Tuesday 24th August 2010 – Apparently I’m waltzing
24 Aug 2010 3 Comments
in Words Tags: Argus cycle race, bone repair, inflammation, pelvis ring, re-injury, soft tissue damage, Waltz
I had my two week check up today and was told by the Dr that recuperation is like doing the waltz:- two steps forward and one step back. Today is a step forward day, especially since I’ve been given more drugs!
The frightening thing is that I’ve got a couple of things to look forward to in terms of the physiology of bone repair:
3 week mark – I’ll feel like I can move a little more. Apparently pain is a neurological reflex designed to inhibit movement. Mobilisation too early can result in slow healing as excessive movement restarts unnecessary inflammation.
Having said that, “inflammation is a normal and necessary pre- requisite to healing, so feel free to move and exercise within your pain limits but expect that step back the following day.” Oh goodie!
6 month mark – Because the pelvis ring serves as a conduit for nerves and blood vessels and is a base to which leg muscles are attached, a pelvic fracture can cause significant soft tissue damage. I “should feel mostly normal by 6 months and will definitely be able to do the Argus cycle race”. Well that’s good news, but what does ‘mostly normal’ mean?!
When can I drive? “When is it safe that you will not risk re-injury, and when is it safe for you to return to the road and not risk injuring those around you.” My mom will definitely say the latter will never happen.
On the whole, I’m a happi chappi and looking forward to the next ‘step forward’ day.
