Brilliant!

Not the weather which remains as stormy and worrying for those in low lying areas as it has for some while now but I've finally got outside on the bike.

On Saturday I managed to get a half-hour ride with Cath riding down the dale from Kilnsey to Threshfield and back. (Did it this way to get assistance from the wind on the way back) I was a bit unsteady for the first few hundred metres but it's nearly ten weeks since I've been on a bike. This half hour was squashed between the morning ice and the afternoon storms.

On Sunday I went over to Bolton By Bowland where there's a lot of roads with gentle gradients, about as flat as you'll get round here. Two laps of a sixteen Km loop. I felt fairly strong for both laps and I managed roughly the same time for both laps so fairly consistent but I was definitely feeling tired towards the end. I was still tired last night but things will get better.

Turbo, Turbo, Turbo

Although I've been given the all clear to go biking, I'm not heading out on the roads just yet and I'm certainly not restarting commuting by bike for a while. This means sessions on the turbo trainer, not the most interesting of activities but a bit of music can help pass the time. I also need to get my backside used to being on a bike saddle again.

Turbo sessions are a bit like track sessions on a fixie - there's no coasting as the resistance on the back wheel brings you to a "halt" pretty quickly, so half an hour is half an hour of pedalling. Also, unless you have one of the fancy models it's pretty well impossible to  stand and pedal as the bike won't move beneath you as it would on the road, consequently it's a constant session sat on your backside.

I've no idea how a set length or "distance"[*] of time on the turbo equates to the road but I'm pretty sure it isn't one to one! My first couple of weeks' training have been steady tempo rides: thirty minutes pedalling at around 90rpm[*] but doing that for an hour or more definitely would be boring so a quick google shows quite a few training sessions to try out.

What's neat about the modern generation of cycling computers is that they are effectively two-way devices: not only do they record your rides and performance ready for uploading to a computer and sites like Strava, but you can also create workouts on the computer and download them to the device ready to follow as a training routine. However I need to go against all male instincts and read the manual to find out how.

It's eight weeks tomorrow since my operation and I've stopped using the crutches - I've hardly been using them properly at all for a couple of weeks to be fair, usually they (well it) get in the way and I walk better without them. I had a few trips out where I forgot to take them so it's not a leap in to the unknown. The only "aid" I now still need to use is Foxysoxy (yes it really is called that) which is used to get socks on over my foot, though occasionally I can do so without it.

[*] I've a "turbo" mode on my GPS unit so I can figure out just what I'm doing during each session.

ThunderBob is GO!

I had an appointment with the surgeon this week - a six week check up. He seemed very pleased with my progress but did hint that it was still early days and didn't seem too surprised that I couldn't tie my shoelaces on my right side.

Obviously I'd a question or two and I'm now allowed to drive again and to ride my bike though given the weather I'll be sticking to the turbo trainer for a few weeks, I'll need to get some fitness back before I head out on to the roads. You don't get a sticker for your passport so I'll be setting the alarm off every time I take a flight and then get patted down, I will either have to show the security guards my scar or learn "I've had a hip replacement" in whatever language.

I've entered the Eden Valley sportive on the 2nd March to give me some incentive to get fit. So I've seven weeks to get up to speed and have the fitness to do 60 miles.

Bizarre Observations

I cut my fingernails yesterday.

See, the title said it was bizarre. Actually it's more proof that my body has been putting its energies elsewhere. Fingernails are meant to grow at around 3mm/month and I find I'm trimming them every ten days or so. But I've gone over five weeks between trimmings, i.e. since before the operation. It's a similar story with my hair, now I'm not exactly blessed with a lot of hair but again it's hardly needed cutting since the op. In fact I've lost weight over the Christmas period so there's still some repair work going on, though I've also lost muscle mass and tone so actually look fatter.

One thing that has markedly improved is the state of the operation scar - it's looking decidedly reticent and is well on the way to complete healing. There'll always be a mark of course but already it's beginning to look like a mere scratch, albeit one that's 15cm long.

My mobility is also improving: I'm walking without crutches around the house and only really need one crutch when outside just to steady myself. I can walk for a couple of miles without much problem so the main thing will be to keep on doing the exercises to work the ancillary muscles which will help to stabilise the joint.

