Physical Therapy - horrible, yet wonderful - is that possible?

So I had my first physical therapy appointment last Friday. I work downtown, and as it turns out, my doctor's preferred physical therapist is downtown as well, so that is convenient for me. Headed there during my lunch hour and stayed for about an hour an a half. (Much thanks to Bonnie and Kelly from work, who were gracious enough to chauffeur me there and back as I'm not quite driving yet.) I was in pain for four hours afterwards, but at the same time, my knee felt better than ever....I was all stretched out and feeling not as stiff as I have been.

First thing we did was to measure my good leg and compare those numbers with my bad leg. In short, I've lost mucho inches: 1.5" off my right calf, and at least 3.0" on my right thigh. I'm just wasting away!! But my therapist (Brandi) thinks she can get me back (even stronger) by the time she's done with me. I'm so glad we hit it off. I had read that if you can find a good physical therapist, it makes a world of difference with recovery.

After measuring me, she laid me on my stomach and began to brutalize me. I'M NOT KIDDING. (She did warn me that I was going to hate her.) She was giving me a hamstring massage on my bad leg, and oh my gosh, it hurt so bad! I had tears in my eyes and basically had to "tap out" a couple of times -- I couldn't handle the pain. She showed me the amount of pressure she was using on my good leg, and I couldn't believe that's how little she was pushing on my bad leg to make it hurt that bad! She told me I have some atrophy and scar tissue there, hence the massage, and hence the pain. But in order for it to go away, I have to continue with the painful massage. Then she flipped me on my side and did my IT band on the outside of my right quad muscle. HELLO!!! OUCH!! Aren't massages supposed to feel good?

Then it was on to my exercises. 5 new ones, so I can stop the ones they gave me at the hospital after surgery. I do wall heel slides (got to 84 degrees after 10 of them - need to get to 90+ degrees in order to earn my way to a stationary bike), IT band stretch on a foam roller (basically more painful massage stuff), hamstring stretch against a wall (feels AWESOME - not kidding), knee extensions (leg straight out, pushing my knee down on a towel or blood pressure cuff; move knee cap toward hip while squeezing quad muscle), and then I do prone hangs. THAT IS THE WORST. You lay on your stomach, legs hanging off the end of the table, allowing gravity to pull your foot toward the floor. I can't relax enough to know if my foot moves toward the floor, as my extension isn't 100% yet. Eventually she'll push down for me....I can't wait for that one. And then eventually she'll bend my knee and push my foot up towards my butt. Thinking "happy" thoughts about that as I write this...pain, pain, pain!!!

At the end, I got some ice along with some good old fashioned shock therapy. I still have quite a bit of swelling and I've developed Pitting Edema (basically excess fluid is still there, and when you push your finger down on the swelling, the impression of the finger stays there for a few seconds.) To help with the edema, I have to wear a STUPID compression sock again on my right leg. Hopefully that will be short lived, as you all know, I HATE THE COMPRESSION SOCKS with a passion. Maybe I'll luck out and when I go today she'll tell me I don't have to wear it. Ben is going with me today so that he can do some massage at home with me. The more the better, she says. I just hope he doesn't brutalize me too! Once is enough, but more...I just don't know about that.