Recovery- week 6

Wednesday 29th Mar 2006

Currently listening to: King of Fools by Delerious?

[I've already written this entry once - the PC crashed and I lost it!]

I've decided to write knee related news weekly as the recovery is less dramatic and ties in with my physio/consultant appointments. I'm now seeing the physio's at the Crystal Palace Sports Injuries clinic, which is where I've been going to the gym and where I've had physio previously. This is mainly a convenience thing, as well as the fact that they always seem to know what's going on and the ladies on reception have learnt my name! I had my 4th outpatient physio last Saturday. It went quite well; I'm onto the leg press and have got exercises to work on involving the trampoline and throwing a football against the wall in order to improve stability.

I managed to make it to the gym on Monday and Tuesday morning before work and have got to the stage on the bike where I can feel myself needing to take deeper breaths, so at least there's a little aerobic exercise creeping in too.

On Wednesday I had my 6 week check up and the consultant was pleased with the strength in the knee. Although he did tell me that the graft is still in the process of getting a blood supply and doesn't heal until this is all reconnected. This usually occurs after 3 months, so the 6-12 week period is a dangerous one as the knee gets more movement and you push it more, but it isn't too strong yet; caution is therefore in order. He told me that I was allowed to drive and that I could ditch the crutch and the brace. This is great news and I've spent the rest of the week with neither! Feels very odd though as I can feel the instability in the knee a lot more than I thought I would. There is more strain at the front of the knee going up and, particularly, down stairs and ramps. The main thing I've noticed is that people don't get out of your way when you don't have a crutch! It was about time I got rid of it; I left it at a til the other day and it wasn't until I noticed people weren't giving me the space I'd become accustomed to, that I realised I'd left it somewhere!

So, all in all a good week knee wise, although there is a lot of physio to be done. It's getting more tempting to kick a ball the easier it is to move around, but I know that's not going to be allowed until Christmas, so I've got to control these legs even more!

Recovery - to Day 39

Monday 28th Mar 2006

Currently listening to: nothing, except the gentle whirr of air conditioning and a computer.

Ok, not written much for a few days. I'm too tired to write anything interesting in the evening so I'm trying to save you from the monotony of reading a list of things I have done. I'm gonna start reviewing the knee progress weekly as well, so all these other posts hopefully will be more about everything else that's going on.

Stayed in on Friday with my friends Ralph, Rich and Dani. The purpose of said evening, apart from enjoying a curry from the Belash - the current No1 Indian takeaway in Penge (and I say current because if standards ever drop....) was to book flights and the cars for our trip to sunny Spain in August. Actually we were sorting it for seven people, so there was lots of ringing around trying to find the exact name people had in their passports. And are you supposed to include your middle name as well? Some of us did, some of us didn't. I don't think it matters too much.

I need to upgrade my PC. It's still on Windows 98SE and IE runs like a dog when you're trying to fill in forms. It's supposed to be 2Mb broadband but it took an age to get it all done. I reckon I need a new processor, more memory, new OS and a better graphics card, but everything else should be ok. So what do I do? Get a new motherboard and do it all myself, or just buy a new PC and whack my current stuff into there? Any advice gratefully received.

After sorting out the holiday stuff we watched Fargo. A film I had bought on the recommendation of a few friends but never got round to seeing. What an ace film. It's only 90 minutes long or so and the story in itself is pretty straightforward. Essentially a botched kidnapping and the solving of the crime. But the thing that makes the film stand out are the characters and the setting. The film is based in and around Fargo (hence the name) in Minnesota. Central Northern USA. From what I can tell there is a large Swedish immigrant influence there and the accent that they trained the actors to use is very strange. It has a repressed, sounding too cheerful to actually be that cheerful, kind of feel about it. Everyone also has this forced politeness that gets even more polite the more annoyed they are. I can see this creeping into the service culture in the UK (translation in brackets):

"Good afternoon Sir, how can I help"
(What do you want?)

"I was given this DVD for my birthday but I already have it, can I exchange it please?"
(I was given this DVD for my birthday but I already have it, can I exchange it please?)

"Do you have a receipt?"
(Are you a criminal?)

"No, it was a present"
(No I don't)

"Well I'm sorry I can't exchange it without a receipt"
( I think you're a criminal)

"But it's still in the shrinkwrap and has your firms price sticker on it!"
(But you don't lose out here - they're the same value)

"That may be the case, Sir, but unless you can provide proof of purchase I can't exchange it"
(Yep - a definite crim)

"Why not?"
(You're an idiot and I want to prove it)

"You might have stolen it, Sir"
(You're a thief and a menace to society)

"Why would I want to steal a film I already own?"
(Get out of that one!)

