Not at all Humerus

Today I met Mr Knee, the carefully selected ultra marathon running knee consultant. Of course, it is a classic confirmation bias to have done this, and I got exactly  the answer I hoped/planned for when I asked if I could continue running while waiting for the results of the tests. "Of course, if you can manage it". Result! He examined my knee carefully, tested the painful areas, and then, once we finished talking about running, sent me off for x-rays. Many different views, bent knee / straight knee, weight-bearing, non-weight-bearing, anterior, posterior, side....my knee is positively glowing with radiation now. I am being sent to Poland next week for work, so the MRI will have to wait until Jan 30, when I'm back. And I have a followup appointment with him that Thursday. I checked out the x-rays while she was processing them, and couldn't spot any signs of fracture, and I assume she would have sent me back to him if she'd seen anything like that. His view a...

Final appointment with Mr Shoulder today. I got actual applause. The last time someone clapped when I just moved a limb in an approximately normal fashion was probably when I was baby and learning to walk. Although in some ways I suppose this process has been similar to that - having to re-learn how to move and build up the strength to be able to use my arm properly again. Generally he was thrilled with me, said I looked really well, and that I had done incredibly well. It was really great to hear, and to see him at this stage to close the whole episode off finally. He does not need to see me again. A bit sad in some ways - I guess you build up a dependent relationship on your consultant (if you get a good one, at least), and it's a wrench when they say they don't want to see you again! He tested my ROM - that was the part that generated the applause. Then examined my arms and upper back and said the muscle was mostly back (I think it's more than mostly, actually, as I ...

Back from 2 weeks in South Africa - sun and heat, and relaxing in National Parks, driving around looking at animals. And a little light running, and some swimming. So good news first - not only did I not put on weight, I actually lost a kilo. I also can now swim properly, which is a huge improvement, and I need to find a way to continue with that. I took my bands and did a lot of pilates, and lower body work. And stretching, and shoulder ROM exercises. So that was the good news. The bad is that I had a pretty damaging fall while running at Lemoenfontein and crashed down when my left toe caught on rocks. My left knee took the brunt, then my hands, then fell over sideways onto my right side, damaging my right shin and right hip. I was able to get up and keep running, more cautiously, with bleeding hands. The bruising is quite impressive, and my hands were pretty grazed - had to remove the skin over the top as the grit had got in deep and I had to get the gravel out. They have heale...