::Griffblog::

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!

Continue reading…

Well yesterday went quite differently to the way I had feared on Sunday! As many of you had predicted my fears were unfounded. The infection continues to improve and it’s so much better that we have now succeeded in applying a dressing to it, something that has not been possible at all since I had the op both because the frame is so tight against the skin and because it was so sore.

The Physio visit (which I had been dreading) went very well. I managed to walk quite some distance from the car park to the Physio Department at Frimley and instead of being chastised, as I had feared, for lack of progress, I was complimented on how much mobility I had given the frame and my being only 3wks post Op.

All the exercises they would normally offer, to mobilise my ankle and build up strength for walking and stairs etc they decided were superfluous as I have full mobility in my ankle and am already walking and managing the stairs. So I was left with some advice on increasing the mobility in my knee a little and have a return appointment in 3 wks to monitor progress!

I’ve also submitted a repeat prescription so that is the meds taken care of, the only thing outstanding now is the result of the swab taken of the infected pin Thursday. the GP told me we’d only here if it was bad news but you never quite know how long you should wait before assuming all is well! My course of antibiotics finishes Thursday so I’ll call her then to discuss the situation and ask if I need to continue with a further course.

The good news is lengthening has continued and so I’m very nearly half way through this phase with 12mm so far. Although we don’t yet know if the bone has grown at the same pace yet!