Early September due to a farm dog "greeting" mine, I was knocked over and now have a fracture in my knee. It's a tibial plateau fracture, which means a cast from thigh to knee. The cast was changed to a knee brace, and I have another 6 wks in this contraption. It's not that comfortable, but is supposed to protect the ligaments,enable some movement to strengthen ligaments thru exercise. They seem to be v cautious about protecting this plateau, so that when?! I need a replacement knee, the op would have less complications.
We usually go away about every 6 wk throughout the year, so am missing our trips a lot. Accident happened day before booked trip. Since steps are a real problem for me on crutches, am wondering if a trip is viable, as I would find my lack of mobility,unable to do usual setting up jobs frustrating - or maybe accept it and chill. Any opinions on this? or just wait until I can get rid of crutches.
I was wiped out by another skier years ago: nothing broken but knee cap went round the side, a ligament was disrupted & the cartilage had to be removed several months later. I was put in a cast from groin to ankle for 6 weeks, when a footballer with a similar injury had a knee brace. You’re so lucky to have the brace because you will retain muscle (I lost most of it), assuming you’re also doing the physio exercises.
I wasn’t given crutches & I went down steps at work sideways, slowly, with the long cast. Check if you have to keep using the crutches as I’ve never seen a knee brace used with crutches. You don’t want to become reliant on them or they’ll be permanent after the brace comes off.
My advice, for what little it’s worth, is to head off on a trip but maybe not that far from your medical team, for peace of mind. Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. A change of scene will do a power of good.
Thanks for your input. Must use crutches until confident with brace. No physio was offered, just Dr showing straight leg raising and flexing. As brace instruction was rushed regarding fitting etc I ‘m unhappy to be doing the wrong thing for wks, so have managed to book physio app in 2 wk time. Got that cos I went thru trauma unit which gave me a physio referral if I needed it for 2wk after injury and it hadn’t been cancelled. Seems an age to be inactive.
Just keep moving, doing what you can, stairs especially. The brace will keep your knee aligned. Once my cast was off (and that leg half the size of the other due to muscle wastage), I used to take myself to a park that had hills that I could try walking up every day & gradually built up the steepness that I could manage.
Try googling for the exercises that knee replacement people are given. But building up walking distance is what my BIL had to do.
Good luck; and your knee will get better!
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Topic: wishing for next trip
via mobile 28/10/2022 at 2:27pm
