Ouch (possible NSFW pictures of my rear to follow)
Discussion
Dibble said:
Bobberoo99 said:
It’s not the getting the pin out that’s the problem so much, it’s having an actual useable knee afterwards...
Nope, you're right, it ain't gonna be pretty, I'm no Tommy Walsh!!!
Its been a very long road for you Dibble but hopefully with the Physio things will get a little better each week. My dad was in the force all of his working life and the Police rehab home (somewhere in the north if I am right) were absolutely fantastic! really helped him recover after a work related mishap. Not sure if you have access to it but its sure worth seeing if its available to you (apologies if you've mentioned it in the thread).
Keep the updates coming , all the best.
Keep the updates coming , all the best.
Dibble said:
Bobberoo99 said:
It’s not the getting the pin out that’s the problem so much, it’s having an actual useable knee afterwards...Many years ago I ripped my kneecap off ( hugely less serious than your injury ) but I recall the first time I was off crutches and the huge fear I would re-damage it.
While it was never 100% it did heal and I walk normally , drive a manual car and do everything except jump
I am delighted you are on the road to recovery , and have some small sense of what it takes to trust the leg as you go through the pain to get there. You are doing brilliantly.
While it was never 100% it did heal and I walk normally , drive a manual car and do everything except jump
I am delighted you are on the road to recovery , and have some small sense of what it takes to trust the leg as you go through the pain to get there. You are doing brilliantly.
Lemanandbeyond said:
Its been a very long road for you Dibble but hopefully with the Physio things will get a little better each week. My dad was in the force all of his working life and the Police rehab home (somewhere in the north if I am right) were absolutely fantastic! really helped him recover after a work related mishap. Not sure if you have access to it but its sure worth seeing if its available to you (apologies if you've mentioned it in the thread).
Keep the updates coming , all the best.
Fortunately, I’ve been paying into the various guises of the Police Treatment Centres all my career, despite not needing it up until now. I have already been to Harrogate PTC (“our” other one is at Auchterarder, near Stirling in Scotland). Other groups of forces have various places dotted around the country and a lot of people pay in, it’s not dissimilar to BUPA or other private healthcare insurance.Keep the updates coming , all the best.
I’ve actually already been to Harrogate since the accident, before the internal metal broke and I ended up with the reconstruction surgery going on. I’ve also just sent off my application for more treatment, so I can get “prebooked” for as soon as I get to fully weight bearing. I’ve actually just had the date through for my next clinic appointment, which is only about three weeks away, so I think that might be a bit soon, but we’ll see what happens.
No need to apologise, I’m grateful for you taking time to mention it. I’m surprised that there are some of my colleagues who don’t actually pay into it, the facilities are absolutely fantastic, with not only fully qualified physios, but a full gym, sports hall, hydro and swimming pools, steam room, sauna... the works. The only thing lacking is a bar, but cops and booze aren’t always a good mix. There are plenty of places in Harrogate, but there’s a curfew, so it tends to be fairly civilised!
WinstonWolf said:
Dibble said:
Bobberoo99 said:
It’s not the getting the pin out that’s the problem so much, it’s having an actual useable knee afterwards...Worrying about it now isn’t going to change the end result, so for the moment, I’m concentrating on the physio/rehab and getting back to work at work, rather than from the laptop at home, as soon as possible. I’d be quite happy for it to stay there, rather than needing more surgery and/or long term/permanent antibiotics.
Dibble said:
The only thing lacking is a bar, but cops and booze aren’t always a good mix. There are plenty of places in Harrogate, but there’s a curfew, so it tends to be fairly civilised!
This made me smile, dad was in CID for quite a few years and it was a big part of the "life". Its not until you look back that you realise how much it played a part in de-stressing when dealing with some of the worst of human society. Although its been quite a few years since he retired and I think it was more commonplace 15-20 years ago.Glad your using the facilities, I agree they are fantastic and well worth paying into.
Hope the next stint there is as good as the last one.
Another update, but not a very thrilling one... On the plus side, there’s no squashed plums to put anyone off their lunch.
I saw the consultant again today - briefly. I actually “saw” the registrar, with the consultant poking her head round the door to say a quick “hello”.
