Day Twenty Three

The training in the gym has been going well over the last few days. Knee is clicking less, still have a few deep clicks though. Been addicted to the Chris Moyles radio show on the red button on BBC 1. He's been awake for 50+ hours, now that's will power. I'm doing lots of proprioceptive training (balance). The knee itself is still a bit wobbly and week in loaded descent IE coming down stairs it gets so far and just lets go. I've been targeting this with short squats on the squat machine in the gym. Now up to 40kg in control. But the target is about 75% body weight. For me 75kg. That will take another 2 weeks training every day I think.
Have been walking Louis dog for half an hour the last 4 days and my knee feels hot after it but response well to ice. In the pool swimming front crawl is a chore, can do one length the have to rest it. Been doing isolation kicks in the pool trying just to get the strength endurance back up.

Sadly my knee is not stable enough yet to climb on. I've got to get it to the point where its strong and stable before subjecting it to the high forces put through it in climbing.

I'll post my new range of motion pics in a bit.

Day Nineteen

Another dog walk this time we went in the morning and afternoon. 30 mins a time.
Leg still has a few clicks.

Day Eighteen

Had a dog walk today 30 mins. Got bitten by another dog, ironic isn't it. The same breed of dog as mine aswell. My dog, Louis, is protective of me and i think it set the other one off. Its not bad but bad enough.

Day Seventeen

Went to  physio today, the knee is still unstable so have to focus on the balance work and wobble board. Also have to start doing short squats with very light weight on the machine in the gym. This will strengthen the knee and therefore stabilise it.
Gym day
short squats, lowering six inches with 20kg on the machine, IE not body weight plus 20 kg
leg extensions with a whole 2.5 kg, world beating eh
20 mins bike level 2
15 mins stair climber level 2
15 mins rowing machine level 2
1 set of 10 reps calf raises with body weight
plus stretching

Day Sixteen

Gym again
15 mins bike no load
5 mins stair climber level one
3 mins rowing machine no load
one legged balance
3 sets of 30 secs Wobble board
Knee is feeling a little unstable and has clicked a few times and locked once.

Day Fourteen

went to the gym today
10 mins bike no load
2 mins stair climber level 1 24 steps a min
one legged balance
30 seconds wobble board

catch up

had pc problems but now fixed so I've kept a written  log so I'll put them in in order.

Day Thirteen

Well its been all stations go. The session at the swimming pool went well. Managed 30 mins of walking about. Did 2 sets of 5 mins no load on the exercise bike. Followed by a stint in the spa. Nice. Now my weight target is Going to be 85kg. To do this is going to take a while so I'm setting myself the goal of 95kg by end of April 90kg by end of May and 85kg by end of June. 5 kg a month sounds like a mountain to climb but I'm already only eating twice a day. My junk food has gone out of the window, sadly I fear for all those who work at my local domino's pizza site. Snacking  on fruit has become the norm and to be honest I feel much more content, there are no longer the highs and lows of the sugar rush. This medium to low GI thing really does work!
For my birthday today I got some really good climbing DVDs, from Helen, to keep me motivated. Bless her tiny cotton socks. Watched them this morning and will watch them again tomorrow. Reading a brain training book called "Maximum Climbing" its by my favorite training author Eric Horst. Only read the first chapter but it will help me to create a focused positive training programme. Which is all its about.

Day Eleven

Progress at last I've ditched one crutch completely now. All I seem to do is my exercises and ice the knee. Doing 6 exercises 10 reps 3 sets 3 times a day is very time consuming, at least I can keep away from the TV. Managed a 10 mins walk with one crutch today. I can't get to the pool till Monday when I can do the water walking, can't wait for that cause that really moved things along last time.

Day Ten

Second visit to the physio today. P.T. said It looked good and I was to stop if I felt it start to get hot and apply an ice pack. The dressings came off and here we are

Now I have to start massaging the portals, the two scars on the knee. This is to shift the swelling. The real work starts now though, I'm doing 5 mins with no load on an exercise bike. They gave me the go ahead to start walking in the swimming pool for 20 mins. This involves walking forward, backwards and side to side. You look like a prat but it really helps to get it strong. I'm also doing lots of one legged balancing exercises, standing on the bad leg and moving the good one around whilst signing out the alphabet with your toe. This progresses over the weeks to passing a ball around my back.
The strength training steps up a little aswell now. Resting my back against a ball on the wall I lower myself about 6 inches, 150mm, then back up. Like mini squats but they burn the muscles quite quick. Stretching is now becomming assisted by the other foot assisting the other leg to go further.

Day Nine

Well it feels like I've pushed it a little too far. The area of the medial meniscus is getting very warm if I walk on it with one or no crutch. So today I've not done any physio or stretching and just iced it 15mins every hour. Feels alot better but I'll be having another easy day tomorrow that I'm sure of.

Day Eight

Here's my sexy knee again. As you can tell by the redness this is right after icing. I am beginning to see the outline of my patella, knee cap. The swelling is subsiding and the hard work will soon begin. Flexibility wise it's about where it was in the last photo but it's less painful to do it. I've added in abductor and adductor static leg raises now to help stabilise the knee from side to side.
Walking wise, well Helen is still taking Louis dog on his daily walkies but I can manage to walk with crutches for 10 mins in the garden. This helps get the blood flowing in the knee and gets me used to using it again.
Well 3rd night without the codeine and this time no sweats. The head ache is also easing off I'm trying now to cut the fluid in take down now because hiking up and down the stairs every hour is getting on my nerves. Was a sunny day today, there's hope for the summer yet then.

Day Seven

Well its been a week and I had my first doctors appointment. She thinks the knee looks good, no signs of infection and the swelling is reducing nicely. The only bad points were my constant headache and thirst. They checked my blood sugars, all OK, and took some blood samples to check my platelets. The knee is gaining strength daily. I can walk for about 10 mins now with my walking poles instead of crutches. I can climb the stairs without crutches but still need one to come down the stairs though.
I've been trying to come off the codeine painkillers the last two days as I've been waking up covered in sweat after about 3 hrs in bed. So I've swapped to paracetamol, see how it goes.