I suppose i blame it mostly on the exams i have been studying for...I've been pretty much housebound, studying and going over past exam papers for about 6 weeks leading up to my final exam on the 31st July.
So, not a great deal of exercise for my leg.
On the way back from my final exam, i picked up an exercise bike that i found cheap on the internet. Until now, i had been doing sporadic rides on a bike at my grandfathers retirement village, but this had dwindled to less than a ride a week.
Since the 1st August i have ridden over 70km now, with training rides of 10min to start with in the mornings, and then again in the afternoon.
I did this for the first few days, and have since upped the time spent to 25min rides in the morning and afternoon. Trying to keep an average speed of around 16km/h or so.
My knee is sore still during the cycle, but i just push through it, knowing that in the long run i cant be doing myself any harm.
The other day on one of my rides i heard a loud squeaking coming from the bike under me, so i decided to open her up and see what was wrong. The bearings were short of grease, and after a thorough service, she was back to new again!
It is hard sometimes to push yourself to go through the exercise program as it takes about an hour, and you don't feel like doing it every day!
But, i've gotten back into it now, and that, coupled with the cycle twice a day, and also walks in the car park, and around the block when i need a change of scenery, are seeing me slowly getting stronger.
It is a very frustratingly slow recovery from these injuries, and i constantly see the amazement on people's faces when they ask me how long ago the accident was, and i tell them, and they ask why i am not walking yet?
But i have come to terms a while ago with the fact that it will take as long as it takes, and i just need to get on with it and make it happen.
I still think that in 2 months time when i go back to the hospital for my 1 year post op visit, i will ask them to get this rod out of my shin and see if that improves the pain in the lateral side of my knee.
It is something that seemed to go away to a large extent for the last 6 weeks or so, but also i had not been doing much exercise in that time.
Once i started exercising my quads and other muscles again, the pain returned, sometimes as bad as it was 3 or 4 months ago!
I am putting this down to the fact that as the other muscles work to get stronger, and are sore after their workout, they relax a bit more than usual, and this leaves the knee more susceptible to lateral movement, and hence the pain returns.
I'm not a doctor, but this seems to be the case anyway.
I have set myself a target that i will be walking with a cane at the least by the end of this month, but i am not sure if this will be attainable?
I will see how the rest of this month goes, and give it my best efforts, but, at the end of the day, it is what it is. It's baby steps all the way...