We are back on track, which for now, means an increase from 50% weight bearing to 75% weight bearing. That means I still can’t drive, which is a bit of a faff, but not entirely unexpected. It just means I still can’t take The Idiot out on my own to the dog field, or go shopping, or get Christmas stuff sorted, or visit people for a brew, or go down to the NEC... it’s a bit of a pain in the arse, to be honest!
This increase in loading means that next Wednesday’s physio session will be “interesting”... when I saw them this week, the physio told me she “couldn’t wait” until my weight bearing was increased. They’re not sadists, apparently, because they don’t enjoy inflicting the pain. It doesn’t seem like they’re that averse to it, though!
My next appointment with the consultant is in six weeks, so hopefully, just before Christmas. This means I won’t be going to the Police rehab centre at Harrogate until the New Year, as I get the most benefit when I’m fully weight bearing. I can go any time, but as I can’t drive yet, I’d need to get a lift there and back, as well as relying on people to get The Idiot to kennels while I’m away.
I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that’s it for infections. I’ve got a few exercises to do, very low impact, standing on tiptoes from flat, low squats, nothing much, but it’s surprising how two or three sets of ten gets my arse cheek and quads shaking!
I saw the consultant again today - briefly. I actually “saw” the registrar, with the consultant poking her head round the door to say a quick “hello”.
We are back on track, which for now, means an increase from 50% weight bearing to 75% weight bearing. That means I still can’t drive, which is a bit of a faff, but not entirely unexpected. It just means I still can’t take The Idiot out on my own to the dog field, or go shopping, or get Christmas stuff sorted, or visit people for a brew, or go down to the NEC... it’s a bit of a pain in the arse, to be honest!
This increase in loading means that next Wednesday’s physio session will be “interesting”... when I saw them this week, the physio told me she “couldn’t wait” until my weight bearing was increased. They’re not sadists, apparently, because they don’t enjoy inflicting the pain. It doesn’t seem like they’re that averse to it, though!
My next appointment with the consultant is in six weeks, so hopefully, just before Christmas. This means I won’t be going to the Police rehab centre at Harrogate until the New Year, as I get the most benefit when I’m fully weight bearing. I can go any time, but as I can’t drive yet, I’d need to get a lift there and back, as well as relying on people to get The Idiot to kennels while I’m away.
I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that’s it for infections. I’ve got a few exercises to do, very low impact, standing on tiptoes from flat, low squats, nothing much, but it’s surprising how two or three sets of ten gets my arse cheek and quads shaking!
Don't ffs tell them you're a copper 'cos they'll really go to town on you 
Joking aside the harder you work now on the rehab the better it will be in the long run. I read somewhere that you gain most of the movement on a hip replacement within the first few days and it was the same when I f
ked my femur 30 odd years back.
When you're sweating like paedophile in a playground as the physio has you in tears of pain just remember that half the house of Lords is paying good money for exactly the same experience...
Joking aside the harder you work now on the rehab the better it will be in the long run. I read somewhere that you gain most of the movement on a hip replacement within the first few days and it was the same when I f
ked my femur 30 odd years back.When you're sweating like paedophile in a playground as the physio has you in tears of pain just remember that half the house of Lords is paying good money for exactly the same experience...
Tango13 said:
When you're sweating like paedophile in a playground as the physio has you in tears of pain just remember that half the house of Lords is paying good money for exactly the same experience...
Good point.Glad the infection has cleared up Dibble, sounds like things are picking up a bit.
Another brief update from me, while I wait for the fun bus to take me home from physio today.
I’m now consistently maintaining a 100° bend in my knee, but seem to have stalled a bit at that angle. The physio explained that might be as good as it gets (worst case scenario), but they can’t really do much more “forcing” it to bend until I’m fully weight bearing, which I’m still hoping will be just before Christmas.
The reasons for the lack of bend aren’t just one thing or necessarily that straightforward; it could be “adhesions”, where the muscles/tendons/ligaments on the inside of my knee have glued themselves together, it could be shortened muscles/tendons, it could be position of my kneecap having been permanently “relocated” after the pins in my knee... the short version is they won’t know until I’m fully weight bearing and they can start to “load it properly and make you work”... Ace. I can hardly wait. No, really.
