Wednesday 28th April - Day 33

Only 1 month in...  So bored.  I'm able to work from home (or the pub next door) so during the day it's not too bad but evenings get pretty tedious.  I'm getting pretty awesome at Modern Warfare 2 though.   For those who know the game, I've Prestiged twice in 2 months!

I had another trip to the hospital yesterday and hoped my doctor would give me the ok to buy an automatic car and at least gain some freedom but sadly it was denied... No driving for at least another 2 months.

I've been told I can remove the brace and try bending the knee when I'm in a safe environment.  Currently I'm between 95 and 100 degrees motion.  I can almost straighten my knee completely but it is difficult (not painful) to lock out.

There are still a few hematomas around my knee but doc says these should disappear in time.

The most difficult part of all this is keeping weight off the leg.  Walking with crutches is tiring and navigating around the kitchen with a glass of water in one hand is actually pretty dangerous.

Here's my knee.  Virtually no muscle at all.  I have a hairy girls leg.

Wednesday 14th April - Day 19 : bend, straighten, bend, straighten

Hit my shoulders at the gym today.  Saying it was hard work is a huge understatement.  I had several dizzy spells but at least my leg didn't hurt!  Tomorrow, it's chest day.


The leg is healing well.  First thing in the morning when the swelling is to a minimum I am almost able to bend to 90 degrees.  See!

The new brace is good but sleeping in it is still tricky.  I'm due back at the Occupational Therapy Splint Workshop again tomorrow so I will let them know about the painful areas.  It will also need refitting because my muscles have atrophied even more!!  It will be stick thin at the end of the 2 months.

Thursday 8th April - Day 13 after surgery, fitting of new leg brace

I had my new, hinged leg brace fitted today.  It's far more difficult to fit and remove than the old one but this one seems more supportive.  I'm locked into only 90 degrees movement right now, of which I can probably do about 30.  Check this out...

Wednesday 7th April - Day 12 since surgery

Pretty boring day today, Mum came round to visit with the dogs which livened things up a load!

Tuesday 6th April - Transfer to British doctor

My appointment with the knee specialist at Nuffield hospital Derby was this morning.  He took a good look through my file and had a few xrays done.  It appears everything is ok and I'm on track to a full recovery.

Staples have also been removed... scar is looking much better and check out my hair regrowth!



The bruising is looking pretty nasty but pretty sure that's to be expected.  I've been trying to bend my knee as much as possible and I'm also being fitted for a brace with movable knee joint on Thursday.   This photo shows where I'm at with knee bending right now...






I can't believe how skinny my leg looks in this picture!  My muscles have atrophied already!

Monday 5th April - Strength is Back!

It took the whole weekend but finally I have my strength back.  It's amazing what 3 days without a good meal and any sleep can do to a person.  I found myself out of breath limping to the toilet!  However, with each passing day and each passing meal I found myself stronger.  Now, I'm fully able to cope on my own in my flat.

My Dad bought me a seat to mount in the bath so I can wash easily and I have my armchair setup in the firing line of the TV with laptop and table full of fruit and various goodies to one side... I'm ready for the next 2 months!

I'm on over-the-counter pain medication (Nurofen plus) every 4 to 6 hours.  When I'm seated with my leg horizontal there is little to no pain but when I stand up and all the blood rushes down my leg the pain can become quite severe.  The pain meds help with this.  I have found that this pain becomes less every day.

Thursday 1st April - Journey Home

Hardly slept, headache, stomach ache, leg ache... Just want to be home.

The journey home was ok at first, my own personal Ambulance with two lovely French nurses was fantastic but my Easyjet flight was delayed by 2 hours.  I had 3 seats on the plane eventually... nice.

Arrival in Luton was a whole different story.  I was greeted with a Mercedes Estate taxi!  Hardly equipped to deal with a fractured leg!  The 2 and a half hour journey up the M1 in bank holiday traffic and pouring rain was awful.  I spent the entire time holding onto my leg as the car stopped and started with the traffic.  By the time I arrived in Derby at 9pm I barely had the strength to stand.  It took 5 minutes to walk down the short corridor to my flat and once I arrived I could barely move!