Friday, January 24, 2014

Happy New Year, somewhat belatedly.

I hope 2014 has been kind and gentle to you all so far, and that, if it hasn't, that it only gets better from here on.

I had what both my surgeon and I hoped would be my last consultation this evening, but, as it turns out, given the slow progress of my legs, it wasn't, and I still have another six to eight weeks of physiotherapy to go. As he said, while he was hoping he would be able to discharge me by now, there was plenty of evidence from the surgery that it wouldn't necessarily be the case, and there could be any number of reasons for my somewhat slow recovery.


Still, I'm not disheartened. I may not be fully recovered, but I went for a beginner's dance class earlier this week - with the blessing of my physiotherapist - and survived. While I was shaking when I started the class - yes, I was so scared I'd hurt myself all over again - I gradually gained more confidence and could even relax even when a Russian - who couldn't or wouldn't understand my protestations - grabbed me for a dance later that night.

I joined a gym too. Well, maybe joined is too strong a word. Rather, I redeemed a two week pass at my local gym, with a view to joining on a monthly contract following the free trial, so that I can continue using the cardio machines to mobilise my legs. I'm told that regular use of an exercise bike works wonders, and my somewhat regular usage of one over the Christmas period may have contributed to the fairly significant progress I saw in my legs over the last few weeks.

Truth be told, the worst part of the recovery hasn't been the lack of knee mobility, the inability to dance or even knee pain. It's been the lower back pain which is constantly in the background. Yes, I know it's due to my uneven gait and should go away once I start to walk more evenly and consistently, but, as anyone who has ever suffered from back pain knows, that's the one pain that you simply cannot ignore, because you always feel it.

So, yes, I'm continuing to work hard at this, and I still have a positive mindset about the whole thing. I'm grateful that my knees don't throb all the time, for one thing, and, for another, I know that after all this is over, things like being afraid to dance with my teachers because they're so much better than I am won't ever frighten me again. I mean... it's nothing compared to the fear of not being able to dance or walk properly!

No comments: