Training Log Archive: schnitzer

5070 steps.

Walked Hugo to school with brace same config as yesterday's walk. It got really annoying however as it was slipping down my leg so a strap started to sit on the top of my knee cap, taxing. So risked it and took it off, brace in one hand, bag full of waterproofs and wellington boots in the other plus a 4 year old kid with not much idea about road safety and no idea whatsover about showing consideration for people recovering from knee cap reconstruction surgery.

Once Hugo had gone into class I put the brace back on, tightened it up properly and the walk back home was much less stressful.

Later on in the evening went for another training walk, same as yesterday but didn't bother with the brace. Much more comfortable, enjoyable even. Really feels like I'm coming through this, it feels better even comparing with just yesterday!

3885 steps.

I moved the leg extensions from the untimed rehab stuff to here as have progressed to doing them sat on a chair with legs hanging, might have to start adding some weights soon. Also added some sort of easy hamstring curl thing I designed using a foam matress.

A bit later I went for my first proper training walk, put the brace on for this but left it unlocked with 60 degree bump stops so I could try to walk and go up and down stairs normally.

4 weeks since the operation today!

2075 steps.

A bit naughty but couldn't be bothered to put my brace on at all today. Although that meant I didn't end up walking that much the distance that I did do however was top quality training! Was really careful and tried to walk as normally as possible, definitely more stable now :)

4465 steps.

Calves coping better now. Getting really fed up with constantly taking off and putting my brace back on however.

3135 steps.

4755 steps.

Mostly just mobiity exercises today, taking a day off from the strength work.

Fetched Hugo from the nursery again but this time without crutches. Had a dodgy moment trying to catch up with him across the wet, leafy grass. Probably best to leave this job to Beth for a while, Hugo doesn't like me doing it either.

Calves tight from yesterday's walking, especially on the right-hand side. Mostly I have the brace locked straight, doing as I'm told but I think this puts a lot of pressure on the calf muscles, especially up and down hills. This is a problem because I live at the top of a fairly steep hill.

6990 steps.

Went to see the physio after lunch, talked about starting to do some balance exercises. Didn't take my crutches which contributed to a bit more walking over the day than I had intended.

3815 steps.

Went for a check up at the hospital today. The xrays looked good, identical to how they did just after the op so I haven't messed anything up, good. The doctors and physio are impressed by the extent I can flex and extend after just 3 weeks and the fact that I've virtually stopped taking the pain medication is particularly unusual apparently. Not surprised at that, most people love taking drugs. I personally can't wait to finish with the oxycodone completely so I can start drinking again - not long to go, down to just 5mg per day now.

Regardless of all this they say I am taking too much risk. They say it is unclear how much the knee cap has actually healed and recommend continuing with caution - only flexing to 90 degrees and only walking with the brace in straight leg locked mode. For the next 3 weeks :(

Of course I share their goal of avoiding going back under the knife for a more complicated, second operation should I break the repair job. Trouble is I'm not sure they share so much my goal of getting the mobility, balance and strength back asap and giving myself the best chance of a 100% recovery.

I understand the flex thingy, if the bone hasn't healed then it makes sense that one shouldn't be flexing loads. I can make the flex exercises harder by holding it longer at 90 degrees.

However it was difficult getting it out of them the exact reasons why they don't want me walking normally yet. As suspected it is because of the risk of an accident, the risk of a sudden, fast and big flex and/or an automated response where the quad muscle contracts massively to stop oneself falling over. So walking normally itself isn't actually risking much, just have to be really careful.

Later on in the afternoon I felt like my rehab exercises were getting serious enough to start actually logging some of it. Straight leg raises - quads, abductors and hamstrings. Isometric setting exercises - adductors and glutes. Cobra.

3575 steps.

Walked and fetched Hugo from the nursery today, that was slow going! It did however help to break the record for the number of steps in a day since the accident.

2005 steps.

2945 steps.

Real progress now, hitting almost 90 degrees of flexion without trying any harder than what it took to reach 30 degrees the days directly after the operation.

The extension has really come along this week as well, it looks nearly as good as other knee now which is great because that's the control I need to start leg raises/extensions and finally stop and hopefully reverse the wasting of the quad muscles.

Walking more and more, regularly without the brace locked and even sometimes, very carefully, without any brace at all.

Maybe, just maybe I'll be able to go for a jog before the year is out, would be a nice Xmas present!

3135 steps.

1685 steps.

1460 steps.

1560 steps.

Knee update...

I've been good with the exercises - 3 times a day pretty much without fail and I am researching/thinking up variations and gradually adding more. At the same time I'm being careful not to go into the pain too much and also gradually weening myself off the oxycodone.

So today I hit the 60 degree flexion bump stops on my brace for the first time, only 11 days after the op. They gave me 3 weeks to get to here and the average post-op plan gives 4 weeks.

Not getting carried away however because in terms of extension the progress seems slower. Or maybe normal, probably. Plus even if the flexion carries on improving super quick I probably shouldn't go past 100 degrees until I know for sure that the bone has properly healed. I guess I'll get an indication of that on the 24th when I go back and see the surgeon.

Looking forward to getting the rowing machine out at some point.

350/1000 days.

A really lucky boy on so many levels. A fairly early start so a couple of runners turned up to help quickly, one of which had a phone. They helped me to the nearest road while an organiser drove into the forest to pick me up. A short drive, little wait in the changing rooms followed by a ride in an ambulance.

After six nights all inclusive at the hospital they eventually had space to do an operation as unimportant as mine. Fortunately the cap was split into only two, large pieces so a classic tension band wire technique was used...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1015618913...

This went well and the surgeon was happy, I already had 60 degrees of flex in my knee directly after the op. Unusually good apparently. So no cast and straight into a rehab plan of minimising the swelling/pain and maximising the mobility, already approx 2 weeks ahead of the average knee cap fracture recovery schedule. A great prognosis.

Initially I wasn't expecting to be terrain running ever again, or expecting not to be either. Now it seems like there is a good chance things will be fine although I'm a bit scared of getting back on the horse, the images are still fresh like a horror movie in my head. Not just of the accident but the whole needles, operation, pain, drugs and general hospital trauma experience too. I've been thinking about future damage limitation quite a bit but it's good that I've got some time to get my head straight before making any decisions.