On the plus side, I had a go on the exercise bike in the physio gym today. Getting on and off was interesting, but obviously with my extensive dance skills, natural underlying grace and fluidity, I made it look easy. Apparently you’re not supposed to go on the bike until you’re fully weight bearing, but I “persuaded” the physio to let me have a go and once I was on, it was reasonably straightforward to actually pedal. The physio told me to start peddling slowly and she’d assess whether I could actually have a proper go on the bike. She meant one full revolution of the pedals, then stop, but I thought she meant to just start and keep going, so I did. She was a bit surprised and told me off, but said she was also surprised and pleased that I could manage it.
I did a whole five minutes of pedalling, but with very little actual resistance on the pedals, so loading wise, it was pretty low key. Because my right leg is about three centimetres shorter than my left, it’s almost impossible to actually put 100% through my leg, so it’s sort of self limiting fortunately. It did feel a bit odd, as though I wasn’t on the saddle properly. Once I can ride my own bike, that’ll be a big help, but I’ll just need to be aware that one leg is shorter than the other when stopping...
That said, five minutes of low impact pedalling had my heart rate up to about 110 beats per minute and I’m still a bit sweaty! It just shows how unfit I’ve become, the the physio was happy with what I’ve achieved.
Yesterday I was taken to see the force doctor, with a view to whether or not they’re going to retire me on an ill health pension; I’m undecided about what I actually want to do, long term. I’d always intended going back to work full time, but to do anything remotely “operational”, I’ll need to take and pass the annual JRFT (Jove related fitness test), which for my current role as a detective constable is the shuttle run to level 5:3. They actually bin off the first two minutes of walking, so you start at level two, meaning the total time “running” is only three minutes and ten seconds, so it’s not exactly testing. The difficulty I’ll have is doing the turns and keeping up the pace, because of my shorter leg. Even with an orthotic shoe or an insole, I might still struggle, because my knees are at different heights, which is what will make things tricky. Add in the possibility that my knee won’t bend fully and it might not be doable. One option might be what’s called the Chester treadmill test, which is used for people who can’t do the shuttle run for whatever reason, but even that might be difficult, depending on knee mobility/leg lengths. It’s just a case of wait and see for now. If I can’t pass the fitness test, I can’t do my Officer safety training, which means I can’t do anything “public facing”, as I’ll not be licensed to carry my baton/cuffs/leg straps/spit hood/spray. The upshot of that is it means I won’t even be able to interview in the cells, because you need your OST in case the suspect “kicks off”.
The doctor was quite surprised when I said I hoped I would be able to get back to being fully operational and actually put in the report he found that very impressive. I don’t really fancy doing a “non job”, but I’ll just have to weigh up my options once I know how much “recovery “ I’ve made, which could be another 12-18 months after I’m fully weight bearing. I’ve also got the use of the police rehab centres, so that will only help any recovery. It’s certainly not a two week rest while you’re there, that’s for sure.
And last, but not least, today I’m going to be sore at both ends - once I get home, I’ve got a dentist’s appointment this afternoon! It’s all go, but at least I know I’ll sleep soundly tonight.
I’m now consistently maintaining a 100° bend in my knee, but seem to have stalled a bit at that angle. The physio explained that might be as good as it gets (worst case scenario), but they can’t really do much more “forcing” it to bend until I’m fully weight bearing, which I’m still hoping will be just before Christmas.
The reasons for the lack of bend aren’t just one thing or necessarily that straightforward; it could be “adhesions”, where the muscles/tendons/ligaments on the inside of my knee have glued themselves together, it could be shortened muscles/tendons, it could be position of my kneecap having been permanently “relocated” after the pins in my knee... the short version is they won’t know until I’m fully weight bearing and they can start to “load it properly and make you work”... Ace. I can hardly wait. No, really.
On the plus side, I had a go on the exercise bike in the physio gym today. Getting on and off was interesting, but obviously with my extensive dance skills, natural underlying grace and fluidity, I made it look easy. Apparently you’re not supposed to go on the bike until you’re fully weight bearing, but I “persuaded” the physio to let me have a go and once I was on, it was reasonably straightforward to actually pedal. The physio told me to start peddling slowly and she’d assess whether I could actually have a proper go on the bike. She meant one full revolution of the pedals, then stop, but I thought she meant to just start and keep going, so I did. She was a bit surprised and told me off, but said she was also surprised and pleased that I could manage it.
