Birdy
member
A long process but you are there! Enjoy your new freedom and let us know more when you can.
PKR Raffs' Recovery Thread<'
- Thread starter Raffs
- Start date
SarahJane
supremo
I'm glad your life and work are taking up more of your time, @Raffs. That's a goal we all share. I'll miss hearing from you as often, but totally understand. I'm beginning to feel a bit torn about how much time I'm spending on this site. Maybe you could do weekly updates like @PolarBear60, to give hope to people who are just at the beginning of this journey. And I do want to hear how the ergonomic issues at work are handled. I hope your bosses and co-workers really saw how much you need it, and how their half-measures really won't cut it.
Great news about your ROM. WTG!
Great news about your ROM. WTG!
Braunzie
graduate
- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 575
- Age
- 65
- Location
- Woodinville, WA
- Gender
- Female
- Country
United States
Thinking of you today. Hoping all is going well for you!!! 
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
Hello BS friends!! My goodness I've missed you all. Cannot believe that it has been over a week since I was last on here.
Conference went very well. Had a blast. I wore my elasticated support sleeve all the time and it made such a huge difference. Kept the swelling down and minimised any pain. I only iced once in 5 days - oops!! Hardly took any pain pills and those I did take were more for a sore head than a sore knee, lol!!!
I was able to work fine all day in my little cupboard on the exhibition stand, no issues at all. I went out three nights in a row, walked quite a bit, stood a lot (drinking and chatting and laughing and being very silly) and averaged about 3 hours sleep a night!! People who had seen me at the previous conference could not believe the difference in me in just 2 weeks. No cane and only a very slight limp (someone said he only noticed the limp because he knew I'd had the surgery). I was so pleased. I felt so normal again and as I wore trousers in the evenings with the support underneath nobody noticed unless I told them. That was just wonderful after feeling very stared at these past 3 months.
Took it fairly easy on Thursday and Friday. Met a friend up in central London yesterday, first time on the tube (subway) and it was ok. Wore my support underneath my jeans again.
My confidence has really been boosted by doing the conferences. I am now absolutely desperate to get back to as much of a normal life as possible.
I still have a little swelling, a bit of soreness and the never-ending tight band (!) but I do seem to be feeling a bit better each day at the moment. I really can see "normality" around the corner and it's wonderful. It'll be 14 weeks on Tuesday.
I'm going away for a week on Wednesday. When I return I'm going to ask if I can start to work out of our other London office until my long term working arrangements are sorted. My boss is going to view 4 potential new properties on October 14th so hopefully things will be resolved pretty soon.
At long last I'm able to say to those of you behind me in this journey, hang on in there, it really does get better! It just takes a bit of time!! Oh, and lots of patience, lol!!
Conference went very well. Had a blast. I wore my elasticated support sleeve all the time and it made such a huge difference. Kept the swelling down and minimised any pain. I only iced once in 5 days - oops!! Hardly took any pain pills and those I did take were more for a sore head than a sore knee, lol!!!
I was able to work fine all day in my little cupboard on the exhibition stand, no issues at all. I went out three nights in a row, walked quite a bit, stood a lot (drinking and chatting and laughing and being very silly) and averaged about 3 hours sleep a night!! People who had seen me at the previous conference could not believe the difference in me in just 2 weeks. No cane and only a very slight limp (someone said he only noticed the limp because he knew I'd had the surgery). I was so pleased. I felt so normal again and as I wore trousers in the evenings with the support underneath nobody noticed unless I told them. That was just wonderful after feeling very stared at these past 3 months.
Took it fairly easy on Thursday and Friday. Met a friend up in central London yesterday, first time on the tube (subway) and it was ok. Wore my support underneath my jeans again.
My confidence has really been boosted by doing the conferences. I am now absolutely desperate to get back to as much of a normal life as possible.
I still have a little swelling, a bit of soreness and the never-ending tight band (!) but I do seem to be feeling a bit better each day at the moment. I really can see "normality" around the corner and it's wonderful. It'll be 14 weeks on Tuesday.
I'm going away for a week on Wednesday. When I return I'm going to ask if I can start to work out of our other London office until my long term working arrangements are sorted. My boss is going to view 4 potential new properties on October 14th so hopefully things will be resolved pretty soon.
At long last I'm able to say to those of you behind me in this journey, hang on in there, it really does get better! It just takes a bit of time!! Oh, and lots of patience, lol!!
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
- Joined
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- Pittsburgh, PA
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- United States
Wow! Have a great time on your trip!
