Like a Brick to Water!

I feel like a swimming newbie. It's only 3 weeks since I've swum and I now seem to have that sinking feeling.

I'm not even going to try to suggest that a brick might float, but if you push it fast enough through water it gets some momentum before plummeting ungraciously to the bottom. My swimming feels very ungracious at the moment, BUT I must admit that despite that, it is nice to be back in the water and getting my body moving again.

Speaking of bricks, I seem to have some brick cement stuck in my leg at the moment. That pesky blood clot has decided that it will stay for the time being thank you very much. 7cm of blood that quite likes my lower leg. I have tried telling it that it would be better off moving on, but it hasn't seemed to work. The world of DVTs is a pretty confusing one I must admit. There is new treatment protocol for below knee clots (like brand new)that says after an initial 7-14 day anti-coagulant treatment period, you just leave it alone. And it might dissolve over the coming 6 or so months, or it might not. In the meantime, go to emergency if you get breathless - does that include when I start Ironman training?! ;-)

The media portrays DVTs as such potentially life threatening things that when you are told by your doctor that 'no that's it, we'll stop treatment here and see what happens'; it's a little perturbing. Indeed even my doctor treated it like an emergency when it was first found, but I guess that's to get treatment straight away and stop it progressing. But if protocol has changed then who am I to say otherwise? So the advise I have from the doctor:
Carry on with rehabilitation of the knee as per the physio's instructions
Go to emergency if you get breathless (Uh, right, OK, one I'll try to remember)
Avoid massage on that calf (what, like forever?!)
Wear compression socks when flying (OK I do that anyway)
Be prepared for swelling and pain when you increase exercise (oh great)

So Ironman NZ 2011 is still on the cards at the moment. Watch this space as I start my programme in 4 1/2 weeks time. I can guarantee I will have freak outs if my calf if hurting. It even hurts still now, it's like having a mild cramp permanently. But that will happen right? And it's normal?? So for the time being, try to ignore dodgily cemented left calf and concentrate on ITB and knee rehab. Bendability of my knee is getting better, weight bearing is getting better and I'm even allowed to do a 10 minute wind train session; it's not quite pain free, but it's good! DVT, what DVT? Oh yeah right that one that permanently hurts and has a remote chance of breaking up and causing a pulmonary embolism.....mmmmmmm. Not that it's on my mind the whole time.

Off to swim like a brick :-). Keep on training girls and boys, I'll join in soon!

F
x

Life in the fast lane...the finer points of walking with crutches!

Little did I know that what was initially day surgery on my ITB would turn into a week and a half off work. For this I feel very guilty. Having only been in my new job for a week and a half, I have now spent just as long on the couch at home!

So surgery came and went as I mentioned last blog, and I was getting ready for a week of getting used to the fine art of walking with crutches. I learnt a couple of things before the crutches were resigned to the corner of the room:

When walking, keep the crutches in time with the bad leg.....open to all kinds of trouble if you ignore this one, including appearing 'drunk in charge of crutches' to the passing public.
However this tactic can work in your favour as it makes you look like your a 'crutch newbie' and can get sympathy votes resulting in forcedly being pushed ahead in supermarket queues as fellow 'queuers' worry that you many actually fall over if left too long in the upright position!

Anyway, back to the story. I spent the weekend after surgery trying to do 'normal' things like go to movies and coffee with friends....all the while my leg was actually hurting a reasonable amount. Calf massages, lots of rest and a personal carer named Dave, still didn't help so come Monday morning I decided to take the day off work and phoned the surgeon to get a medical certificate sent to me. I just 'happened to mention' that I had a sore calf and was that normal after surgery? The rest of the day went as follows:
- Urgent GP appointment
- Urgent ultrasound that found a 7cm DVT.....mmm NOT part of the plan
- Call to the surgeon: immediate referral to the emergency ward
- Couple of hours of emergency centre treatment
- Home with instructions for 10 days of blood thinning injections

And what followed?
An impromptu week off work with my leg up: reading, watching daytime TV (I am now a renovation expert, but still couldn't bring myself to watch 'Days of their Lives'!), planning my garden, craving social interaction, and spending far too much time either on my butt or on my back (I wish it were for other reasons that what it was!) ;-)

So...I am counting this blip as a sub section of those 10 Steps of Ironman....otherwise I start getting perilously close to the 12 steps!

Now that my calf if feeling a lot better and my ITB is the only sore bit, I am still spending a bit too much time sitting on my butt but getting more 'crutch time' practice, and looking forward to being a little more independent. To not having to get everybody else to drive me places, showering without a plastic bag on my leg, being able to sleep in a position other than 'on my back with my leg on a pillow', at least going for the 'coffee' part of a coffee ride, going back to work, having a massage!!!!!! Ok, whilst some of those things will happen this week....some will have to wait (sorry Dave the taxi!), BUT I will now be heading in the right direction to hit my 20 week programme for New Zealand injury free (all body transplant offers seriously considered!!!) :-)

THANK YOU to everybody who has helped me and offered help this week! I am once again humbled.

Fxxxx