"I don't know you own it Sir, and I'm very very sorry but it's against company policy to accept returns" - forced grin
(You're a liar and a menace to society)

"Yeah - well return this" shoves DVD into till operators face
(Arrgghhhhh - I'm soooo annoooyed)

muffled yelp - "SECURITY!"
(Someone kick the crap out of this guy - he's probably a drug dealer working for Al Qaida)

Security - "Please step this way Sir, we need to have a little chat with you"
(You scum, you're going to get such a kicking)

[Not a true story]

Anyway - Fargo - give it a try, it's cool.

PFCFC beat Immanuel Youth for the first time ever on Saturday. So not only is that another 3 points, but we've beaten every team in the division apart from Drummond Rovers this season. (We've lost a couple of times as well!). I think that's an excellent achievement and I was very satisfied with the result. I actually took my Captain off this week. Don't think I've ever done that in a competitive game, but I know the tiredness being displayed will disappear for the next match, when he'll score another 30 yarder. We're in danger of getting promoted if we win our remaining 2 games and other teams drop points in theirs.

Spent Saturday evening playing poker, watching Ice Age and having another Ruby Murry (really need to watch the frequency of these!) with Jack, Max and Adam. This time a Chicken Dupiaza as opposed to the Lamb Shaslick on Friday night. Still good though. I love getting together after a footie match, as you not only get to savor the food but also the performance of a few hours previously.

Lost an hours sleep due to the clocks going forward between Saturday and Sunday, but it wasn't a major problem. Although I did find out that changing the clocks isn't about farmers; it's about saving energy in the evening by using less artificial light. So now you know. Slobbed at home for the rest of Sunday after church.

Back to work on Monday.

Recovery - to Day 35

Thursday 23rd Mar 2006

Currently listening to: The telly - Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares

Ok, It''s been a few days. Mainly because I'm back at work full time this week and have been busy and tired in the evening. (and to be fair, I've been playing GTA 3 -San Andreas instead). As far as the knee is concerned I've been slack on the physio; 'cos I've been getting in late to avoid the rush, I've been getting back late as well, and then I've had things to do in the evening, so it's been pushed aside. I'm going to need to focus on it if I'm going to get back in shape.

Monday wasn't very exciting. Apart from the return of Justin Lee Collins on Sky's the Games: The inside track. This is the programme where he does some punditry on The Games for a half hour show. The Games the TV show, is in my humble opinion, utter rubbish. Putting celebrities into Olympic events just doesn't cut it for me. It's not like The Match when the celebs play the pros, as not only is it interesting, but there will always be at least 11 players on the pitch with a decent amount of ability. Maybe it's something to do with the 2012 Olympics and they feel they should raise some interest but I couldn't care less about the actual events. I do care about the post event show though. JLC is possibly the most enthusiastic presenter I have ever watched. He turns a dull programme into the most important display of athleticism you could imagine, by a combination of innuendo, timing and general micky taking. And he manages to carry his guests so much that they are laughing with him without being insulted. Maybe it's the west country accent, but his 'lovin yoouuuu' and the high fives are trademarks to take on board.

Tuesday evening involved spending a lovely evening with my team at a local pub/restaurant called The Bell Inn at Outwood. The food was excellent and substantial with a really friendly barman/waiter. I had a delicious trout stuffed with prawns for main and an ace Monkey Puzzle dessert thing - lots of cream, ice cream, mashmallows, shortbread, butterscotch... ummmmmmm.

Wednesday is cell night. Probably the first one we've had for a month due to various circumstances, so it was good to see everyone and spend some time waiting on God. I saw Sarah R this evening for our regular cell chat and it was good to catch up.

The thing that's struck me most this week has been the conviction of the six men for the murder of Mary-Ann Leneghan. The whole episode is horrific and I'm stunned that people can do something so horrendous. It could be said that the root cause of it all was the dealing of drugs and the criminal element involved in this, but the premeditation of the whole thing is what is disturbing.

On a more lighter note, I've got some photos from my dad of the fire I mentioned in my last post. Here they are:

That's our church building on the corner. The fire was in the building next to the railway line.

Recovery - Day 31 - Fire

Sunday 19th Mar 2006

Currently listening to: War by U2

!FIRE!

Ok, not in my home, or even in a way that put in me in danger, but one that affected my day.

