 Poster: A snowHead
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genepi, very well done!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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genepi, sounds like great progress; keep it up. 
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genepi, Idris, as you progress with the rehab you may find a sports massage or two helpful along the way. They really helped me but OMG they were so painful.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I saw a physio yesterday and got some massage (yes, painful...) and exercises to help my left knee - nothing drastic like you ACL people, but general ligament laxity after an accident in Cairngorm long ago exacerbated by a bad bout of swelling in January which lingered on a long time. The usual thing - yes, got to strengthen that VMO which has gone to sleep a bit with the swelling. And lots of other bits and pieces could do with a bit of attention too, though nothing too terrible. The VMO in that knee does work, but is pathetic - really hardly there. In googling round a bit I found this photo - not that I aspire to legs like that, but just to be able to see the damn muscle would be good!
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pam w, good luck with it. My right VMO ..while not so pronounced as in your pic. .is now massive. I have a leg like a footballer. Crocked leg is still not with the programme.
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holidayloverxx, have you used one of the electronic twitch machine things? The physio mentioned that - he said he'd lent it to a patient but would try to get it back so I could try it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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pam w, yes I did for a couple of months, twice a day at almost the highesxt setting - at first I thought it did some good, but looking back it didn;t really (which is what most people said would be the case). I think Batman123 thought it had some effect
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The impression I got from my physio (I think - it was 2 years ago now) was that the electric thingy was a useful tool to keep the muscle stimulated and help slow down atrophy a bit when I wasn't allowed to do much pre-op (so I didn't risk damaging the meniscus by exercising with an unstable knee) but wasn't considered to be effective once I was able to do even basic exercises post-op.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My physio suggested that I use one of electro machines as an aid to building muscle, this being 12 months after the op. He reported seeing good results in Pro Footballers trying to get back to full fitness. I was tempted but in the end didn't bother chasing down a machine.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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holidayloverxx, is your good leg now quite a different circumference to the bad one?
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, they are now closer in size but that's improvement in the rest of the quads in the bad leg not the VMO. There is a noticeable difference
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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holidayloverxx, is the VMO in the bad leg just weaker, and still smaller, or is it just not responding at all? I can imagine it's very difficult - mine was only inhibited for a short while, because of the extent of the swelling, but it doesn't take long, does it?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Not responding very much at all. The whole thing disappeared. It's concave!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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miranda, I wonder if it was just the closeness to the op. I must admit to being a little surprised when he suggested it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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AndAnotherThing.., possibly it was just that (though it wouldn't be surprising if it's also a French/UK difference)… also, you no doubt had much more muscle mass then me to start off with, so perhaps that partly explains the different protocol too (no one was ever going to suggest I should be looking at what pro athletes were doing)!
holidayloverxx, mine was described as 'fondu' by my physio, and it really did melt into nothing; I know you probably had yours immobilised for longer but it really does come back eventually!
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who'd have thought we'd all been looking anxiously for some sign of a muscle we'd never heard of until recently. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Day 9 post op today. Yesterday was a really good day - little pain & more mobility. Today looks like being the same  I've realised that if I take half a minute when I stand up to make sure my knee is in a good position, I can do more on it. As soon as it gets out of sync, it starts to hurt, so I have to surrender, put it up & ice it. Then a series of my exercises, & half an hour later it's good to go again. I can't believe how slow I am though, because my knee & lower leg really don't feel as thought they belong to me yet. I'm sure this is normal - as OH pointed out, it took ages for it to feel like my leg after the initial injury, & it is still early days.
How are you getting on Idris?
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genepi, I am better now - had a few tough days with the swelling migrating south du to me not elevating my leg enough ;(
Now my leg looks bruised rather than swollen (knee is still swollen of course), leg is yellow brown where it was swollen with purple at some edges.
I like you have parts of my leg that feel strange/alien, with me its mainly my shin and ankle feels weird when I touch them
I also had poor circulation (cold) in my foot for a few days, quite scary as I don't suffer from cold feet on the mountain.
Due to the few days of not really moving, just concentrating on keeping my leg elevated and on ice I am stiffer than initial post op.
So happy to be mobile, without having an hour of pain for 5 min of being upright - trying to get some stretching/mobility today, but gently, gently.
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This is just such a brilliant thread for all you who have had problems and/or the op - and really interesting how each person's leg and treatment have been different.
