I sent my doctor an email asking if Ibuprofen was still forbidden.
Osteopaths seem divided regarding the effect that Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory-Drugs have on bone healing. Some research finds no impact. Other research suggests that it inhibits bones growing back together.
My doctor leans toward the conservative. If it might slow healing, use something else like Tylenol. Inflammation is not necessarily a bad thing. Inflammation is a sign that an injury is calling for more blood flow and more of the body's resources. Why would you want to stop that as long as the swelling was modest and the pain controlled?
Then my doctor gently suggested that the picture in their head regarding my activity level was to restrict myself to the necessities of "activities of daily life".
- Dress myself.
- Feed myself.
- Toilet myself.
- Park myself in bed at night.
A bitter, bitter pill to swallow. I am currently scratching around trying to find some exercises that do not involve my lower, left leg because I will go nuts if I am not doing something. Maybe there is some way to fiddle with a rowing machine so the left leg just goes along for the ride. I don't know. Suggestions will be appreciated.
I did go for a walk this morning. It was before the doctor phoned me and told me to cool my jets. I went twice as far as last week and I went 30% faster. My leg hurt less at the end of the walk than it did at the beginning.
A curious thing about my walking cast, which is more of a boot with velcro and air bladders than it is a cast, is that my toes hang off the front of the sole and cannot touch the ground. I was baffled that I needed to hang on to the walker for balance until I realized the obvious. Our toes, especially the big-toe, are important for balance.
My next doctor's appointment is near the end of June.
The doc would love the photos of the 'tool rack' walker.
ReplyDeleteMy vote is "What happens on the blog, stays on the blog..."
DeleteHow come you're not reloading for the zombie apocalypse?
ReplyDeleteAll the brass is in the basement.
DeleteI might suggest a jump rope.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend being careful and taking it easy. I have injured arms, shoulders, hands and legs and then damaged the other side by overloading it trying to get things done. A lot of torn tendons and ligaments that always hurt and to repair would just make things worse. Be patient and careful and enjoy an easy summer. --ken
ReplyDeleteEnjoy it, and consider it a blessing. My father is 84 and capable and able to recover from his hip surgery, but prefers to let the home health aids do everything but chew and wipe his ass.
ReplyDeletePhysically he is capable and able, mentally is another matter.
Barbells (sp?) do a good job for me. Mine are 10 lb each but you do you.
ReplyDeleteI can stay seated on edge of couch or chair and do various repetitive exercises that give me a good workout. The rotary motion of 'punching bag', one direction for count of 20, then immediately reversing for same count gives my shoulders a warm fuzzy feeling. Overhead lifting, punching out from sides and across the body too. And when I hike, I carry one, simulating the weight (but not balance) of a rifle. Switch arms from time to time.
To me, a workout is basically lifting a weight and carrying it a bit before setting down and repeating.
I hope you feel better soon and heal faster as well. I do agree with others - over doing too much is not worth the additional time.
I’ve had both knees and a hip replaced. When my first knee was wrecked and in a cast for nearly three months, a friend with a degree in sports medicine suggested I regularly exercise my uninjured leg. I laughed, pointing out that when my cast was finally cut off I would have one heavily muscled leg, and one atrophied leg. She disagreed, saying that sympathetic response would help the leg in the cast. When I went in to have the cast removed, the techs commented on the muscle tone of my uninjured leg, and measured it to compare the degree of atrophy of the injured leg.
ReplyDeleteThey were astonished that there was less than 1/4” difference.
Along those lines.
Deletehttps://youtu.be/Uw1hL6FEVUw
These two are medical doctors who are also power lifters.
That is fascinating. Thanks for the info about sympathetic response.
DeleteI'm a little like Mr. Snodgrass now. Your words and my experience aren't lining up. On the last trip to Yoakum, TX to work on our equipment at a leather goods manufacturer, I met a guy at the saddle shop. He was a team roper, headin' and heelin'. I asked if still had all his digits. He told me everything but his thumb. I just shook that hand and didn't notice. Seems he got it caught in the dally, and the pain caused him to pull away and 'pop'. The surgeon told him he could use his big toe as a replacement. Doc said it didn't really do much and most of our balance is on the little toe. A few days later, he went out to the mail box barefooted and noticed the doc was correct, went back in a scheduled the surgery. IIRC that was his story.
ReplyDeleteI asked if his thumb ever smelled like a foot does, and he just shook his head at me. I was impressed with his dexterity and the skill of the surgeon.
If you want to stay active but give your lower leg a break consider one of those fancy knee scooters....they keep the weight off the lower leg yet allow mobility.
ReplyDelete