It's not often that there is a Sunday that I don't go to church if I'm at home. The only exceptions are if I'm ill or recovering from an operation. So probably about twice in 6 years! However, this morning I got a call from our Worship Leader at about 8:15am. I thought I was going to be reminded that I was needed to play bass (as I'm often late and there had been some confusion over who was going to play), but instead I was told that the meeting had been cancelled due to a fire in the carpet factory next door.

Apparently someone at the early morning prayer meeting had noticed the fire and called the fire brigade at about 7:30ish. Loads of fire engines then turned up and it was thought safer not to have 150 people arriving next door! So instead of going to church I arranged to meet some of my cell group in the pub for breakfast. By the time we got down there the smoke from the fire was billowing all over Penge. Really dirty black smoke as well; it smelt terrible. The roads surrounding the fire were all shut off and more and more emergency vehicles kept arriving. Due to Penge being a hub (ahem) of local bus routes, the bus people were out in force as well, arranging diversions.

The factory itself apparently contained pressurised containers which meant that the railway line next to the factory was also shut. This is the line that the Eurostar runs on, and that many people get to work in the morning, so hopefully it'll be open by tomorrow.

So, after turning up to the pub when it opened and being the first customers (drink bought - Tea) I settled down to an excellent breakie. Cooked by my very own sister who is slaving away in the pub whilst going through college (again!). By the time we'd finished this the smoke had died down but the streets were still all cornered off.

I spent the rest of the day staying in and watching the TV and doing boring domestic stuff, but I was told the fire was still going at about 8pm. I don't think the church was damaged at all, although I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

The disruption to the normal Sunday routine has been strange. I've been checking the news for reports but although this is probably the most interesting thing to happen in Penge for a while, I guess in the wider world it's only really affected some transportation.....

Recovery - Day 30

Saturday 18th Mar 2006

Currently listening to: War by U2

Nothing new to report knee wise. Except maybe, that I'm now comfortable enough with it to roll over in bed rather than forcing myself to just lie on my back. But I'm not going into my sleeping habits on the interweb.

PFCFC won the return match against Orpington this afternoon with a solitary goal. A reverse of the scoreline 4 weeks ago. One more win and we're definitely going to avoid the bottom two spots which are usually reserved for the relegated teams. If we win our remaining 3 games in the league we could end up 3rd in the league, which would be a fantastic position to finish in. It was, once again, freezing outside and I'm so glad I have a sk-jacket that works.

Watched Hellboy in the evening with Ralph, Luke, Rich and Dani. Really enjoyed it. If you haven't watched it, but liked other cartoon films, you'll like it. Good characters - dry wit and pretty good effects make it a watchable movie. It does help it was on my mates nut's home cinema system. I'm sure that the foundations of his flat will become weaker over time the more he uses it.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to plug my friend Jonnie's charity run that is taking place on 1st April 2006. He is trying to raise money to build a hospital in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. Anyone can enter. If you'd like to take part please see the flyer I've posted for more info, (actually, I can't load it at the mo, if you want details then let me know and I'll get them for you)

Recovery - Day 29

Friday 19th Mar 2006

I was still really tired when I woke up today, but managed to get to the gym for an hour and upped the resistance on the exercise bike which pushed the knee a bit. The session down the gym livened me up and by the time I left to go to work I was feeling better than I had all week. This time I didn't forget my wallet although it was still really cold! One of my trains had a platform alteration which meant climbing down and up the same two sets of stairs twice; I could have just stayed on the platform I came in on. It made me want to hurl my crutch at someone.

After work I had two tickets to go and see my friend Sarah's production of Much Ado About Nothing. I wasn't up for going on my own and thankfully my colleague Jenny rearranged a few things to come along which was really appreciated. However, if I mention Jenny in this blog I'm duty bound to mention Jas who would have come if she didn't have other commitments elsewhere. I'm not sure if I'd have gone on my own as it meant getting back late and staying out after work can sometimes make the day seem incredible long, especially when it's that extra struggle to get in and you've been low on energy all week. However, in this case it was an excellent evening.

I've never seen Shakespeare performed live before and I quite enjoyed the experience. You have to concentrate to get into the language and it helps that the performers at this play spoke clearly throughout. The amount of words they have to remember is significant (well so it seemed to me), so it must be even harder to deliver them as natural speech rather than reading from a script. Now being an amateur production, some are better at this than others, but none were bad. Beatrice particularly stood out as a believable character, with a fast wit and feisty character. Claudio also performed with gusto and commitment to the role. Not having read the play means I cannot comment on the plays departure from the written word, but it kept me entertained and, crucially, wanting to investigate further. The productions simplicity of set and costume meant that you had to focus on the performers and the dialogue, which, I think, is the whole point of Shakespeare. Saying that I thought the revelry scene was a nice touch. Might want to be careful with that bench though! All in all I was very pleased that I went and it was great to catch up with Sarah.

