On the eve of Day 40, I’m pretty close to ditching the cane, cool a fashion item as it is. I don’t need it on short trips at all, and if it weren’t for NYC’s treacherous subway system I would have probably left it behind by now.

Something new is happening at PT: I am sweating! That means the workouts are becoming aerobically challenging. I am actually strengthening my leg and getting back into shape, not merely trying move my leg up and down like in the early days. Spending time on machines, biking with resistance, and doing wall squats. It feels good to sweat.

It’s not as if the pain is gone. I have awkward ‘pops’ a few times a day from cartilage moving around. Sometimes I wake up in the morning with my knee super stiff or sore. And stairs are stairs. They’ll be tough for a while. But overall, progress marches on.

Next report will be after my surgeon check-in on Tuesday.