Monday 28 February 2011

Day 6

Well the knee felt quite strong today so I did some loading on it without the crutches. Just standing up and gradually putting equal weight on both legs. Feels weird but that's probably just the swelling. Usual physio exercises. Managed a fingerboard work out today, let my bad leg hang free. Lasted an hour and my leg didn't hurt. If I can't climb I'll go for fingers of steel. But I'm going to be sensible about this and only do it twice a week so I don't end up with a finger injury to boot.

Sunday 27 February 2011

Day Five

Well the physio goes on. I'm up to 1kg ankle weights for my leg raises doing about 10-15 reps 3 sets 2 mins rest between sets. Legs could do with a massage i think cause they are very stiff and sore. Sleeping through to about 04.30 hrs before taking another pain killer.
Flexibility is returning slowly but am pottering around the house a little bit now on one crutch.
Have to take the little victories and just focus on one thing at a time.
Seems like a long way to go yet but just have to keep chipping away at it and remember NOT to rush things this time.

Friday 25 February 2011

day three

Range of movement was the order of the day. Now yesterday I could only move my leg about 30 degrees. The white bits in the above photo are tendons and ligaments. Now when you can't move your leg they go stiff quickly. So the tight spots for me at the moment are the iliotibial tract, the long white band on the left side of the picture as you look at it, and the quadricep femori tendon, white bit on the picture above the patella or knee cap. Stretching these does hurt but it shouldn't be painful. I lie on my back on the floor and pull my left foot up the floor towards my bum, then hold for 10 secs before returning it to the start point. I'm doing 5 reps 3 sets. Am also lying on my back pointing my leg in the air and letting it drop down in controlled state from the knee.
Here are the results

The supplements

I'm taking arnica 2 pillules every 2 hrs to help reduce the swelling and heal the bruising.
Glucosamine, chondroitin, msm with collagen to aide the meniscus in any way I can, meniscus doesn't lend its self to regrowth unless its at the meniscal rim, the only area with a blood supply, my consultant said but others say different so I'm gonna take them anyway.
I get the arnica from "holland and barretts" and the other stuff from "good health naturally" online. Now I'm taking a multi vitamin and high strength cod liver oil as well.

The icing is on going 15 mins every hour.
I have just realised that I have over 700 channels on my sky TV package and they are all crap. So its on with the box sets form now on. 24 is in at the moment.
The fingerboard hanging from the beam in my dinning room is looking tempting, but I'm gonna hold off till Monday on that one.
The pain in the night is easing off but I do get very sore after my physio and stretches. Helen, bless her, has gone for some more painkillers for me as I'm out. Sitting with it unsupported is not good as it stresses my knee and aches.
But all in all it looks promising.

Thursday 24 February 2011

day two

Just got back from the physio and it doesn't look that bad. They say its because the knee was strong before the op. So went through the motions of seeing how far it would bend before I felt pain and its about 30 degrees. Standing upright with no crutches and trying to put equal amounts of weight on both legs, went light headed at this point.
So just continue with my straight leg raises and light bending movements  with some mobility and I go back next week. Should be on one crutch by then and possible driving, which would be nice as I'm going mad.
Reading Ron Fawcett's book Rock Athlete which is good. Just looking out of the window onto a sunny day makes me want to be outdoors but have to bide my time. Anyway here is a picture of my knee today.

The plasters are covering the "portals" where they go into the knee with the arthroscope.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

day one

Hi just thought I'd start this blog to keep a track of my rehab and to provide info for any other climber/mountaineers that may face this problem.
Now this all started in the summer of 2009. After a successful trip to the alps I ran a half marathon 2 weeks after getting back. A large swelling appeared on the medial (inside) of my left knee.
First diagnosed as bursitis, I had a cortisone injection and it went away. Had a good winter season but still would get swelling after a days climbing.  This was bearable until I went on my stag trip climbing over 5 days. It started to swell through out the joint.
After finally getting to see the consultant he found a cyst and tear in my medial meniscus (cartilage).
Following a successful op in October 2010 I had 40% meniscus left. Rehab flew by and was signed off by my Physio after 3 weeks. I started climbing indoors in December and got away for 4 days ice climbing in January. All seemed fine.
I work as an engineer in a large plastic converters and was lifting out a cylinder when I pivoted with my feet flat on the ground when "pop" in my left knee followed by pain.
Swelling followed in the days to come and i got an MRI which didn't  show anything but my knee was still clicking and locking.

So had an arthroscopy yesterday which found a complex tear through all 3 plains. So more meniscus was removed. If you imagine a horse shoe the bit at the middle I'm down to 20% meniscus in that area but it is still quite thick. If it still gives me problems there are still options of a meniscal implant called actifit or menaflex. But hopefully it won't come to that.

Well at the mo the knee is sore and I had a few painkillers to get to sleep but I've just done my first bit of rehab exercises on it, straight leg lifts 3 sets of ten, which I have to do 3 times a day now its time to watch some TV before the next set.
Wills