Recovery - Day 28

Thursday 16th Mar 2006

Felt better today having taken some medication last night and spending a fun evening watching various cup matches on the telly, so decided that I'd make the step back to work after missing out on Wednesday's meeting. Only did a half day, so as to avoid the rush hour in the morning. It didn't start too well as the moment I stepped out of the flat I was frozen and had forgotten to bring a brolly. Then halfway down the road I realised I'd forgotten my wallet so I had to turn around and climb back into the flat to get it (and an extra jumper and previously mentioned brolly). This isn't a major problem usually - just annoying, but when you have to walk slower than normal in the freezing cold it almost made me give up. Anyway, made it to work by about 1:45 and was given a really warm welcome by my colleagues which was great. They'd even saved me a cookie from the meeting yesterday, which I unfortunately and uncharacteristically had to decline. Had a good chat about the scar and the op and even pointed them to the blog - so hi guys!

The positive thing from today is that the leak which had been dripping slowly into the flat through a light fitting in the hall for about a week was isolated and resolved. So that's one less thing to worry about. It never looked major but could have easily got worse and it was a good job it wasn't a really obscure pipe under the floor.

I even got my appetite back in the afternoon and had my first full meal in the evening. Only time will tell whether I'm over this bug!

Got down the pub again tonight. No insights of deep knowledge but did get to see Rosie who I haven't seen in ages - word up girl.

Need to find some more photos for this blog or maybe I should experiment with colour. Your thoughts are welcomed!

Recovery - Day 27

Wednesday 15th Mar 2006

Not a great day in the recovery process today. Physio told me that I hadn't made as much progress in the flexibility stakes as much as expected. Should have been at 120 degrees last week and I'm about there now. But at least there's been progress since last week which is good. The illness was back this morning though and I wasn't up for getting into town for the work meeting, which is a pain. I'm hoping to go in tomorrow afternoon to test the journey and to get back into the swing of things. Of course, the most annoying thing is that I'm not hungry and can't eat. Lot's of fluid and maybe some dry toast later tonight is all I'm going to manage.

New exercises for the knee are calf raises with weights and very light leg presses. I'm also allowed to up the cycling and step machine times. Some new things were using the wobbleboards and tramploine - designed to improve balance and stability. I was also told that I can keep the crutches (something to do with cross infection); they should be useful for some sympathy in the future! The brace was given more range today as well. Full extension and 90 degrees flexion. I'm still supposed to wear it unless I'm doing exercises in case I fall, but my walking gait appears to be good.

Still, couple of good things did happen. I got an upgraded NTL box, so my broadband should be 2mb instead of 700b and my old flatmate Ben popped in on a rare day off in London. Given I haven't seen him for about 2/3 years it was really good to catch up and we should be able to do the same next week. Hopefully I'll have recovered by then as we can enjoy a jar over some food.

Recovery - Day 26

Tuesday 14th Mar 2006

No post yesterday as I've come down with a bug that's left me lifeless and with the squits! (Nice I know).
I did manage to get to the gym for some gentle cycling and the walk. But everything else was an effort. Didn't eat anything until lunch today, mainly because I had no appetite. Which must mean I'm not well as usually I'll eat anything.

Got another physio appointment tomorrow and I hope that he'll tell me it's going well. After this session I'll be moving to the physio's at Crystal Palace as they are a lot closer to me. The main thing they seem concerned with is the flexibility. Apparently after 6 weeks I should be able to move my leg back as far as my unoperated leg. Not there yet, but it's beyond the 90 degrees and swelling is more flexible than it was, in that it moves when you apply pressure wheras before it was very solid, so hopefilly that's a good sign.

Went to see my grandparents today in Hastings. They're both over 80 but doing ok. My Nan's had a knee replacement last year and has a scar even bigger than mine. I think her problem was arthritus and no cartilege. But she can walk about ok, but doesn't have that much flexibility in the leg. We went for a walk along Bexhill seafront which was a good bit of exercise, and cold as well.

I'm making my first foray back to work tomorrow as well. There's a meeting I'm attending in the afternoon. It's not my usual place of work and as such should be a little less hassle getting to and a good test as to how I'm coming along in terms of returning to work. Let's hope it goes well!

