I was cleared today by my doctor to put weight on my left leg.  And he told me it is very important to straighten my leg to the point of hyperextension.  Guess what two things hurt the most… So, pain in this case really does equal gain.

Physical therapy starts tomorrow.  I imagine the queen of pain will issue more excruciating orders.  I’m told it will involve bending my knee to 90 degrees.  Yeah, that hurts, too.

A smidgen of perspective popped out of the post-op folder tonight.  A little card on which I get to write a letter of appreciation to the family of the soul who donated my new ACL.  A heart was not life-flighted to me in the middle of the night.  Nobody gave me a kidney.  My life wasn’t saved and I had not been on a waiting list.  So, my words may not inspire millions.  But, here we go anyway…

Because of your loved one’s generosity I can ski and play soccer with my children. Maybe someone else was given the gift of sight.  Or hearing. Or freedom from a machine. Maybe someone received a new heart. In my case, the gift of a tendon allows me to again show my little girls what fun daddy can be.  A little more joy in a world that can use it. Thank you.

Okay, maybe I’ll just go with the first and last sentences.

D-day +2; self-inflicted pain and a slight fever.  Overall, though, I feel great.