Well I thought I would get it all off my chest as they say !
I started work last week only 8 weeks post op and decided I would play it safe and take both crutches to work and my perching stool so to make life a little more comfortable for me..
What a shock to the system, I am a hairdresser and at the end of my 1st day back I was absolutely shattered, what a nightmare, I didn,t think I was going to make it to the end of the day but I did !!
I still managed to do my physio that night . The next day seemed to be a little easier, I made it to the pool for my morning physio and then onto work, I am using both crutches even though I had got down to one as the days are so long and tiring at the minute but as I was leavibg work I felt this sudden shooting pain go right down the outside of my knee, ouch !! that really hurt. I couldn,t put any weight through it.
Got home iced it took some ibrufen and went to bed, still bad on thursday so went and saw my physio and she said I had either pulled a muscle or trapped a nerve and to stay on both crutches for another 4 - 5 days to rest leg and take pressure off the knee. Apparently my knees saying enough not used to this work rest me !!
So I am a little dissappointed as was doing really well and down to one crutch and was aiming to be on none in the next 2 weeks when I go and see my OS. Which is what he wanted to see and I would have been exstatic as this would be the 1st time in over 4 years to be able to walk without a crutch. even if it was only for a few steps it would have been a real mile stone and achievement.
Whats that saying 2 steps forward 3 steps back, certainly feels like it.!!
Oh well I shouldn,t moan as at least the problem is not directly related to the surgery.
So I will aim to get bacvk down to one crutch within the next 2 weeks and hopefully can progress from there.
Today I went to see my other doctor regarding my MRI scan on my neck and lower spine and the scan was ok but I have in the last year started gettig numbness on the soles of my feet and in the palms of my hands which is a new addition to my other symptoms so he wants to see me in 3 months to monitor me . This is good in one way as they are not worried but want to see if they can find out why. Do you ever feel like your main home is your hospital ? I think I,m there more than I am at home or at least it feels like it !!!
On a good note my knee can now bend to 80% which for me is not bad by wk 8. Also I was reading about orthodics here the other day and thought this might help my ankle and knee as my ankle really turns in and almost points downward when I walk so can add more pressure on my knee, so I went out today and bought some gel versions that I can try. I thought I would do this 1st before spending lots of money on seeing someone and then not feeling the benefit. WOW is all I can say, I put them on when I got home and adjusted them as they have different size and firmness of arch supports that you can change around and immediately you could see the difference in how I stood my ankle looked totally different !! I could even feel the difference on my knee in just the 1st few steps I took.!
All I have got to do now is gradually ease myself in to getting use to them, why did no-one tell me about these before, they could have made so much difference to me and my knee much sooner !!! Oh well better late than never
So some good stuff this week and some not so good, lets hope next week gets better !
Hope I haven,t rambled on too much but it is good to share this with people who understand what its like to have good and bad weeks!
Take care everyone,
Tiggs