I did a whole five minutes of pedalling, but with very little actual resistance on the pedals, so loading wise, it was pretty low key. Because my right leg is about three centimetres shorter than my left, it’s almost impossible to actually put 100% through my leg, so it’s sort of self limiting fortunately. It did feel a bit odd, as though I wasn’t on the saddle properly. Once I can ride my own bike, that’ll be a big help, but I’ll just need to be aware that one leg is shorter than the other when stopping...
That said, five minutes of low impact pedalling had my heart rate up to about 110 beats per minute and I’m still a bit sweaty! It just shows how unfit I’ve become, the the physio was happy with what I’ve achieved.
Yesterday I was taken to see the force doctor, with a view to whether or not they’re going to retire me on an ill health pension; I’m undecided about what I actually want to do, long term. I’d always intended going back to work full time, but to do anything remotely “operational”, I’ll need to take and pass the annual JRFT (Jove related fitness test), which for my current role as a detective constable is the shuttle run to level 5:3. They actually bin off the first two minutes of walking, so you start at level two, meaning the total time “running” is only three minutes and ten seconds, so it’s not exactly testing. The difficulty I’ll have is doing the turns and keeping up the pace, because of my shorter leg. Even with an orthotic shoe or an insole, I might still struggle, because my knees are at different heights, which is what will make things tricky. Add in the possibility that my knee won’t bend fully and it might not be doable. One option might be what’s called the Chester treadmill test, which is used for people who can’t do the shuttle run for whatever reason, but even that might be difficult, depending on knee mobility/leg lengths. It’s just a case of wait and see for now. If I can’t pass the fitness test, I can’t do my Officer safety training, which means I can’t do anything “public facing”, as I’ll not be licensed to carry my baton/cuffs/leg straps/spit hood/spray. The upshot of that is it means I won’t even be able to interview in the cells, because you need your OST in case the suspect “kicks off”.
The doctor was quite surprised when I said I hoped I would be able to get back to being fully operational and actually put in the report he found that very impressive. I don’t really fancy doing a “non job”, but I’ll just have to weigh up my options once I know how much “recovery “ I’ve made, which could be another 12-18 months after I’m fully weight bearing. I’ve also got the use of the police rehab centres, so that will only help any recovery. It’s certainly not a two week rest while you’re there, that’s for sure.
And last, but not least, today I’m going to be sore at both ends - once I get home, I’ve got a dentist’s appointment this afternoon! It’s all go, but at least I know I’ll sleep soundly tonight.
You'll hardly notice 3cm in time but I'd advise getting a small heel raise to protect your back. If you get it sooner rather than later when you learn to walk unaided again you'll adapt to it naturally. I've had the same one about twenty five years, it just slips in your shoes/boots. You'll need Derby shoes, not Oxfords otherwise the raise will be uncomfortable.
Cycling, use the balls of your feet, there's enough flexibility in your ankle to even it out although you'll notice you're pushing differently with your shorter leg.
Cycling is the best thing going for getting a reluctant knee moving, can't recommend it enough
Good luck!
Cycling, use the balls of your feet, there's enough flexibility in your ankle to even it out although you'll notice you're pushing differently with your shorter leg.
Cycling is the best thing going for getting a reluctant knee moving, can't recommend it enough
Good luck!
Cheers WW.
I’ve currently got two 8mm heel cups in my right trainer, one stacked on top of the other, so the “difference” is now only about one centimetre. The main problem with just the heel cups is that I need quite a “high” shoe around the ankle, so my heel doesn’t pull out completely when I’m walking. It seems the difference is too much for just an insole, as it will push the whole of my foot up against the laces bit of my shoe, which I’m told isn’t ideal.
Once I’m fully weight bearing (there seems to be quite a bit riding on “when I’m fully weight bearing” at the moment!) physio will refer me internally to the orthotics people, who will be able to go through the options with me in more detail than the physios can - they readily admit their knowledge of orthotics is only very basic. Physio have said some of my trainers with a “complex” sole wouldn’t be suitable to be built up, so that’s another complication I’ll have to think about come shoe buying time!
I’m not at the stage of going on a proper bike just yet - with or without an engine. For know, it’ll just be the exercise bike in the physio gym.
I had t actually noticed the difference in leg lengths until a couple of weeks ago when I had a go at walking without crutches on the parallel bars. You automatically compensate for the difference with your arms/crutches and it’s only when you’re NOT using them that you really notice anything.
