Life is just a bowl of All-Bran…

May 12, 2006

Discharged (honourably)

Filed under: My health — bogl @ 7:44 pm

Yesterday I saw the surgeon who operated on my knee for my post-op appointment.

Apparantly I had a fairly large bucket tear in the meniscus, resulting in about a third of it flapping around in the joint. No wonder it was giving me gyp.

He was very pleased with the progress I’ve made. I can now walk normally and up to my normal speed for the first time in seven months. The worst I get is a bit of an ache, really. It feels good to be back to normal!

He warned me away from any kind of high-impact exercise, like marathon running or fell racing (as if…) and suggested that cycling would be the very best thing for a full recovery. I have a couple of lumps in the knee which will probably take a year to go: it’s scar tissue that the body will largely dispose of. However, I can probably look forward to it becoming arthitic as the years go by.

He then formally discharged me!

Today I saw the physio, who concluded that, as my target was to get back on my bike, I jolly well ought to as it would be by far the best exercise for me. I tried out an exercise bike and was pleasantly surprised how much I could do before the knee started to “burn”, also the time to stop.

She merrily waved me on my way too, expecting never to see me again.

Such a sense of relief. Regular cycling is now on the agenda.

April 5, 2006

Not-so-Wounded Knee

Filed under: My health — bogl @ 9:15 am

On Wednesday last I had the op. On being admitted, the doctor seemed to be concerned that I needed something else doing (an ACL??) and they were all set to keep me in for a couple of days, but as it turned out I simply had that pesky meniscus trimmed after all.

Oddly, I wasn’t apprehensive about it at all. Perhaps it had something to do with having accompanied L to so many ops (she’s had eight, seven in the last six years). It seemed almost routine, and time for my turn!

I drank like a fish for the remainder of that day, incredibly dry mouth. The only other major side-effect from the op, other than the knee itself, has been constipation (hem, hem), now solved.

I have three little holes in the offending joint now, two on the left and one on the right. Amazingly, it hasn’t really hurt much since. I’m walking around on it, and doing all the exercises I’ve been prescribed too.

March 15, 2006

Been a long time, been a long time….

Filed under: Family, Lucy's health, My health — bogl @ 9:46 pm

…but not a lonely one, as it turns out.

Much of the latest news is also on L’s blog, but I’ll try and summarise.

We are now thoroughly back in our house after the drains were replaced. We went on holiday to Winforton Court’s holdiay cottage soon afterwards. Glorious weather, though cold. We even got to take E on her sledge for the first time, which was wonderful.

Whilst our car was parked in Winforton Court a builders’ merchant lorry managed to put a big dent in our car roof and boot door. They accepted liability (how could they not??) but a merry half-day was spent entertaining L in in their premises. Quite easy actually. The car has now been fixed.

Life seems to be settling down somewhat now. L has had her last two doses of Epirubicin, which went without incident. Long waits, however, are unavoidable. She is beginning to get more and more tired, but is still going to work one or two days a week. E has been a little bit poorly lately, but is over it now.

I had an appointment with the orthopaedic consultant last week. The scan shows I have torn my meniscus on the inside of my right knee, and I will be having an operation on Weds 29th March to try and fix it. It will be a keyhole procedure, which should try and trim the frayed part of the meniscus back. It’s not without its possible drawbacks, but it’s become evident it will not heal by itself.

More to come….

February 27, 2006

A fast appointment!

Filed under: Lucy's health, My health — bogl @ 4:43 pm

Just a quick update today.

L had an appointment with the oncologist – actually, the oncologist’s registrar.  In and out within an hour!  Makes a nice change.

I pestered the fracture clinic about the MRI scan results.  I have an appointment on Thurs 9th March.

Thank the Lord for both of these!

February 23, 2006

A draining experience

Filed under: Family, Lucy's health, My health — bogl @ 10:16 pm

It’s been a while, and here’s why!

The last post was Wednesday 15th. The next day, we innocently flushed the toilet, and the whole lot backed up. Thankfully, it didn’t overflow.

We knew there was some kind of problem because the gullies outside the house didn’t seem to be clearing too well, and I had it in mind to have a go at clearing them. The toilet was the last straw.

I beetled off to Homebase to get noxious chemicals, plungers and the like, and started trying to clear the gullies. Nothing budged at all.

I started going through the ‘phone book looking for drain clearing people. One firm came out within the hour, but without immediate success.

A friend who lives round the corner was on holiday & we were minding the house for him. Taking this responsibility to its logical conclusion, we moved in there that night (thanks Rich). As he was coming back the following day, and the house was still not habitable, we booked in to a local hotel, with the distinction of being the only licensed premises on the Bournville estate.

We stayed there until Wednesday morning, by which time the drains guys had done all their work and the cleaners had tackled the kitchen & bathroom. Cleaners? Can’t the Harrisons do their own cleaning?

