ME AND MY KNEE - WEEK 2

I know I said I wouldn't make this that regular, but there have been some developments so I thought I'd chuck a little update out.

 

Self-perception

I saw the physio on Tuesday, not much to report on this front except for I have to have this leg brace on for the next two bleedin weeks. It wouldn't be a problem, except for the following concerns:

• It's starting to smell
• It's starting to squeak like a rusty gate
• I can't wear trousers to work so have to wear shorts and PE teacher gear
• The students I suspect are calling me Forrest Gump behind my back

Unamused, he gave me a few more exercises and sent me hobbling away.

Everyone else's perception

The real excitement came at the surgical consultation the next day. I arrived for my appointment at 10:30am, was finally seen at 11:30am. This would usually irritate me, but the nurses on the ward had obviously taken on board some suggestion box submissions and they were playing the movie 'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief' on the big screen in the waiting room. Rubbish film, but was far better than reading a three year old copy of 'Women's Own'. 

I finally got called in by the surgeon and he took me through the X-rays and MRIs of the surgery which I found genuinely fascinating. He said the wounds looked healthy and the stitches could come out. This was a massive relief as they had started to catch and were actually causing more pain than the surgery itself. 

So off I went to the nurses room, where I was greeted by a very happy, but trainee nurse. She prepared the instruments of her torture in front of me. Scalpel, alcohol wipes, saline solution, spare dressings. I have not had good experiences with trainee nurses. Once, when I dislocated my shoulder, a trainee nurse gave me unsupervised access to the gas painkiller 'Entonox' for 40 minutes, I tugged away at it willingly, even having it by my bedside as I had an X-Ray. It's hard to overdose on such things, but I think I came bloody close to it. Another trainee nurse tried to give me pill-form painkillers when my throat had closed up as a result of contracting glandular fever. 

Anyway, the surgeon came in and increased the range of my brace a bit which means I'm more manoeuvrable. I'm still only partially weight bearing and on crutches. There won't be any real changes to my state until this contraption comes off so I'll update in a couple of weeks when finally, I'll at least be able to get into a comfy pair of slacks.