Yesterday was also the last day of injecting Fragmin - phew! At least I'm now qualified to give subcutaneous injections to an orange :-)

Well that would appear to be it for this year. Somewhat eventful though not for the right reasons and I've seen more than enough of medical staff and the inside of hospitals to see me out. Here's hoping for an improving year.

All the best and Happy New Year!

Another Week Gone

Things have improved dramatically over the last week!

First: I'm now able to lie on my (non-operated) side when in bed. This has made sleeping somewhat easier though I'm still waking up at rather silly times in the middle of the night. I didn't try and push this, it just happened and I round that I could roll over. I caught myself rolling over on to my front a couple of nights ago, which is a bit too much too soon I think. Most of the bruising around the wound has gone and it isn't too sensitive to touch.

I'm also able to take a few steps without crutches. I need to be close to something that can act as support but it's a definite improvement. Again it was an accidental discovery: I'd get up and walk to make a cup of tea and then realise that I'd left my crutch by the table. I don't want to push this as my gait isn't correct at the moment and doing too much will ingrain those motions in my muscle memory and potentially cause problems down the line.

I still need a power nap or two through the day, though yesterday's lasted most of the afternoon! I think the body is using all available energy to repair itself as I'm eating as much as I would normally.

My gait is actually correct now when I'm walking with crutches rather than the curious swinging to the outside of the body that I had previously particularly on the injured side. Now both feet move forward in a straight line.

I had the wound dressing removed yesterday so last night was a little bit delicate as I kept catching the scar on the bed clothes. The scabs will soon go though. I've another two weeks of anti-thrombosis injections to go, I've actually got used to self-administering them now.

If the next week or two show the same level of improvement then I'll be very pleased.

Day Fifteen

As is usual with complicated things like the human body, not everything improves at the same rate. So while I'm definitely moving around a lot easier I still have to lie on my back to sleep (or rather moan about not sleeping). It's a pain to wake up every morning around 3am and not be able to get back to sleep.

Of course I get round this by having naps through the day - they aren't planned, I suddenly start feeling very tired so I hobble up to bed and by the time I've lain down I'm both shivering for some reason and nearly asleep. Yesterday my power nap lasted about 90 minutes. I'm probably getting my usual amount of sleep, just not in one block.

One odd thing that I think is due to not being able to turn around in bed is that it feels like my ITB has flared up again. It can hardly be over-training! It must be due either to the constant position when I'm sleeping or possibly the knee realigning itself back to normal when I'm moving around.

I had the wound dressing changed yesterday and this was the first time I'd had chance to look at it, it's certainly a long scar, possibly 25cm or so. Currently it looks all a bit crooked as the flesh underneath is still settling down. The nurse did offer to leave it open as it looked OK but I thought it best to cover it up again to provide a bit of protection.

Still, I suppose it's early days yet, it's another month before I go back to see the surgeon and another six weeks after that before the restrictions about bending, sitting, etc. are relaxed. I'll just have to be patient.

Ten Days Gone

Well, nearly. Things are getting a lot easier though the bruising and scar tissue do give occasional twinges. Getting in and out of bed is a lot less painful and I switched to using just one crutch on Friday but if I go outside for a walk round the yard then I'll still use two. I'm also able to shuffle round for a step or two without crutches but I do need  to have something to hand just in case.

The biggest problem I'm having is sleeping - I'm just not used to sleeping on my back. The other night I awoke to find myself halfway through turning on to my (good) side, I suspect the pain from the wound woke me, it took a moment or two to ease myself back. The following day things were a little more sore than usual. The solution is to put a pillow between your legs. In itself it doesn't offer much resistance but it drags against the duvet so is quite effective. Until that is last night when, half-asleep, I found myself almost on my side. Another gentle easing back down. I don't feel as sore this morning so hopefully that means I haven't done any damage.

The current concern is that I'm coming to the end of the course of painkillers that I've been given: paracetamol and codeine four times a day. I've been dropping the frequency of codeine down over the past couple of days so that when I do finish it won't be such a shock.

If the next ten days show the same improvement then things are definitely going in the right direction.