::Griffblog::

It’s already 5wks since the ilizarov frame was removed and in most respects I’ve recovered rapidly and life in a frame already seems a distant memory.

I say “almost” as there is still one issue that is holding recovery back; my knee.  Although there was nothing wrong with it pre-op, the frame fitting required four pins to be inserted through my knee to stabilise the lower part which effectively locked my knee straight.

This has meant that my knee joint has partially seized.  The tendons and ligaments have all become stiff and the muscle has stuck to surrounding tissue.  This is expected after being immobile for so long but was a side effect I hadn’t truly prepared for.

I had foolishly expected that the knee would bend as soon as the frame came off but not so!

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‘What a difference a day makes’ are lyrics from a well known song and never have they rung more true for me than over the last 24hrs.

Yesterday I blogged about my op and my rather optimistic hopes for my post op mobility. Last night I was sat on the settee quite relaxed and as bedtime approached I got up and, with the aid of crutches, made my way to the stairs.

The moment I got up my leg started to throb badly and as I left the lounge I felt a severe chill and started to shiver. This wasn’t just a slight chill, it was a full on, teeth chattering and body shaking uncontrollably type shiver.

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Friday morning I had my op and the frame is now history. After a bit of faffing about I was wheeled into theatre at 9am and so keen were they to get it off that my consultant had begun unbolting the frame whilst I was still in the anaesthetic room being prepped!

I was lying there with an anaesthetist popping a cannula into my left hand, one theatre technician applying the heart monitor patches and another theatre technician spraying my leg with a liberal coating of disinfectant.

And whist this was going on, my consultant breezed in, shook my hand, said ‘now we’ll find out if it has well and truly set’ and then proceeded to wield the spanner.

Not the most encouraging of comments!! I can remember thinking, “I wish this bloody anaesthetic would hurry up’ and that was that.

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Today I saw my consultant. X-Rays were taken and having having looked at them he declared the fracture well and truly healed and that it was time for the frame to come off.

Off he popped to check theatre availability. A few minutes later he returned and asked if I was available tomorrow afternoon! I couldn’t say yes quick enough.

Then followed the pre-op assessment, consent forms, urine test, MRSA swabs etc and then we drove home delighted and a little shell shocked at the news. We’d been home only a few minutes when my mobile rang. It was the hospital explaining that the Op could not take place tomorrow.

I have a latex allergy which causes issues with theatres. If anyone has been in before me they will have used latex gloves and this causes a very slight risk that latex dust may be on the surfaces or in the air. I’m only allergic if I get latex in my mouth, no balloon blowing for me, but once you declare an allergy they cannot take any chances.

And so, as I was mid list tomorrow they have re-scheduled so I am instead first on the table on Friday instead in a theatre that has been cleaned and is as latex free as possible. The whole removal procedure will take less than an hour and is effectively a day case so I can return home as soon as I have come around from the general anaesthetic.

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I’d like to think that I’ve generally kept my spirits up for the most part throughout the treatment I’ve been undergoing. Yes there have been bad days, infections etc that have brought my mood crashing down but I’m generally a positive person and tough as it can be, I’ve kept smiling.

January is a bad time for many, post Christmas/New Year with bleak weather and back to work etc but this last week has been a real test.

Wednesday was the day I was supposed to be travelling to St Peters Hospital in Chertsey (a 30 mile drive) to meet with my consultant and set a date for surgery to remove the ilizarov frame.  As we all know, Tuesday evening saw the worst snow fall in the UK for a great many years and so when we awoke Wednesday it was clear Cinders would not be going to the ball.

With a foot of snow having fallen overnight our car was stuck and the local roads were equally treacherous. Soon after we got up and surveyed the scene I received a text from the hospital cancelling the appointment and advising that a new one would be arranged in due course.

Buggeration!

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