19 weeks today!

Its 19 weeks today since I have had my external-fixation! 

Even though some of the days have dragged  I still cant believe how quick the time has gone since the accident in March.  Looking back I can really see a difference in my self & the achievements I have made even if they are only small. 

This morning as I was making my self a brew, I thought back to when I first came home from hospital & how little independence I had. It made me think of all the achievements I have made since the surgery, how far I have come  & what I have left to achieve. 

The smallest things matter & it sometimes takes a situation like this for you to realise that. I have always tried not to take things for granted but you really do have a wake up call when something like this happens to you as every day tasks become out of reach.  I'm sure those of you who have experienced a similar situation can relate to this. 

As I had my accident in Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands I received my treatment & care at the local hospital there. Once I had arrived to A&E I was expecting they would put my leg in plaster & tell me everything was going to be just fine & I would contact my parents to let them know what had happened but not to worry as I was okay.  HOWEVER that did not happen & I was informed I needed emergency surgery at which point I knew I needed to contact my parents. My parents live in County Durham in the North East so it wasn't just a simple run down to your nearest A&E, plus it was at the time we had that terrible snow!  As I was in so much pain I asked my good friend Nick to contact my mam & let her know what had happened & that I was fine, not telling them I needed surgery as I knew how much they would worry! 

My parents stayed with me while I was in hospital & spent the nights in my student house! I bet that was an experience for them! When I was discharged after a week in hospital I was so happy to be going home at last but very nervous & anxious about the drive home. As we had a long drive ahead of us & I needed to keep my leg elevated my parents bought lots  of pillows, a duvet & new sheets to pad out the back of the car so I would be able to keep my leg elevated for the journey & have some comfort.  Luckily I managed to sleep most of the way home & had dosed up on analgesics before hand. 

Once we had arrived back home I needed to get from the car to the couch, which again doesn't sound much at all but was a huge challenge for me. Getting out of the car was so painful & then I walked with my zimmer frame to the front door. Once I had reached the front door I next had to concur the step that lay in front of me. This again was a difficult, painful & exhausting challenge but with the help of my family I was able to get inside the house. Once I had made it to the couch I was feeling exhausted, nauseous, dizzy & was very tearful with the pain. Not long after I was vomiting & crying in pain.   

At first the most basic daily tasks were so difficult. I remember the first week back at home I couldn't move from the downstairs living room couch. Needing to use the toilet must have been the worst for me & my family, as we had not yet had a commode delivered to our home & with the only other toilet in the house being upstairs it was simply impossible for me to use. My mam had the idea of buying a toddlers potty to use like a bed pan as they were in hospital.  Just maneuvering to use the potty / bed pan was so painful & had me in tears. Its not the most dignified or nice experience on both sides but it did the job.  Looking back at this to where I am now really does show how much I have improved & got back to a normal standard of daily life.  I now have a commode downstairs but I am now using the toilet upstairs! Great achievement there!!!  :)

My newest goal is to get moving on my leg! So I have joined the local gym & I am going there everyday even if it is just for 30 minutes. Mostly I walk on the treadmill to put as much weight through my leg as I can & to walk with normal posture as best I can, I usually use this for 30 - 45 minutes. I also use the cross trainer as this is a different movement for my foot, ankle & leg but I find this very painful so I usually only spend 5 - 10 minutes on this one. I sometimes use the machine weights for my arms but obviously I cannot use any for my legs at the moment & use the 'wobble boards' for core balance and again foot, ankle & leg movements. 

Above is a picture I took before the gym. I can now manage to get my gym trainers on as they are lace up & are not to tight around my foot :') I still cant get my new vans on at the moment which is disappointing but that will be another achievement for another time. 

As well as these achievements another one I think worth mentioning is that now my pain has eased & I am much more mobile I can enjoy relaxing in the garden when its sunny! :')

I think its important to have goals & also things to look forward to. I plan on getting a new tattoo when my ex-fix comes off so this is something I am very much looking forward to! 

Its a long journey but its an adventure on the way & its something that will make you a better person in the end  ♡