Recovery - Day 25

Sunday 12th Mar 2006

Currently listening to - Match of the Day 2

No blog entry for Day 24. Mainly because I helped out at my churches youf lock-in on Friday night, which essentially meant getting no sleep whilst making sure that 20 youngsters didn't hurt themselves or someone else. It's blitzed me for the entire weekend.

I did manage to get to see our cup final opponents play on Saturday afternoon. I think it'll be a great game as both teams like to attack and they play the game in the right way. Their manager is a decent guy; we had a good chat and moan about the tribulations of injuries (he's had a menisucus tear and only just come back) and management in general.

My main thought for today is how eating toast makes a cup of tea taste better. Why is that? It has to be the best pre-Tea food. Cereal ain't bad, but toast seems to set the tastebuds going in a way only a good cup of tea can satisfy. Especially if the tea is just the right temperature - hot but not scolding. Whilst I'm talking about tea, just want to mention my favourite brand. It's Clipper freetrade tea. Tastes great even if the bags look a bit old!
Anyway, that's my top tip for today. If you have any favourite tea food then let me know. I know some people have a penchant for Hob Nobs.........

Recovery - Day 23

Friday 10th Mar 2006

Currently listening to : Out of Exile by Audioslave.

Have done a whole hour at the gym today (well, it was an hour to walk there, do the exercises and walk back). No major changes in the knee, but definition still coming back. Trying to ascertain whether my right leg has suffered any atrophy or not just by looking at it. It's hard to tell, but I reckon it looks less muscular than my left.

Anyway - spent another excellent evening in the pub last night. The Thursday night pub visit is a very productive time. We often seem to be discussing ideas of note. A very interesting one that came up the other week was whether we could auction on E-bay Trev's exit music at his wedding and how much we could get for it. The thinking goes that the money generated helps to pay for the wedding. A few of our ideas were below, maybe Trev and Helen could let us know what they'd take to play the following (I bet they have different prices between them!):

1. Emperor's Theme from Star Wars
2. Killing me softly (with his song)
3. Tears of a Clown
4. How long has this been going on
5. If I could turn back time
6. I'm not in love

Basically, the more inappropriate, the more money you'd want. Although i have heard rumours that Trev wouldn't mind the Emperor's Theme........

Recovery - Day 22

Thursday 9th March 2006

Got across to the rehabilitation gym at Crystal Palace this morning and managed to do ten minutes of very gentle cycling and 5 minutes on the step machine. I'll be going back there regularly as it's so close and only £15 for two weeks. Seems like a good option at the mo. I finally got a photo of the scar. Thanks to Trev for this - here is is:


I'll need to get one with a flash etc, but think it is clearish. The size of the knee itself is a lot better and there's more definition around the patella which is great. Certainly - all the interesting yellows are going!.

It struck me again the other day how well PFCFC are doing without me playing for them and whether I'll ever get back into the team. Let's look at the facts:

• I play in the first 5 games of the season. No wins, 2 losses and three draws.
• I'm injured in the last draw at 1-0 down and we go on to draw 2-2
• We then win the next 6!!! in a row
• We then lose 2 in row to better opposition and then win another 3, lose 1 and draw 1

Now, it looks bad. Especially since I play in defence. And this is what get's me becuase at the beginning of the season we were short of centre halves and now they seem to be springing up all over the place. Good job really as I've always seen myself as a full back. But with Pricey and Lawzzer in the squad there's no hope for me! The only saving grace is that in all the games I've managed from the touchline we've won. The only game we didn't win when I was there but not playing was when I was refereeing. I think it is certainly easier to manage from the touchline than from the pitch in terms of substitutions etc, or maybe I talk a better game than I play! Hopefully I'll be able to play next Feb and if I'm still in charge I can pick myself again!

Recovery - Day 21

Wednesday 8th March 2006

Wahey - I'm finally up to date. Hopefully these entries should be more in real time. I'll probably only do them everynow and again. Had my second trip to the physio today. I haven't got as much flexibility in the leg as expected (can only do 90 degrees rather than 120 degrees). But it's been a slow exercise week to be fair. So, no changes to the exercises or the brace, just some encouragement. Went for a walk around Crystal Palace park and popped into the sports injury clinic there. They have a rehabilitation gym that you can use for about £15 for two weeks, so am going to sign up for that and get on their exercise bike in the mornings. Got another Ocado delivery - now at last my cupboards are full. As sad as it is to talk about domestic issues, I couldn't get this beforehand as I was defrosting the freezer. Unexciting I know, but still essential.

Just wanted to add a BIG NOTE of THANKS to my family for the excellant care they gave me when I was at their place. It really helped and made those first 18 days or so, so much easier than they could have been. Sorry for hogging the internet connection ;-) My top tip - have a knee op when your mum has recently retired, still lives 2 miles away, has a great spare room and is an excellant cook!

