Today's Major Achievement - PEDALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

Buzzin!!!!  Woooo hooooo!!!!!  Well, as you can see I am pretty darned stoked today.

I've been super frustrated with my apparent lack of progress in the knee bend department so have been working really hard, both at home and at hospital, through a HELL of a lot of pain I kid thee not. I'd been getting teeth marks in the beds at the hospital gym where I had to bite down to stop from screaming as the physio 'assisted' my knee bends and have all sorts of rubber bands, skipping ropes and tea trays dotted about my house where I've been working hard on getting my mobility going. But still, I was stuck at 90-100 degree bend (just) and only rocking in the pedals on the bikes.

Anyway, went to rehab today as per usual, got on the plinths- did a few warm up exercises then the 'lovely' physio came and did my assisted stretches- up to 110, good leg was at about 125 without force so not too bad I thought.  Anyway, without a second thought I got on a bike when one came free ready to rock through the bottom half of a pedal stroke for ten minutes again. I sat on the bike, got my feet in the pedals and went to do a peal stroke and stretch where I got stuck.... oh, hang on.... wait a minute... I haven't got stuck!!!!! OMG (sorry but it was that or swearing ;-) I couldn't believe it, I could do a full pedal revolution, and to top it off, it actually felt relatively easy and pain free. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!

I had to look at the physio and people next to me and exclaim "wow, I've done it, I've managed to pedal, yeay". Tell you what it made my day! I stayed for about 15 mins just steady pedalling, no real pain or bad stiffness, just very weak and unfit. Did the rest of my exercises chatting with the lovely Paulina (an innocent victim of trampoline knee crime) in a buzz then went for my usual brunch in Durham. Lovely view over the river today, kinda one up side of being injured getting to steal a few extra moments to appreciate things like this :-) Oh yeah, and I was feeling lucky so I put a few quid on the pools before getting the bus home hahaha. Mission for the weekend is to get the hardtail set up with the turbo trainer, then there'll be no stopping me :-)

Chillin' With A Coffee Post Physio Gym Sesh

Week two post op, knee is still pretty swollen, bruised and stiff. Range at rest is 5-90 degrees at best (oh and yes it hurts at either end of that spectrum) but got a few new exercises at the rehab gym sesh this morning so that's exciting :-D

Oo I even went on a static bike today at the hospital gym !!! Can do half a pedal stroke hahaa. Easier going backwards than forwards, handy for the bmx I suppose?!?!????? Bit frustrating and feels like I'm never going to be able to get a full revolution but just got to persevere and be patient Dando.... It is a start though :-)

Part way through my Random bus journey home now, thought I'd just get on the first bus that came since I have my pass now and just see where it went lol. Am now in a pretty decent little cafe drinking lush coffee and it's not far to the bus stop for the proper bus home. Result!!!




Oh yeah, had my stitches out yesterday so still one dressing but the rest are off. Looks a bit like I've had a decent smattering from a 20 bore shotgun with all the holes Mr Gregory has made doesn't it ;-) Saying that, I'm so glad I made sure I got him for the op though, such a nice man and simply the best knee surgeon in the world, pretty sure of that :-)

Word of the day = yipeeeeeee xxx


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Location:Front Street,Durham,United Kingdom

The Rehab Has Commenced!

Well peeps unlike poor Amy Winehouse, I actually went to my first NHS group rehab session at University Hospital Durham today! No but seriously I did, OK so it was for my knee and not my Rock & Roll lifestyle but I was really dreading it as my op site and knee have been so painful and I was panicking a bit because I was finding it hard to fully straighten my leg so thought I was in for a right old beasting; however it was all good- phew! Oh, here's a quick & simple pic I found to show kinda what happened when my knee twisted and dislocated it tore my ACL clean in two like it shows and had a go at the medial taking a bit of my thigh bone with it but luckily enought stayed in tact that I didn't need a new one just have to let it repair and strengthen up- but you get the gist.

Anyway, this group is based in the Rehab centre gym and runs three mornings a week so that's going to be my second home for, probably, at least the next 9 months from now on in. Got to see the physio and he was really great, explained everything to me and already saw through my naughty side and told me he'd be reigning me back at every opportunity so don't be too frustrated ;-) I asked him why my knee was relatively low in pain as compared to my shin (which i thought was strange) 'oh thats where they've driled through your bone to insert the graft'.... ahhhhhh, that explains a lot of sleepless nights the last week, the tramadol doesn't even touch it, but I've been having some AMAZING dreams hahaha..... but that's another story ;-)

So he tells me that they took a living graft from my hamstrings (I now only have two on the left whereas you normal folk have 3) and inserted it into my leg within the knee to form a new ACL. To start with its quite stable and uses the bloody supply that came with it but then this dies off and it has to fend for itself and form a new graft and bed in. This is between weeks 12 and 18 so apparently I will be blissfully unaware and think I'm fit enough to go crazy again however its quite the opposite and I'm going to have to behave myself. So looks like 4-5 months before I'm allowed back outside on the bike, however good news is I can ride indoors on a static bike way before then- perhaps even in as little as 3 weeks from now!!!  So I got a cheap turbo trainer courtesy of a friend that works at a bike store and I'm ready to rock the hardtail on that so when i can get outside hopefully I've managed to claw a little fitness back and get rid of this extra padding I've developed (protection for falls right????) lol.

Anyway I just thought I'd share this with you guys as a lot of you have been asking when and what and how etc so you all know about as much as me now. Luckily I have got a nice little looting of booty off the lovely Tom at Broken Riders to cheer me up, hoody and beanie on order - next time I'm at the physio gym I will try get an action shot of a true broken rider in rehab hahaha.
PS Tom - the rider in the pink logo is very apt, even in my colours ;-)

http://brokenriders.com/

Keeping me pecker up and still smiling, I promise!! Be back soon y'all :-)

Northern Downhill Recognised On Pinkbike

Here's a lovely little article about Carl & the boys' races up here in the little North East of England.
Right about them being fun and a good place to get started, a nice crew and well organised. If you are too scared to enter try marshalling a couple first, that's what I did before I took the plunge ;-)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/53215118350/permalink/10152106160003351/


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