Thesoutherncook
post-grad
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2015
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- Western North Carolina
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- United States
Great report! It's wonderful to feel normal again!!!
Braunzie
graduate
- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 575
- Age
- 65
- Location
- Woodinville, WA
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
Braunzie
graduate
- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 575
- Age
- 65
- Location
- Woodinville, WA
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
PS... so happy for you!!! 
SuperSnapper
post-grad
Great report! You are doing so well.
Slainte
post-grad
Sounds like you took different knees to the two conventions. And you may be getting a new office without all those stairs? Fantastic! You have had a great recovery. So pleased for you that your determination won the day. I know that as our lives become more active it is difficult to find time to keep up with this forum, but I really need to know how your office situation works out, so keep us posted. 
Braunzie
graduate
- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 575
- Age
- 65
- Location
- Woodinville, WA
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
SarahJane
supremo
hope things are g oing well for you. your life must be mega-busy right now, but do stop by every so often for an update. I'm particularly interested in hearing how your employer is accommodating your need for an accessible work place, and how you're handling those hills these days.
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
Hello everyone!
16 weeks today - thought I would post an update - thank you so much for still thinking about me and asking how I'm doing.
Had a lovely trip to Cyprus. Hotel was very posh, ate and drank too much, lazed around like a sloth. Weather was hot - approx. 30 degrees C/86 degrees F. Knee didn't love the heat but it was ok. I iced twice when it was feeling a bit swollen after a day in the sun. I kept it covered up with a cloth wrapped around it as I didn't want to burn or irritate my scar. I used my elasticated knee support during the evenings so that I could walk around without thinking about the knee too much. It didn't like the steps/steep slope down to the beach but it was ok. All in all, the knee didn't affect my enjoyment of the trip at all - I walked on the beach, swam in the pool, paddled in the sea and laid on my sunbed like a normal person! I did notice a few people staring at my scar which kind of annoyed me but, hey, nothing I could really do about that.
I still have the same issues with the tight band feeling but it comes and goes, sometimes it is worse than others, I try to ignore it as best I can and just get on with things. I still also have some swelling and warmth in the same area - the fat pad - but again this is improving and most of the time I can just ignore it.
I am trying to limit when I wear my support. I don't wear it around the house at all, even when doing housework or ironing now. I try not to wear it for short trips out but I do wear it when I am travelling on the subway or doing more walking. I hope to be able to wean myself off of it completely over the next few weeks but I am in no hurry.
Am I fully recovered? No, not at all. Still quite a long way to go but I am so much more relaxed about it now. I can see that slow improvements are still being made and there is very little of my "normal" life that I cannot now do. OK, I can't run nor can I walk very far yet or jump or kneel but I can walk without a limp and at a decent pace and I have even started dancing around the house again! I am confident that I will be able to walk further and perhaps even run for the bus as time goes on.
The "hill from hell" doesn't bother me now - going up is absolutely no problem at all and coming down is fine as long as I am wearing my support. This is a HUGE achievement as you guys know how much I was bothered by Hillgate a couple of months ago.
I have PT for the first time in over a month this Friday. I have been very lazy and not done the one exercise that he asked me to do so I am now doing a few reps every day so that he isn't completely annoyed with me, lol! I do need to do the exercise as I know my quad is still weak. I can walk downstairs ok now but I have to hang onto the handrail and go slowly and I would like that to improve.
It is likely that I will be returning to an office within the next couple of weeks. I asked my boss if I could work out of our other London office and she has said yes. I just need to check that there is space for me and that IT can set me up with the necessary equipment and access. I cannot wait to get back out there after being stuck working from home for nearly 9 months!!!!!!!!!
The bosses viewed several properties last week and have made an offer to rent part of the 6th floor in a very swanky looking building. There are other interested parties, unfortunately, but hopefully we will be successful and I'll have a new, accessible and permanent office by the end of the year. Please keep your fingers crossed.
My calendar is packed with social events between now and Christmas - I've gone a bit crazy arranging to see all my friends and family now that I am able to go out and enjoy socialising - my bank balance and waistline will not thank me but I know my soul will thank me! I think the emotional and psychological impact of everything that has happened to me this year has only really hit me now and I need to keep busy and see people I love and keep moving forwards, I don't want to dwell on the time I've lost, I want to look forward to the time I have in front of me.
The only really small "bleurgh" on the horizon is my left knee which is starting to complain in exactly the same way as my right knee did this time last year. I am going to speak to the OS about it when I see him on November 24th. I want to go down the painkillers/injections route first though - I am so not ready for another surgery just yet!