Recovery - Days 14 - 20

Wednesdy 1st - Tuesday 7th March 2006

Went back to the physio on Day 15. This was at the same hospital as the op, but as an outpatient with a different physio. I got a few new exercises - steps with no brace, sliding down a wall, lots of leg flexing, gentle kicking of the lower legs whilst on stomach. I also got onto the exercise bike, which was great for getting the leg moving. Not working hard, just getting movement back. I was also told to try and walk to local shops etc. This can now be done with just the brace and one crutch. The reason for the crutch is to alert people you have a problem as much as anything else, and it does help. People stop to let you by and give you extra room. The brace was also opened up a bit, so that it can go 75 degrees flexed and is only 10 degress from full extension. So all in all, a good visit.

Saw Sarah R on Thursday about cell and also managed to make it to the pub again! Although this time I managed to walk there (I got a lift back!). Also managed to make it to the local Tesco's on foot in order to purchase a newspaper. Not that exciting, but it was the first time I had left the house on foot and on my own, so all a step in the right direction.

Friday was much more interesting as my very good friends James and Beth were coming to London to watch 2 pints of lager and a packet of crips being filmed. So after securing V tickets for them, they turned up about 11:30 and we had an ace lunch (mmmm white crusty rolls..) and a great catch up. Given they live in (well near) Swansea it was a joy to see them. Spent Friday evening playing Pro Evo 5 and doing ok - ending up 3 of 5. I even managed to beat Jack finally. The biggest thing on Friday was the move back to my flat in Sydenham. I realsied how much stuff I had at my parents - loads. I took way more than I needed, but better that way than the other way around. Many many thanks to Jack who came and help lift things up the stairs. He even drove himself - a very strange sight initially, but well done! The reward - a Belash curry. Mmmmm curry.....

Saturday was very fulfilling. We had a worship jam in the morning, which was really good, but very loud! 4 guitarists, keys, percussion, drums and bass. Pretty full on but everyone seemed to fit together well and there was some great stuff being played. This set us up for the main event of the day - the Mike Laxton cup semi final. Without going into the details (should be a match report on the PFCFC website - see links) we won the game 2-1. It was very tense and I'd like to think it was the excellant management and substitutions that won the game, although I know it was actually the players. So - after a day of being on my feet all day and getting a lot of use out of the crutches I ended up in a bar in Crystal Palace, having some celebratory beverages. Very tiring, but an excellant day all round!

Went to church on Sunday and then to the M&S (Moon & Stars - a Weatherspoons) for lunch, which was lush and went on for about 2 hours (mmmm roast beef.....) Then back to the flat where I whiled away the day watching the football and continuign to sort out my stuff from my parents and plan the week ahead.

Monday and Tuesday were slow days. Got through loads of stuff at home as the work link was not up and running yet. Did walk to the doctors which took ages, in order to get a medical certificate. Also had my first experience of ordering food from Ocado. I was very impressed. They turned up on time and got the order right. This is much better than going to the shops. It's a lot harder to get things you don't really need - y'know those instore offers. Watched Chelsea go out of the Champions league.

Recovery - Days 9 - 13

In terms of the knee, not much happened in this period. I've been doing my exercises and getting more movement back in the leg. I've been given a Theraband to use, which basically provides resistance (it s a bit elastic band to be honest) when doing exercises. So that's changed the routine slightly. The days have been filled with playing on computers and watching TV.

Notably events in this period not related to the knee:

1. Liz's birthday on Friday 24th. Happy Bday girl!
2. Musicians social and meal on the Friday night - mmmm chinese
3. Gathering at Sara's on Saturday evening - trivial pusuit kings!
4. Going to PFCFC training on Monday evening to asses everybodies form for the semi-final

I did get the IT link to work going though, so managed to get some work done.

Recovery - Day 8

Thursday 23rd Feb 2006

The IT department visited on Thursday to set me up as a homeworker. We had it working, but there were a couple of bits missing and I had to deny the family use of the internet in order to log on. At least it means I can be in touch and do something so that I don't feel like I'm taking the mick out of being off.

Got a lift to the pub for the regular Thursday visit. Really good to see people and get out of the house. I've found that crutches can get you a lot of sympathy - or at least some understanding. Found out that two couples I know have put in offers on some property. All very exciting and lets hope that it all goes swiftly and with no problems.

