Saturday 1 December 2012

Post surgery day 21


A few days ago I tried a little gentle climbing at Glasgow Climbing Centre. As I kind of expected, I wasn’t really ready just yet. Well, I’m not really too sure to be honest. The climbing felt really quite gentle. It might have been trying to walk from the car that was the bigger problem.

I kept a walking boot on my right foot and just did about 15 routes between 6a and 7a. I did try one 7a+ but it had some drop-knees so I just backed off. The feeling of climbing reminded me of one time the morning after a friend’s stag do, trying to climb when totally hungover! Balance, control and fitness all felt predictably novice-like. It was an odd sensation - simultaneously feeling great just to be moving up some holds, while also feeling like throwing a strop at the state of my form. The enjoyable part won out. 

The swelling around my ankle has decreased maybe 50% now and my drilled up medial talus feels a little less raw. However, now I’ve started to attempt progressive weightbearing, yet another new pain has emerged. I’m getting a severe shot of pain in my midfoot while trying to heel raise out of a dorsiflexed position. It’s painless with even slight support from my crutches, so I’ll need to keep using them yet. Who knows what’s going on there. Perhaps it’s just all part of the recovering process, or perhaps there’s some other damage in there that has not yet been seen. I’m a bit terrified there’s something going on with my navicular or even a lisfranc injury. Next week it's back to looking at MRIs and visits to hospitals all over again.

Such are the ups and downs I’m going to have to keep working through. In the meantime, It’s back to writing and exercises.

4 comments:

  1. After I broke my talus and had spent time in a hard cast and a soft cast using crutches, the first few times I tried weightbearing I would get weird pains, pops, and cracks in other parts of my foot that had been originally been unaffected. At first I thought something was wrong, or maybe I hadn't waited long enough, but after a few days it seemed to just stretch my foot out and everything was fine. Hopefully it is the same for you!

    Duncan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good luck with the ankle Dave. Smashed mine in the 70's with a broken leg when an ice wall gave way and my crampon's caught on the way down. Screws and pins seemed tp work OK. Now at the old age of 66 no issues rock climbing but just the descent is "troublesome". Just noticed you had "The Bat" DVD and just ordered for an XMAS present. This brought memories of 1968 when I was there with Rab Carrington, Ian Nicholson, Ian Fulton and myself. Rab was as the same school as myself in Rutherglen and we met Ian Nicholson at Dumbarton Rock one evening; we teamed up after that. Rab C and Ian N did the Bat while Fulton and I were on Centurian, Sassanach the Bull Roar; the Bat was too much for me. Look forward to receiving the video here in North Carolina. Hope you recover soon and be fit; you were well covered in the US Climbing Mags with an analysis of the incident.

    Harry Nicol

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dave,

    I'm happy your recovering well, I've been following your progress.

    I can't help but notice that your recovery is going slower than it should be. I've had this surgery before and I was fully recovered in 2 weeks.

    Are you using a blood flow stimulation kit? That was my main tool, my doctor recommended I get one for my recovery.

    They are great products, definitely worth it, it'll speed up your recovery and help stop any future injuries.

    http://www.kingbrand.com/Ankle_Injury_Treatment.php?REF=Boris1011

    That's the website I purchased my unit, I hope it helps.

    Good luck Dave!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sadly, the same procedure is not the same surgery - the extent of pre existing joint inflammation from bleeding into the joint determines how pissed off it is afterwards. It's normal for an arthoscopy on a 'cold joint' with out drilling of the articular surface to allow same day weight bearing. Considering the extent of damage it's doing pretty well.

    Unfortunately the data supporting that type of electromagnetic treatment is quite poor.

    ReplyDelete