Progress has been made and in the last few days I have been able to get on the turbo trainer and cycle using both legs!! This is great as I can now get my heart rate up on land as well as in water! I never thought I would be so pleased to sit on a static bike in a sweltering hot box room!

The swimming has continued in the pool as well as my new found sport ‘aqua jogging’- basically running in deep water with a flotation belt on- it is a really good work out and hopefully it will help me regain some of my running fitness.  I have also ventured into the sea several times now, though there have been a few dodgy moments getting in and out when the waves have been a bit big, but I have usually got a swim buddy to hold my hand! I am definitely faster in water than on land at the moment!

On land I feel my progress with general mobility is very slow. I’m not ready to tackle stairs properly yet, so I’m stepping up with my good leg each time, which is a tedious process. I continue to walk  with a limp, I  can’t bend my leg enough behind me as I step onto my good leg, so I’m hitching my hip and swinging it through.  Getting about is exhausting as it takes so much concentration to try and walk correctly and my knee is so tight and uncomfortable. Limping is also causing me back pain now so I have reverted to using crutches when I have to walk a longer distance so that I can concentrate on my gait and avoid limping.

I am religiously doing my physio exercises to fire up the muscles and  working on my knee bend.  I have borrowed an electronic muscle stimulating machine to help with this too, it is like the TENS machine that I used when I was in labour . It causes the muscles to contract and wakes them up! It is torture but I will try anything! I am also continuing to use the cryo therapy machine too for ice and compression.

Between physio, using these devices, swimming, cycling, strength work, and walking at a snail’s pace I literally am filling my days! Today it took me all morning to do a food shop that usually takes me just over an hour!

Anyway, little steps- literally!!

xxx Kitty