Well, think that's all for now, folks. Sending you all lots of love and good wishes and hope you are all doing well.
16 weeks today - thought I would post an update - thank you so much for still thinking about me and asking how I'm doing.
Had a lovely trip to Cyprus. Hotel was very posh, ate and drank too much, lazed around like a sloth. Weather was hot - approx. 30 degrees C/86 degrees F. Knee didn't love the heat but it was ok. I iced twice when it was feeling a bit swollen after a day in the sun. I kept it covered up with a cloth wrapped around it as I didn't want to burn or irritate my scar. I used my elasticated knee support during the evenings so that I could walk around without thinking about the knee too much. It didn't like the steps/steep slope down to the beach but it was ok. All in all, the knee didn't affect my enjoyment of the trip at all - I walked on the beach, swam in the pool, paddled in the sea and laid on my sunbed like a normal person! I did notice a few people staring at my scar which kind of annoyed me but, hey, nothing I could really do about that.
I still have the same issues with the tight band feeling but it comes and goes, sometimes it is worse than others, I try to ignore it as best I can and just get on with things. I still also have some swelling and warmth in the same area - the fat pad - but again this is improving and most of the time I can just ignore it.
I am trying to limit when I wear my support. I don't wear it around the house at all, even when doing housework or ironing now. I try not to wear it for short trips out but I do wear it when I am travelling on the subway or doing more walking. I hope to be able to wean myself off of it completely over the next few weeks but I am in no hurry.
Am I fully recovered? No, not at all. Still quite a long way to go but I am so much more relaxed about it now. I can see that slow improvements are still being made and there is very little of my "normal" life that I cannot now do. OK, I can't run nor can I walk very far yet or jump or kneel but I can walk without a limp and at a decent pace and I have even started dancing around the house again! I am confident that I will be able to walk further and perhaps even run for the bus as time goes on.
The "hill from hell" doesn't bother me now - going up is absolutely no problem at all and coming down is fine as long as I am wearing my support. This is a HUGE achievement as you guys know how much I was bothered by Hillgate a couple of months ago.
I have PT for the first time in over a month this Friday. I have been very lazy and not done the one exercise that he asked me to do so I am now doing a few reps every day so that he isn't completely annoyed with me, lol! I do need to do the exercise as I know my quad is still weak. I can walk downstairs ok now but I have to hang onto the handrail and go slowly and I would like that to improve.
It is likely that I will be returning to an office within the next couple of weeks. I asked my boss if I could work out of our other London office and she has said yes. I just need to check that there is space for me and that IT can set me up with the necessary equipment and access. I cannot wait to get back out there after being stuck working from home for nearly 9 months!!!!!!!!!
The bosses viewed several properties last week and have made an offer to rent part of the 6th floor in a very swanky looking building. There are other interested parties, unfortunately, but hopefully we will be successful and I'll have a new, accessible and permanent office by the end of the year. Please keep your fingers crossed.
My calendar is packed with social events between now and Christmas - I've gone a bit crazy arranging to see all my friends and family now that I am able to go out and enjoy socialising - my bank balance and waistline will not thank me but I know my soul will thank me! I think the emotional and psychological impact of everything that has happened to me this year has only really hit me now and I need to keep busy and see people I love and keep moving forwards, I don't want to dwell on the time I've lost, I want to look forward to the time I have in front of me.
The only really small "bleurgh" on the horizon is my left knee which is starting to complain in exactly the same way as my right knee did this time last year. I am going to speak to the OS about it when I see him on November 24th. I want to go down the painkillers/injections route first though - I am so not ready for another surgery just yet!
Well, think that's all for now, folks. Sending you all lots of love and good wishes and hope you are all doing well.
SuperSnapper
post-grad
Glad to hear you are moving forwards and enjoying life. My other knee is also becoming more of a pain! and may have to be done but like you I don't want to do this all again too soon.
tigz
graduate
That's a great update, Raffs! I'm jealous of your vacation.
My niece's daughter (she's 2 1/2) came up to my knee about a month ago, pointed to it, and said ouchy. Even at her tender age she realizes it's not normal looking.
My niece's daughter (she's 2 1/2) came up to my knee about a month ago, pointed to it, and said ouchy. Even at her tender age she realizes it's not normal looking.
SarahJane
supremo
Jo, a picture is worth a thousand words, and your new avatar speaks volumes about your relaxing and well-deserved vacation. Glad that you're able to manage that hill, and that your boss is working to get the accessibility issues worked out in both the short and long term. Wonderful update!
