Knees, Pecs, and Bronchoscopies...

As a quick point of clarification, my PCL is loose by virtue of being partially torn; additionally, I mischaracterized the PCL's role to a certain extent, as it could more appropriately be described as preventing posterior femoral movement in relation to the tibia. I don't have the formal education necessary to really rattle my semantic physiological saber, but I still like to correct myself when and where possible.

My understanding of the injury was clarified by my new PT, who has served me with a license to abuse myself through various strengthening exercises and proprioceptive and balance work. Color me pleased, as it's incredibly enjoyable to be given a proverbial green light in at least part of my workout regimen.

Also, I've shed my somewhat ad hoc cross-tendon braces (ace bandages are amazingly versatile) far earlier than expected and started eccentrically loading my patellar tendons. That fits nicely into my present strengthening regimen, but it's especially satisfying to drop the "crutch" of constantly bracing myself.

Although it's certainly quite weak, my right pec seems to have finally healed up. I'm still babying it somewhat, as I'd like to avoid any relapses into injury, but I'm holding off on any direct strength work until the same can be said for my left side; I already have enough unilateral discrepancies, so I'll wait until I can recruit both sides without pain before starting on any pectoral rehab work.

I've also recently undergone yet another bronchoscopy to check my airway for signs of stenosis, and, as before, things are all clear. Because of my string of positive showings post-stint removal, I'll no longer need to get scoped yearly; instead, I can simply see the good doctor annually to have some (relatively) simple breathing tests done to check for any indicators of trouble.

Good news all around, so I'll wrap it at that.

Knee Troubles Update...

I had an appointment with a local orthopedist this afternoon, and although I have something of a mixed bag of good and bad news, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives.

I don't have any ligament tears to speak of, but I do have a "loose PCL" on my left side. As the doctor indicated, my PCL is failing to prevent posterior (backward) movement of my tibia (shin bone). The occasional shifting sensation is rather uncomfortable, but it's not painful or representative of any major knee instability in my case; instead, it's a long-undiagnosed byproduct of the blunt force trauma from my accident.

In other good news, I should be hitting the rehab circuit soon for a few weeks of *insert doctor's orders here*. I'm not sure what that will entail exactly, but I don't expect the rehabilitative paradigm to be rocked anytime soon, especially since I can't exactly rehab this injury away. Regardless, I'm still looking forward to meeting yet another new therapist (really; I'm serious).

As alluded to above, this isn't something that's just going to "get better," and I am a poor candidate for PCL surgery for two very important reasons: knee stability is not significantly compromised by the looseness (remember, it's not torn), and I'm no upper-echelon athlete indulging in any of the more physically abusive (and abrupt) sports and activities that need a knee as close to physiological perfection as possible.

Instead, I should brace it when and where appropriate and avoid--although this one seemed pretty obvious--any extreme lower-body twisting motions and be careful with other, more conservative movements (certain stances and the like come to mind). Fortunately this is pretty weak bad news, as I had never really planned on indulging in any crazy rotational plyometric work anyway. Still, this is all good to know and will help me to better plan my short- and long-term workout goals around my unique biomechanical limitations.

This recent revelation aside, I still need to focus on getting my knee feeling better if I'm to begin eccentrically tackling my patellar issues. Additionally, I could almost consider myself at that precious (and presently hypothetical) "baseline of health" if I can also manage to tame my tennis elbow and pectoral issues in the coming months, but I'll focus on the boon of not needing knee surgery for now.

Photographs: Part 3

I'm reluctant to post pictures of either the doe or her fawn at this point, as they are quite graphic and--despite my tendencies towards full disclosure--I don't see the purpose of showcasing that degree of carnage.

Instead, these are pictures of the truck/trailer combo that I veered into after hitting the deer. As previously mentioned, the vehicle's occupants (thankfully) suffered no serious injury, but my Saturn SL1 was never destined to fare particularly well against anything this large...