Couch day

Today is one of those rare days where I am pretty much glued to the couch all day. Today is a day I am thankful for my hubby to be home. 
Why am I on the couch?  It's because of something called "Patellofemoral pain syndrome." Basically it means my knee hurts.  I overdid it power-walking and think it was the uphill hike with the stroller at Lake Chabot on Father's Day that put it over the edge. 
I went to the doctor's last Tuesday to get it checked out because it was getting worse. It felt heavy, uncomfortable, burned a bit, and felt like there was fluid underneath my knee cap. 
The fancy definition of Patellofemoral pain syndrome at Wikipedia is:
"Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a syndrome characterized by pain or discomfort seemingly originating from the contact of the posterior surface of the patella (back of the kneecap) with the femur (thigh bone). It is the most frequently encountered diagnosis in sports medicine clinics."
I have been wearing a knee brace, icing it occasionally, and taking ibruprofen three times a day. But yesterday I think I overdid it again, taking care of two toddlers. I noticed driving longer periods of time (like I did yesterday when I went to babysit for a friend) irritates my knee. So last night I just laid down in bed with my laptop and today is a couch day. Resting my knee as much as possible I think will be the trick to be a faster recovery, especially since I have a busy toddler and planning to drive to Sacramento next week and San Diego after that. 
 Yay for couch days, especially when you need it. We'll see how long before I get bored. I've been watching some shows on Hulu, doing some reading, and just talking to people on Facebook. Also nursing whenever RaeRae asks.
I really hope my knee recovers soon. If it's not better within 2-3 weeks, my doctor said she will refer me for physical therapy. Insurance doesn't cover 100 percent of that, so not really looking forward to some of out of pocket pay. I did physical therapy for my wrist about three years ago though and that did help a lot. 
Hope everyone else is having a nice weekend.