Recovery - Day 7

Wednesday 22nd Feb 2006

I went back to the consultant today. The nurses removed the dressings and I got a good look at the scar. It's about three inches long in a hook shape. The consultant said that the knee was looking good; not too much swelling and the scar was healing well. I think they've done an excellant job with the stiches, it looks very neat. Best thing is that the nurses have informed me that I can get the wounds wet - so no more faffing about with plastic bags. It makes washing a right royal pain. I had to book an X-ray appointment, which is to check where the screws in the knee are, in case they move later on. The second part of the hospital appointment involved seeing the physio. She gave me some extra exercises and emphasised that I need to try and get movement into the leg by regularly flexing it as much as possible. To be honest, this is the most painful part of the exercises (the hamstring stretches are annoying but not painful), but it is the main restriction in the leg at the mo. I was also told I could bear minimal weight on the leg without the brace which basically meant I could shower standing up. When it takes an hour to wash sitting down, this was a great relief. So, I'm due to see the consultant in 5 weeks, and the physio once a week for a while. The x-ray and the further consultation had to be cleared by the insurance company. But this wasn't a problem.

After this my mum took me to Amida for lunch. I've never been before and it is very lush. It's getting busier too by all accounts. We bumped into Roo and Sharon T, who we joined for grub and a pint (the medication had gone by now). All very pleasant.

I stopped taking painkillers after a week. Mainly because they had run out and also because I wanted to be able to have some beverages. It's really nice not being able to drive! Besides which the knee doesn't hurt like it did on day 1. It aches occasionally and when it is being flexed, but on the whole it's ok.

Luke came over in the afternoon and we progressed the Indiana Jones trilogy with Temple of Doom. Snake Surprise anyone?......

Recovery - Day 6

Tuesday 21st Feb 2006

Ok, still doing exercises. Day trundled by. Main point of the day was the family get-together in the evening to celebrate my Dad's and Liz's birthdays. (They're only a week apart). So another great Ford Family get together. Mum cooked some lush beef wellington and finally there is parity in the gender stakes at these dinners. What with my brother in law and brother in law to be both present. I love it when the best part of a day is a meal. I think that's the way to enjoy life. By enjoying food. Must give a big shout to Adam who popped in for lunch. As this is not the most exciting entry, I've posted one of the few pictures I have from Becky's wedding. Ain't she beautiful!

Recovery - Day 5

Monday 20th Feb 2006

Had a great day today. Spent most of it hanging out with my big sister Liz, who had a day off work. She was ace in her nurses mode in helping me. In particular those essential items I forgot to take into the bathroom, such as scissors and tape for the plastic bag. And she made me tea.

But most importantly we watched Indiana Jone and the Raiders of the Lost Arc in the afternoon. It was like being 8 again. Who would have thought that at 27 and 29 we'd still be sitting in our parents house, during the day, watching one of the few films we had on video when we were young. And what a great movie!. The opening scene with the boulder is absolutely classic. I was also introduced to the behemoth (just used my dictionary for that - any more will be annotated with a - dict.) that is GTA 3 - San Andreas. Man this game is big. It's gonna need some time.

Knee much the same as it was. Here's some photos of the knee in the brace.



The dressing to the left is a drain they put in my thigh. Which is still bruised and a little swollen. The main scar is covered by the other dressing, and one of the pads of the brace goes over it, so it could be a little painful at times.

Recovery - Day 4

Sunday 19th Feb

Didn't do much today. It was enough effort getting up and trying to shower sitting down with a plastic bag taped over my knee that it pretty much wacked me out.

I did do my exercises though - simple stuff for about 30mins. There was more FA cup football on so I watched a game in ther afternoon - thanks to Gee for popping in in the afternoon/evening.

Finished Medal of Honour.

Recovery - Day 3

Saturday 18th Feb 2006

Check out day. This was the day that I left hospital and went to stay at my parents. (Much better option than going back to my flat).

Again, woken up with breakkie (it hasn't happened since). This day I managed to get myself to the bathroom and effectively clean myself by sitting on the edge of the bath (as I didn't want to get the dressings wet and couldn't put any weight on the operated leg). So that was an achievement. But after that I was knackered so went back and lay down!

The physo came to see me again and checked I was ok to get along the corridor and up and down the stairs again. I tried to do some preliminary packing up of the room, mainly extending to unplugging the ps2. I then just lay there and watched Soccer Am on Sky Sports (great addition to hospital TV) and waited for my mum and dad who were coming to get me at about 11am.