On Tuesday morning I was sat on the bed in the hotel room tying my shoelaces. I stood up and wiggled my foot around in my shoe so it felt just so…and my knee went again. If that’s all it takes, it really does need some looking after!

L couldn’t do the cleaning, as she shouldn’t be getting in contact with potential sources of infection, and I was walking like an old man again. L’s father suggested we just got someone in to do the cleaning, so we did. And very good No Limits of Hockley were – unlike another company who laughed down the phone and said, “[Company] couldn’t come out on the same day!”. They won’t be getting our business again.

All I can say is: it’s great to be home.

February 6, 2006

Music for Scanners: the track listing

Filed under: Music, My health — bogl @ 8:51 pm

From all the suggestions I’ve had, both here and via email, I’ve put together a CD ready for Wednesday. I held my nose & delved into iTunes for a few of them.

Thanks to Yiota, Alexander, Lucy, Phil and Steve for the suggestions.

  1. No. 2 1st Movement: Andantino – Frank Zappa
  2. No Exit – Interpol
  3. No. 2 2nd Movement: Minuetto Grazioso – Frank Zappa
  4. Cat-Scan Hist’ry – The Blue Aeroplanes
  5. Hospital – The Modern Lovers
  6. Walking After Midnight – Patsy Cline
  7. No. 3 1st Movement: Andantino – Frank Zappa
  8. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee – Buffy Sainte-Marie
  9. Evil – Interpol
  10. As Long As He “Knees” Me-Judy Garland
  11. Walking With Thee – Clinic
  12. Roll Out The Barrrel / Knees Up Mother Brown – Barry O’Dowd and The Highlanders

January 17, 2006

Music for Scanners – ideas please

Filed under: Music, My health — bogl @ 10:09 pm

I have had a date for the MRI scan for my knee – Feb 8th. I expected to be waiting months.

Glad it is coming though. My knee still can be uncomfortable, and I am beginning to wonder whether an op will be needed.

The letter I have had mentions that the scan will take twenty to forty-five minutes and is quite noisy, but I can take a CD to be played to me while it takes place.

So the question is: what should be on Music for Scanners? You have probably noticed that anyone can leave comments on this blog. Any ideas for a 45 min mix CD? It might have something to do with scanners, hospitals, knees (?!), or just be really good to listen to. And can you come up with a better title for the whole thing too?

My first suggestion: Walking With Thee by Clinic. Geddit?

January 10, 2006

“Back to life, back to reality…”

Filed under: Lucy's health, MCSE, My health — bogl @ 10:02 pm

This has been a difficult time. Not only has L been in hospital & come out to convalesce, I have just had an almighty head cold which left me feeling like a zombie for much of the last week – thankfully, it’s on the retreat. I think it was questionable who was looking after whom, at one bit :-) .

L too is recovering. She is finding her left arm painful and numb, but is certainly set to get out and about. Normality is beginning to creep in. I’ve been back at work this week, E has been in nursery, and all being well I shall be having some more paid work coming my way soon. Things have also changed at church – a new leadership team, with first meeting tonight. Very exciting.

I also need to get back into the MCSE, both starting a new course (Windows 2003 Server) and looking at retaking my previous exam.

Normality helps so much when things feel so abnormal.

December 29, 2005

The knee (continued…)

Filed under: My health — bogl @ 7:44 pm

Went for my follow-up appointment at the fracture clinic today. To summarise: I did my knee in falling off a stepladder in late August. It got better, but then I did it again, worse, running for a bus. Since then, my excellent GP managed to get me seen at the hospital fracture clinic, which concluded I hadn’t broken anything but that I needed physio. Since then, I’ve dutifully done as the physio said, and it has got a lot better. I walk with less of a limp, but it’s still awkward to use, gets sore and even painful at times.

Well, the consultant has concluded that I might have badly sprained soft tissue and it’s just taking a while to heal, but thinks it is worth my having an MRI scan in case I have torn my meniscus after all. Thankfully, this won’t be taking place next week, whilst L is having her op.

When will this magical scan take place? Don’t hold your breath.

November 16, 2005

Progress is slow

Filed under: My health, Uncategorized — bogl @ 10:33 pm

Physio was great last Monday. Very helpful, found the exercises have begun to loosen the knee up as it has been feeling like it has rubber bands wrapped around it.

However, it now is uncomfortable or painful far more than it was when it would hardly bend. I guess this shows it’s improving.

The exercises are quite uncomfortable. They involve stretching everything that is currently helaing to ensure it doesn’t scar. Boy, is it uncomfortable.

Added to which, we had a crazy weekend trying to clear the kitchen & bathroom for the builders to completely renovate. I tried to rest up a bit, but when huge amounts of stuff need shifting & a two-year-old needs entertaining, it’s hard to take it easy.

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