Monday, May 14, 2007

Skiving!


I'm skiving.

I rang of course to say that I wasn't coming. That's the great thing about being a grown up. You can do that.

But I am skiving. I'm skiving my Physio....

Why you might ask?

Well, it's all to do with quite how much pain you can put yourself through, before you say ENOUGH. NO MORE!

It started two weeks ago, when I went for my regular weekly appointment. "You're doing well" says my physio, "let's put you on the exercise bike." "Have you got one of these at home?" she says. "No" say I , thinking that if we had spare funds it might well go on a boiler or a new heating system first....

It's the way I speak. People seem to think that you have money, exotic holidays, and a fully fitted gym at home, when you speak like this.

Half way through the exercise regime, I need to ask a question, so I stop peddling...........

BIG MISTAKE. Pedal pushes at knee. Knee goes completely out of place causing immense pain. Am put on bed and given ice. Great, this is supposed to be healing therapy and am now more incapacitated than on arrival!

"Well" she says, "That shouldn't happen, but I'm glad that it happened here. At least I now know what I'm dealing with."

Well, I'm glad you're glad I think.

"You could do with an MRI scan" she says.

"I've had one" say I.

Realisation that no-one has bothered to give the physio the copy of the MRI scan.....

Much shuffling of paper. Call to the other hospital to find scan. Have to sign a "release" form to allow her the rights to the scan, and finally after a long time of sitting on the bed with ice on my knee we have a report.

"I think that you need an arthroscopy" she says. Which coincidentally, is what the GP said seven weeks ago, but which Mr. Brosnan said wasn't necessary......... But it definitely is. There's a foreign body floating around somewhere. No-one can agree on what it is. I'm sort of hoping that it might be something rare that I could sell on Ebay to pay off the mortgage, but chances are that it's a bit of bone. Thing is that from three different people I've been told three different things. Now call me a cynic if you must, but I strongly suspect that there is a chance that they don't know........

So they need to have a look really.

Last week, she put me on the bike and after ten minutes came back and said "You've slowed down!". Excuse me!! Now I know that I need to lose weight and obviously would benefit from more exercise, but I thought this was supposed to be therapy for a damaged knee, not a fitness regime. After that, I struggled through to the weekend with my stiff (er) knee. Then, on Saturday, my birthday, as I was leaving for my theatre school, late of course, due to birthday things, I realised that I didn't have my mobile phone. So, ran back into the house with my half a three legged, but really two legged run, skidded, due to wet shoes from the rain, and landed awkwardly, twisting my bad knee - again...

The slight light on the horizon is that I do have a new appointment to see Piers, who will hopefully agree to proper treatment this time. Or, some treatment might be nice. The only problem is that I have to wait until 6th June, for a consultation..........but at least it's sort of moving in the right direction.

And so...... maybe I'm a bit of a wimp after all, but I couldn't face ten minutes on the exercise bike again this morning, so I'm writing my blog instead.

27 comments:

FH said...

LOL @ skiving!!!Never heard of that and sounds interesting!!;D

Alice Band said...

Had an arthroscopy last Easter. Three times three different men said "Right then we'll be looking into your right leg today" and three times I had to repeat, each time more exasperated than the last, that no, it was the left! This was after I had magic marker all over my leg left leg an arrow pointing to my left knee. It was a worry but as I said to the consultant, thank Christ it wasn't my kidney!

Anonymous said...

I know skiving from Harry Potter.
I can honestly say I'm torn, glad to read your post, but as a Spinning instructor........

sallywrites said...

Asha - Skiving is perhaps n Englishism..... Bunking off?

Alice - funnily enough they did the same thing to my brother. He nearly had the wrong carteledge removed a few years back.

Lisa - You feel that I should ahve gone?.........the trouble is that even driving is painful at the moment, so I really in truth felt it better to rest it for the day. I have made another appointment though!! Honest!

Mr. X said...

Skiving? Oh no, not with that. you need to be at home, with large glass of wine and plenty of chocs hand fed to you by your minions. Or something like that, anyway. Our sympathies!
Is it just us, or are all physios sadistic monsters? Our one, when we 'done our knee' in the local parlance, was a right cow - "does this hurt?" "no", "well this should" "aaarghhh!"
We didn't go back.

Anonymous said...

Sally,
I was just joking! If you're in pain, no, do not do anything that makes it worse!
I tell my students-discomfort is ok, pain is not!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like my kind of hell!

If I were you I'd point out to the woman that surely your knee shouldn't need more exercise when it is broke then it would receive when it is fine.

Alice Band said...

Lisa is a spinning instructor?? I only did it once and at the end thought my vagina was on fire. Never again..

Unknown said...

You make ME sound fit!!

Beccy said...

Sally I think you deserve a day off, resting and blogging!

Anonymous said...

I think its time for a parrot and a crutch. Possibly an eyepiece as well.

Anonymous said...

To all those of you who seem to be in the know...

What's "spinning"?

Anonymous said...

...and are burning vaginas par for the course? How would I fare?

sallywrites said...

Hubby - This is spinning!
Meredic - Thanks, but not YET!!!!
Beccy - Thank you!
Lisa - I think when I am fitter I might quite like spinning. I like cycling really.
Alice - LOL!
Ig - you make me laugh too!
John G - Indeed we do!
Mr. X - Thank you!! Funnily enough, someone gave me a box of choccies today for my birthday....very nice!

Anonymous said...

Aaah! All becomes clear.

Perhap's Alice's little affliction was due to something entirely unrelated? Or is there more to this cycling lark than meets the eye?

Maybe I should give it a go...

Anonymous said...

I think I'd better stop reading at work-getting strange looks! Alice's comment made me laugh like a lunatic (and I only teach part-time, by the way.)

Anonymous said...

Good god!

Orange Monsoon said...

great blog. Hope your leg's feeling better!

sallywrites said...

Are we straying alittle??!

Hello Slimmer of the Yea! Quite!!

Hi Orange Monsoon! Thank you! Actually a day's rest has done it good - thank you!!

Anonymous said...

poor you, sally. enidd recommends rest therapy along with unexpected windfall therapy.

and alice, enidd wants to take up spinning!

sallywrites said...

Enidd - Unexpected windfall therapy? Great idea!

Norma said...

Skiving is a new one for me. I'm tagging you, but with that knee, you may not be eating out much.

Ailsa said...

Thanks for skiving. Great Blog!

sallywrites said...

Hi Norma - Actually, we eat out very little, but used to do a restaurant column a few years back, so will try to do it anyway. Most of the info is still relevant!

sallywrites said...

Ailsa - Thank you!

ChrisB said...

Sally I had such an op a few years back and once I had been 'hoovered out' my knee did greatly improve.

pierre l said...

Hi Sally. Sorry to read about your continuing difficulties with your leg. It isn't very encouraging when the medical professionals can't agree among themselves. Without wishing people bad luck, it seems to me that you physio (I hope she isn't reading this) needs an injury followed by some treatment herself so that she doesn't push people beyond reasonable limits.

I am not that gone on Alice's situation about them working on the wrong leg, but while it would be inconvenient to have them do the op on the wrong leg, it wouldn't be terminal. Having had a quick look at what the op is about, surgeon says to colleague "I've never seen such a good healthy joint causing so much trouble; I just can't see anything wrong. Oh, we were supposed to be looking the other leg."