I’ve currently got two 8mm heel cups in my right trainer, one stacked on top of the other, so the “difference” is now only about one centimetre. The main problem with just the heel cups is that I need quite a “high” shoe around the ankle, so my heel doesn’t pull out completely when I’m walking. It seems the difference is too much for just an insole, as it will push the whole of my foot up against the laces bit of my shoe, which I’m told isn’t ideal.
Once I’m fully weight bearing (there seems to be quite a bit riding on “when I’m fully weight bearing” at the moment!) physio will refer me internally to the orthotics people, who will be able to go through the options with me in more detail than the physios can - they readily admit their knowledge of orthotics is only very basic. Physio have said some of my trainers with a “complex” sole wouldn’t be suitable to be built up, so that’s another complication I’ll have to think about come shoe buying time!
I’m not at the stage of going on a proper bike just yet - with or without an engine. For know, it’ll just be the exercise bike in the physio gym.
I had t actually noticed the difference in leg lengths until a couple of weeks ago when I had a go at walking without crutches on the parallel bars. You automatically compensate for the difference with your arms/crutches and it’s only when you’re NOT using them that you really notice anything.
Dibble said:
Cheers WW.
I’ve currently got two 8mm heel cups in my right trainer, one stacked on top of the other, so the “difference” is now only about one centimetre. The main problem with just the heel cups is that I need quite a “high” shoe around the ankle, so my heel doesn’t pull out completely when I’m walking. It seems the difference is too much for just an insole, as it will push the whole of my foot up against the laces bit of my shoe, which I’m told isn’t ideal.
Once I’m fully weight bearing (there seems to be quite a bit riding on “when I’m fully weight bearing” at the moment!) physio will refer me internally to the orthotics people, who will be able to go through the options with me in more detail than the physios can - they readily admit their knowledge of orthotics is only very basic. Physio have said some of my trainers with a “complex” sole wouldn’t be suitable to be built up, so that’s another complication I’ll have to think about come shoe buying time!
I’m not at the stage of going on a proper bike just yet - with or without an engine. For know, it’ll just be the exercise bike in the physio gym.
I had t actually noticed the difference in leg lengths until a couple of weeks ago when I had a go at walking without crutches on the parallel bars. You automatically compensate for the difference with your arms/crutches and it’s only when you’re NOT using them that you really notice anything.
Easily solved by buying the 'correct' shoe, you just need ones with a high back, boots are much better in general. As soon as you try a new pair on you'll know if they're any good or of you're going to step out of them.I’ve currently got two 8mm heel cups in my right trainer, one stacked on top of the other, so the “difference” is now only about one centimetre. The main problem with just the heel cups is that I need quite a “high” shoe around the ankle, so my heel doesn’t pull out completely when I’m walking. It seems the difference is too much for just an insole, as it will push the whole of my foot up against the laces bit of my shoe, which I’m told isn’t ideal.
Once I’m fully weight bearing (there seems to be quite a bit riding on “when I’m fully weight bearing” at the moment!) physio will refer me internally to the orthotics people, who will be able to go through the options with me in more detail than the physios can - they readily admit their knowledge of orthotics is only very basic. Physio have said some of my trainers with a “complex” sole wouldn’t be suitable to be built up, so that’s another complication I’ll have to think about come shoe buying time!
I’m not at the stage of going on a proper bike just yet - with or without an engine. For know, it’ll just be the exercise bike in the physio gym.
I had t actually noticed the difference in leg lengths until a couple of weeks ago when I had a go at walking without crutches on the parallel bars. You automatically compensate for the difference with your arms/crutches and it’s only when you’re NOT using them that you really notice anything.
Don't go for a full insole, you can't bend your foot very well and as they say they'll be too tight across the instep.
External raises look f
king st! I'm wearing regular trainers today with my raise in them.Edited by WinstonWolf on Thursday 28th November 08:30
marksx said:
Regarding cycling, could you fit different length crank arms to your bike to compensate?
Yup, I've got a 165 one side and a 175 the other. It's OK but your shorter leg is generally weaker and the shorter crank arm takes more leverage. Different length cranks are fine on flattish rides but worse when climbing big hills. Takes me about 5 mins to swap to matched arms depending on the ride.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff