Day 12

I've removed the final bandage today. The incision hasn't healed completely yet, there's some scabbing and light bruising there. The picture is here for those interested, but I don't think it's presentable enough to be displayed directly in the post just yet.

I've been icing twice a day since the sutures were removed. The swelling/hematoma decreases noticeably after icing. It would probably have been a good idea to use the ice during the time the old thick bandage was off for showers.

There is a new sensation from the knee. I feel a distinctive longitudinal line of tension midway between the lateral epicondyle and the patella, like there is a thin band stretched there that gets tight when I bend the knee under load. Could be that they had cut the IT band away from the fascia along that line during the operation, or it could be some scar tissue. We'll see how it develops.

The functionality is still slowly improving, though maybe not as quickly as in the first week. It's good that I'm about to start physiotherapy soon, it should help to kick start the recovery and keep it on the right track so I don't develop bad patterns of movement.

Day 10

The stitches are finally out! That feels a bit better. I can't really tell what the scar looks like yet as I have a new adhesive bandage over it, not to be removed for two more days; luckily, I can shower with this one on.

In other news, the swelling around the incision is actually the hematoma doctor told me to expect - I thought a hematoma would include more visible bruising for some reason. I told the doctor I wasn't really icing it so far since the thick adhesive bandage on it make it really hard for the cold to actually reach the site. He urged me to start using ice regularly now. Other things to look forward to are:

• Start physiotherapy next week to rebuild the quads.
• Free to start swimming next Wednesday.
• Free to start cycling and/or running in six weeks, so beginning of September. I can do very short runs or rides before, but nothing longer than 20 minutes.

Otherwise, the knee is improving slowly. I'm walking up stairs almost normally now, though it still hurts a little. I'm also going down stairs facing forward (no longer sideways), but with a sort of a hop-skip on the left leg to avoid the painful eccentric contraction. Still doing glute and hamstring stretches daily, but I've given up on hip flexors and TFL, it seems to hurt more than it helps at this time.

Day 8

I will be doing two day updates now, not enough is changing daily I think.

I had the bloated, swollen feeling in the knee again yesterday, but feeling just fine nothing today.
The knee is feeling better all around, the little pains during various movements are disappearing (for example, putting my feet up or down when sitting on the sofa). I'm going up stairs almost normally, though not all stabilisation and quad muscles are firing yet. Going downstairs is almost painless when going sort of sideways.

I've started going to the office for work this week. It feels better to change the environment a little during the day, plus the little extra walking should help with the recovery I hope.

The sutures are getting annoying, I'm hoping they will be removed at the follow-up - it will be ten days then since the operation.

I started carefully stretching hams, glutes and TFLs. Trying to do anything to make getting back into shape as quick and easy as possible.

Day 6

The knee felt sorry of bloated and tight in the morning, and there was a distinctive feeling of pressure all around the incision site when fully flexed. It also gets sore quicker when standing for a while or when having it fully flexed for a period of time. I took a paracetamol to calm it down a little.

The useful range of motion (with some load, not just passive) seems to be improving, and I am becoming able to apply more force with the quads.

The area around the incision started itching in the evening. It stopped when I removed the adhesive bandage - guess it's just the hair growing back and not a sign of an infection.

Day 5

No big change since yesterday, improving slowly and steadily. I've been more active today - I've climbed the three floors to my apartment three times today, and while it did hurt a little, it did not feel like a bad pain. Still not using the bad leg when descending stairs though. I'm starting to activate the quads a little when walking and climbing stairs.

I also climbed and walked on the arm and back rests of the sofa to check something around the window frame. It probably looked precarious but I felt quite stable. I was sparing the bad leg and it worked fine.

I feel like at least some of the tension on the knee when extending under load comes from the sutures. Looking forward to getting them removed next week.

Day 4

The knee still felt a little inflamed in the morning. I took an ibuprofen with breakfast for a change and it helped. Feels better otherwise: I'm able to do a few steps up stairs before it even starts hurting, and it also hurts less trying to go down stairs. I actually climbed the full three floor to my apartment semi-normally later in the day.

I'm allowed my first full shower today. I removed the adhesive bandage so I could take a look at the actual incision for the first time too. It's not very pretty, but it looks fine. I won't be embedding a picture directly in the post, but here's a link to it for anyone interested.

I took another ibuprofen with dinner after the shower, just in case. That's two ibuprofen for the day, no paracetamol.

I'm other news, the ankle swelling send to be gone, while the one under and around the incision is unchanged, noticeable only when the knee is flexed.

Day 3

I have a full range of motion today, from fully extended to fully flexed. However, I'm still not able to exert any force throughout the range without pain. I am capable of taking a few steps up and down stairs using the affected leg, but it still hurts.

I went outside in the afternoon, spent some time with friends in a park and walking around. It was nice, but I overdid it a little, so it feels a bit tender and inflamed in the evening. 

I've taken two paracetamol in total - one morning, one evening - and no ibuprofen. It helps settle things down a little, but I don't have any major pain that would need constant medication. No sign of a visible hematoma appearing, just the little, very localised swelling that's not changing. The swelling around the ankle is still there, but it is receding.