there!! (Sorry, Snap I never did use the spray!)
Not a lot of smiles in this blog…just venting to myself in hopes that my confidence level will stay low so I am always cautious. And I am a little nervous to go back to Snap but next time I will make sure I wait and rest after the leg press and have David be my spotting partner as I attempt to walk away from the equipment.
I know I don’t like to use these words…but dumb…dumb…stupid…stupid!! And when we first got back into the car, David thought I had a bone sticking out from my knee! That would have been something else him passing out on the parking lot without any bone sticking out! I can imagine that watching me crawl from machine to machine may generate some giggles and maybe tomorrow I will see that humor, when the pain subsides somewhat.
It is always something!!
Take care! Step carefully! And keep focused!
Dandy Ventures 