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Idris, Yep, the shin/ankle thing is weird, isn't it? Occasionally I get a pain like shin splints at the lower shin - but it is happening less often the last couple of days. My bruising is not as bad as I was expecting it to be - slightly yellow shin & a bruise stripe at the back of my knee, heading south. I was advised not to ice for more than 20mins every hour - how much are you icing? I wonder if too much icing was why you had poor circulation in your foot? Try my trick of spending time when you stand up, getting in a good position - so stand up & stretch your leg out as much as possible, & stand tall - surprisingly it hurts much less when it is in a better position. Gently gently, indeed - frustrating, isn't it? Are you still taking painkillers? I'm taking a diclofenic (anti-inflam) twice a day & 1G of paracetamol 2-3 times a day, but find really that ice/rest/exercise works better. I get up in the night for a little walk if it feels uncomfortable & that seems to settle it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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genepi, Idris, Glad you are both feeling better. It could be that the shin feeling odd is a result of nerve damage during the op. Mine still feels slightly numb\tingly 2years post op although it has improved over time and hasn't caused any practical problems. Its quite common apparently.
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Its quite common apparently
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Yes, very. I had an area of numbness near an abdominal scar - went on for years. I try never to think about my stomach, these days.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Two steps forward - one step back! It had been doing so well over the weekend, but I woke in the night to find myself curled up tightly in a ball - I'm sure my physio would have been impressed at the knee flex  . However, I had to get up & go for a wander to sort out the soreness & to be able to straighten it again, & it is definitely more sore this morning. Heyho - looks like a quiet day today..
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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genepi, ouchie! After I ditched the brace I was most fearful of getting my leg caught up in the sheet and twisting my knee. It never happened but I must have gad a subconscious fear as I woke up every time I wanted to turn over...and I'm still doing it. Rubbish sleep pattern. ..an unexpected side effect!.
Still at least you know you can get good range 
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You know it makes sense.
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genepi, the Ice Band that I mentioned much earlier in the thread might help prevent you from doing that - I wore mine at night for ages as it kept the knee cool but was comfy. It's just a fabric wrap with gel ice packs you can slip into it and I think the pack would prevent you curling up your knee too much in your sleep, without having your leg locked in a rigid knee brace. It's also pretty cheap compared to things like a cryo cuff. Not as cheap a a bag of frozen peas, but much more convenient as you can wear it in bed at night, whilst walking around, making a cup of tea etc. and it's not wet or too cold.
http://www.vivomed.com/fr/IceBand-Knee-Brace/m-7562.aspx
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I woke up every time I wanted to turn over...and I'm still doing it. Rubbish sleep pattern. ..an unexpected side effect!.
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I had that problem, after I broke my pelvis. Turning over in bed was out of the question for a while, as I couldn't lie on my left side, but any kind of movement required full consciousness and when turning over became (thankfully) possible it took a lot of care. I think it has affected my subsequent sleep pattern too - I wake up many times a night, though often not for long. Though I think that's partly advancing age, rather than any definite link to injury.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've taken my dressings off & removed my steri-strips this morning. Very happy with how it is looking - 2 of the wounds are barely visible & the others will vanish quickly too I suspect. The physio is pleased with me too - I did 5mins on the exercise bike yesterday with him increasing the resistance a bit as it was looking too easy (to him!), then climbed & descended stairs normally. Happy with that. The knee is still swelling quite a bit though, but responds to elevation & icing. How long does it continue to swell for, does anyone know?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Frosty the Snowman,  Poor girl! Sending healing vibes to her.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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genepi, that is sounding good! There's no way I was descending stairs normally this quickly after the op - it took me ages to be able to do that! The swelling goes on for a quite a while I think - well, for me at least, it took quite a long time to go away all together but it does get gradually better so you don't have to ice/elevate it so much. Not surprised you're feeling happy with your progress so far 
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Well done, genepi. What a very tragic story, Frosty the Snowman. One moment's stupidity - sounds like she's going to be out of action for ages. But youth is on her side.
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miranda, When I say 'normally', I mean the usual taking turns with leg - it's a pretty slow business!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Frosty the Snowman, Jeez - that is absolutely horrendous! Poor girl 
genepi, climbing stairs reciprocally! Well done!
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holidayloverxx,  I should have known there'd be a term for it!
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