Sunday, 19 May 2013
Friday, 10 May 2013
Injury update #3
After only attending the fracture clinic last week, it was a surprise to get my MRI appointment come through so quickly.
So it was back to the hospital....again, and a MRI scan to hopefully shed some more light on my ankle injury.
It was a long walk to the remote MRI unit at the hospital, but the cheery assistant who walked me to my destiny, told me amusing stories of how people who had not declared metal implants or body piercings literally got sucked up to the roof of the scan unit due to its strong magnetic forces!
Once I got settled in and was laying on the bed about to be sent into the giant tube of the MRI unit, I was given head phones that would play music to dull out the loud sounds the machine made. It reminded me of a game show where one of the contestants goes into the booth with headphones and music so the cant hear their partners answers!
One moment you're stuck in the office with phones ringing, emails, deadlines; the next in the middle of the woods without a soul around and everything stripped back to just the basics.
I was told I must not move at all costs...so straight away,up appears the little devil on the shoulder egging you on to scratch that itch that's started to annoy you on your nose!
I managed to distract myself and focus on the music that was playing. A strange choice of dance music that wanted to get my toe tapping rather than relax me, and rather bizarrely it seemed to pick up a local pirate hip hop station with the DJ chatting to his mate...Bizarre!
Any way after my 'me time, I was told I now needed to wait until I was given an appointment from the specialist to review the scan.
Hopefully it wont be too long. The ankle does seem to slowly be improving, so its a case of upping the cycling next week along with introducing some swimming and then fingers crossed I'll be in good shape to start running again soon.
So it was back to the hospital....again, and a MRI scan to hopefully shed some more light on my ankle injury.
It was a long walk to the remote MRI unit at the hospital, but the cheery assistant who walked me to my destiny, told me amusing stories of how people who had not declared metal implants or body piercings literally got sucked up to the roof of the scan unit due to its strong magnetic forces!
 |
| MRI unit |
I had been looking forward to this all day, a chance to be on my own in my little world away from the stresses of the modern world, and 25 minutes of rare 'me' time. I think everyone needs 'me' time. That's one of the reasons I run and one of the reasons I run mostly trails rather than roads.
One moment you're stuck in the office with phones ringing, emails, deadlines; the next in the middle of the woods without a soul around and everything stripped back to just the basics.
 |
| 'Me' Time |
I managed to distract myself and focus on the music that was playing. A strange choice of dance music that wanted to get my toe tapping rather than relax me, and rather bizarrely it seemed to pick up a local pirate hip hop station with the DJ chatting to his mate...Bizarre!
Any way after my 'me time, I was told I now needed to wait until I was given an appointment from the specialist to review the scan.
Hopefully it wont be too long. The ankle does seem to slowly be improving, so its a case of upping the cycling next week along with introducing some swimming and then fingers crossed I'll be in good shape to start running again soon.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Injury update #2
Forgive me if I'm boring everyone with my injury updates but I figured it may be useful to others if they experience something similar.
If you're still with me...next instalment:
I returned to my second home Frimley Park hospital, for an appointment at the fracture clinic.
After the obligatory wait of around 45 minutes, I was finally seen by one of the consultants. After some pushing and pulling, I don't think this chap was any the wiser to what was happening with my ankle so he called his boss man in.
Again more pushing and pulling, but interestingly not much pain while this was going on. The big boss man then done, what must be his party trick...'the squeeze test'. He put his hand around my shin bone further up my leg and...squeezed! For the first time today I felt pain and a shooting sensation done to my ankle.
While the first chap was seeing me, big boss man had been looking at my X-ray from last Monday and had decided that what appeared to be the chipped piece of bone (see last post) was actually new bone that 7 weeks on had formed to heal the injury.
After the squeeze test, he now had a better picture, and possible damage to the point where the top of the ankle meets the interosseous membrane (a ligament which runs between the tibia and fibula, the two main bones in the lower leg).
It's possible that the bones have been pushed apart at this point.
Time for a few more X-rays on the ankle, the lower leg and the knee and some more blasts of radiation. I think the girl in the X-ray room today was the work experience girl that took my original X-ray all those weeks ago and who took the mystery photo that showed no damage to my ankle!
After returning back to the consultants and they had looked at my X-rays, they decided that the next step would be booking me in for a MRI scan and send me on to the foot and ankle specialist. The MRI scan would give a lot clearer picture of the ligament damage and the full picture of the injury.
Forgive me all you professionals out there if I've got any medical facts and names wrong. I think that's roughly what went on today.
The good news that came out of today is that I can carry on cycling and try some swimming, basically if it doesn't hurt I can do it. Sadly running hurts!
Until the next instalment, enjoy the sun and the long weekend and make sure you appreciate every run you do. I know I will WHEN I return.
If you're still with me...next instalment:
I returned to my second home Frimley Park hospital, for an appointment at the fracture clinic.
 |
| My second home at the moment |
Again more pushing and pulling, but interestingly not much pain while this was going on. The big boss man then done, what must be his party trick...'the squeeze test'. He put his hand around my shin bone further up my leg and...squeezed! For the first time today I felt pain and a shooting sensation done to my ankle.
While the first chap was seeing me, big boss man had been looking at my X-ray from last Monday and had decided that what appeared to be the chipped piece of bone (see last post) was actually new bone that 7 weeks on had formed to heal the injury.
After the squeeze test, he now had a better picture, and possible damage to the point where the top of the ankle meets the interosseous membrane (a ligament which runs between the tibia and fibula, the two main bones in the lower leg).
It's possible that the bones have been pushed apart at this point.
Time for a few more X-rays on the ankle, the lower leg and the knee and some more blasts of radiation. I think the girl in the X-ray room today was the work experience girl that took my original X-ray all those weeks ago and who took the mystery photo that showed no damage to my ankle!
 |
| Not my real X-ray! |
Forgive me all you professionals out there if I've got any medical facts and names wrong. I think that's roughly what went on today.
The good news that came out of today is that I can carry on cycling and try some swimming, basically if it doesn't hurt I can do it. Sadly running hurts!
Until the next instalment, enjoy the sun and the long weekend and make sure you appreciate every run you do. I know I will WHEN I return.
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