6 Week Check Up

Yesterday was my 6 week check up with the hospital. The X Ray showed good results and I was told the fracture has healed well.

X Ray showing my healed fracture and the hardware used to fix it
(6 weeks, 2 days after surgery)

Now all that remains is to get my knee bending again and to build up the quad muscles enough for me to walk again. The doctor proposed to remove the splint and progress me to a short hinge brace. However, the nursing staff would not fit this and instead tried to squeeze my knee into a sort of sleeve support that was a size too small, they didn't have a larger one in the size I needed. When it was realised that this wouldn't fit my swollen knee, it was announced that I would have to make do with a tubey grip bandage instead. I objected to this, as my PT had said the day before that my quads weren't strong enough for me to walk without something to support me yet.

So the doctor was sent for again and he eventually agreed that I could keep the splint to get around with for now, on condition that I remove it and try to do as much as I can without it once I was home. I have to say it wasn't a pleasant experience, and the nurse would really benefit from improving her bedside manners in future! I am not due to see my physio again until next week, so in the meantime I will just do what I can with getting used to not wearing the splint and building my confidence enough to stand and possibly try walking without it.

On the plus side though, although the stiffness in my knee was causing me some discomfort, there was no actual pain when the various inspections and procedures were carried out. This has given me a bit more confidence to try to do more with it and its encouraging to know that 6 weeks of doing nothing has helped to heal the break .... even if it HAS made my muscles disappear and my joint stiffen up big time! Can't have it all ways I guess, so back to the exercises for now ......