OK, so Mum and Dad turned up and helped me to pack the room. I got everything apart from the toothbrush! Doh! The nurses gave me my medical certificate, painkillers (1000mg of paracetemal 4 times a day and Diclophenic three times a day with food - this is an anti-inflammetry drug) and saw me on my way. The hospital period felt longer than it was. Mainly due to the lack of change of scenary, and although I didn't get bored, leaving felt like I was coming into a new world (for me anyway) in that I was going to have to adapt a lot of the things I would usually do.

Day 3 turned out to be quite busy. In the afternoon I watched Liverpool Man U in the cup and felt muchos sympathy with Alan Smith. (see if they are really injured they don't roll about all over the place - they stay still).

Then I was on the phone to Adam, my football teams vice manager. Also with an injured knee, as PFCFC took on Orpington in the league. We lost 1-0 although sounds like we hit the woodwork 3 times and could have easily as won as lost. Then another FA Cup match during which I fell asleep.

In the evening, Ralph, Luke and Mike came over and we hung out, enjoyed the over the top antics of Alien vs Predator and Match of the Day. At this point, I was shattered, the guys left and I went to bed!

Recovery - Day 2

Friday 17th Feb 2006.

This was the day when I made my first foray from the prone position that i'd be in for the past 36 hours or so.
Actually, having your leg elevated on a pillow (as can be seen in the pictures) can give you really bad cramp in your butt. Mine really ached!

Anyway - I was once again woken up with breakfast (all much too early at about 7:30am). I'm so not used to eating at that time, although if someone brings it to me on a plate (literally) I'm not going to turn it away. This time I got grapefruit, cereal, fried breakkie, tea and orange juice. Ace. An a newspaper which kept me amused in the morning.

The nurses helped me to clean myself, again whilst still imobilised, but I wasn't as out of it as on day 1.

GRIZZLY BIT =>

They then started to remove the various tubes attached to me, starting with the catheter, which I was grateful to see the back of. Having a catheter really takes the piss. The extraction of said tube was an interesting pain experience. It didn't last long to be fair but you feel it all the way out and it is like peeing acid. It's the best description I can think of.
So that was interesting, but a relief to be rid of it.

The nurse then took out the drain in the knee. Now this did hurt. It was a dull kind of pain, but again you can feel it all the way into your knee, and the longer it is there, the more tissue grows around it which has to be ripped off of it. So although it didn't last for long it was a very bizzarre feeling.

GRIZZLY BIT OVER

Not sure if the drips and the morphine (PCA - patient controlled analgesic for the lovers of technical terms) came out then or a bit later. But it was definitely on day 2. These are much longer than you think (about an inch or two). having them removed is good, because applying pressure on the skin then doesn't hurt, but the removal is annoying. The loss of the PCA was also a little sad.....

The nurses then started to remove the compression bandage. This turns out to be a hell of a lot of cotton wool and it was all sticky on the iodine that thay then had to clean off. It must have been busy on the ward because it took a few visits before it was done. The physio had popped in a few times as well to see if I was ready to get out of bed, and every time I was still having the bandage removed!

Once that was all done, my mate Dave De popped in to say hello, which postponed the physio for another 30mins or so.

After Dave had left the physio got me to put my brace on. It was pretty tight over the swelling, but not too uncomfortable. She then showed me the correct way of getting out of bed using crutches and got me standing up. a short trip down the corridor and down and up a small flight of stairs was as much as I managed on recovery day 2. I was also given some exercises involving, moving the feet and sliding the leg to the edge of the bed and back. All designed to get the thigh muscles working and keeping the blood moving through the leg.

After all that effort I decided to settle down and play some Medal of Honour Frontline. Great game, but could have done with a bigger TV to see all the snipers in the backround.

After lunch Lyndsey came in to see me and brough me some sweets and hot air blimp including helium (sourced at great effort) to aid in the recovery process. Many thanks to the Denton Parents for their sweet contributions. They proved very good comfort food. Until day 13 I think these were the only sweets and cards that I got! Still, I've had loads of tea and sympathy so I'm more thna happy. (Although some grapes wouldn't have hurt!)

Jack came in at about 4ish, and beat me on pro evo 5 (4-2), so no change there (but congratulations on passing the driving test - nice one), and then my mum also turned up and had some coffee.

At this time I made my first unassisted trip to the loo (it was ensuite so not far to go). This went fine although I knocked over a bottle and made a bit of noise, requiring me to shout out that I was ok. A comic moment apparently.
The trip really brought it home how useful those handles that they put in the disabled loos next to the toilets actually are when you can't put weight on one leg. Brilliant.

This was also my dad's birthday so I gave him a call.

That was pretty much it for day 2.