12 Days Post-Op: Doctor follow up and my first jog

12 days after surgery it's time for my first follow up at the doctor. The splint finally came off and boy did it feel great to get some fresh air on my arm! It also felt great to frantically itch the skin for the first 5 minutes. Turns out that the sutures are all internal and dissolve-able, so there weren't any stitches to remove.

I was able to do a bit of motion, albeit very stiff and sore and essentially assisted by my right hand. But at least it's a start. The motions of concern are of course flexion and extension; also twisting the wrist from palm-up to palm-down, and grip strength. It's extremely bizarre to struggle to do such simple things. I didn't get to see my actual surgeon, rather a orthopedic Physician Assistant (PA) whose instructions seemed rather conservative in my opinion. He suggested doing assisted motions for 5 minutes, 3 to 5 times per day. (In contrast, April's doctors had her begin rigorous physical therapy a.s.a.p.) So, I expect to push myself more than he recommended if I don't encounter any problems. He says I can't undo anything they've fixed (unless I crash my bike again, or fall on it in general) although it's possible to aggravate it if I overdo therapy.

Here's the range of motion I have as of Monday night:

Once I'd been released from the doctor, I got on the bike and worked a half day in the afternoon. I spent an hour in the garden and then jogged 4.5miles for the first time since the accident. It felt wonderful to get my heart rate up again. I'd gone from rigorous workouts 5-6 days per week to no noteable exercise for the last 3+ weeks, aside from easy spins on the bike for commuting and work. So it's a very positive step to get some decent cardio again and although I couldn't swing my arms like a normal runner, I didn't have any other problems and hope to keep running 2-4 days a week until I can start swimming and/or road biking.