Legless update

[denny]

Today is the second day that I've walked to work without my cane. I guess this means I'm back to where I was six months ago, following on from the fall in Camden a few months ago which had me back on crutches briefly.

My knee has definitely sustained additional damage - it hurts when I do certain things, hold it or move it certain ways, when before I didn't have any serious pain in my knee at all. This is fairly upsetting - knees aren't particularly well designed joints, if I've got constant problems in mine now then the chances are it's only going to get worse over the years.

On the bright side, I doubt I've done any (more) serious damage to the bone. Of course, if I had, that would be much more likely to heal up over time than the knee is, so it's only a minor good point.

I can't quite work out if walking now hurts more than it did the first time I started walking without my cane. I think the pains are sharper and more focused in very specific areas, but probably they don't last as long after I stop walking.

Another area of concern for me is the increasingly cold weather - I'm pretty sure the cold and damp isn't going to do me any favours in the months to come. When I was looking at flats, I favoured those with central heating, and indeed I thought that the one I eventually took had it - but it doesn't. I may have to run up some quite serious electricity bills this winter with the heaters that are there. At least I can afford it now (more or less).

I was supposed to go back to a hospital four weeks after the fall to get my knee and leg checked out... as per usual, I've not got around to it. I should probably do that.


Related linkage: interesting way of describing how it feels to live with a constant illness or disability:
the spoon theory (spotted in elise's journal)

Comments

[msdemmie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the spoon theory link - I wish I had seen that when I was at my worst two years ago ...... I think even my kids would have got the picture quicker with that.

Seriously hope the knee continues to improve ............

[velvetfox.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the spoon theory. Being in a wheelchair for a few month gave me very low spoons for a while, but now I have many more (although still limited) I'm very grateful.

[fellcat.livejournal.com]

Do you have a gas fire? If so then use it instead of electric heaters. Gas is cheap and the fires with ceramic panels are very effective if not particularly aesthetically pleasing. The wall-mounted gas heaters are even better as they don't lose so much heat through the flue.

I like that spoon theory, although any token could be used instead of a spoon. It does not, alas, translate onto allergies though, even though food allergies in particular require similar forward planning.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

The flat doesn't have gas.

[fellcat.livejournal.com]

Ahh. I'm guessing that the skin-flint landlord doesn't want to pay for annual CORGI testing.

[denari.livejournal.com]

Glucosomine (sp?) is supposed to be really good for joints. Helps grow cartilage and shit. I beleive it's the most effective on the market atm. Should help with the knee in theory.
Spitz tonight?

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, got my toy-bag at work with me :)

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

Having, luckily done less damage than you in my last fall from two wheels I found the first few years were quite painfull when the onset of the cold weather came. I found wearing a " tubi grip " or what ever they are caused, ander my jeans over my knee area really helped keep the cold off, also the constant pressure from the tuni grip seemed to ease teh aching as well...just a thought...