Back to normal?

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, I have been really busy with university work, getting back to normal & raising money for the Diabetes UK Big Collection Weekend next month. This has all been a challenge with my leg situation! Even though it is now eight weeks since I had my ex-fix removed it is still a long haul until I am fully back to normal.

The professor told me at my last appointment that the tibia usually carries 60% of the body weight however as I have recently had fractures and the ex-fix removed mine is currently only 15% and is at risk of re-fracturing if I was to fall over. I was also informed not to carry any weight or to continue with the use of the treadmill at the gym. This was because of the risk of re-fracturing or damaging the bones. I have been told my leg should be back to normal by December this year, so fingers crossed!

I moved back to Stoke on Friday and have started back at university today! I can honestly say I do not know where the time has gone since breaking my leg! Although it has been a long and painful process it has still flown over! So if you have an ex-fix, I can say there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I am still using crutches now and then, mostly when I am out and about for balance. I am no longer using them around the house or shall I say flat now that I am moved into my new home! I am really looking forward to getting my life back on track now that I am getting my confidence back. I have my occupational health appointment tomorrow and after that I should hopefully be able to get back to my university hospital ward placement! 

Another little treat is being able to wear my jeans again! It is definitely the small things we take for granted! 

Is that the finish line I see?

Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since the removal of my ex-fix and I have my appointment (hopefully my final appointment!) for x-ray and review. I am now pottering about the house without my crutches and getting about much more freely. I hope with the news from tomorrows appointment I will be able to start going to the gym again. 

So is that the finish line I can see ahead!?

I bloody well hope so! It is about time isn't it? In total its been a grueling 23 weeks since my accident & boy has it felt long. I should be starting back at university late September so fingers crossed I will be walking like my normal self by then :')

Its been a long journey but all the hard work will be worth it in the end!

What are your thoughts?

A mountain climbed

So today I conquered another challenge...The stairs. I have finally walked to the top of the stairs, without falling down, without bashing into the banister rail and without hitting myself off the wall. It wasn't the most normal stair climb but I did do it and I did make it to the top in one piece! 

Okay so I haven't fully mastered the stairs as I still have to sit on my bum like a child to come down them, but I'm sure I will be walking up and down the stairs normally again soon. 

So being able to walk upstairs whenever I want, opens so many doors that were closed! 

One of the most simple and basic human rights, using the toilet in the bathroom! Well I can tell you all now that from now on this is what will be happening! No more commode thank you very much! I have never enjoyed sitting on the toilet in my bathroom ever so much in my life. A simple luxury. 

Another luxury is being able to have a proper bath with both legs in the water, as you will know from my previous posts. With the ability to walk upstairs I can have a bath whenever I want and with the strengthening of my leg getting in and out of the bath is near to normal now. 

Simply having the choice weather or not to go upstairs when I want is such a lovely feeling. 

What do you think?

Shoes

Hello everyone! 

Sorry its been a while since my last post, I am becoming more and more busy since having my ex-fix removed. Today's post is all about shoes, One of my favourite things! During my time with an ex-fix I found it very difficult to get comfortable shoes that would fit both feet. My foot of my broken leg would often swell making wearing shoes very awkward. 

 I bought myself some 'crocs' although I hated them, they were the only shoes I could get to fit comfortably on my poorly foot. They had plenty of room so if my foot became swollen it wouldn't be restricted like in other shoes. As they where slip on shoes they were also very practical for the type of ex-fix I had in place. As you may know my ex-fix came right down to my ankle which made it even more difficult to wear shoes or socks. The first month or so I could only wear my 'crocs' but as my swelling and pain began to reduce I could manage to wear my gym trainers and converse shoes. 

 I bought myself a new pair of 'Vans' my all time favourite shoesies! Unfortunately as my foot still swells as the blood flow has not yet returned to normal, I haven't been able to wear them :'(

Since breaking my leg after slipping over on a wet dance floor on a night out it has made me never want to wear heels ever again! Even though at the time I wasn't wearing heels, I had my comfy medium high wedges on. I had such a big collection of heels and they were one of my favourite things to spend my money on. These have all now gone in the bin or in charity bags. I have started a new collection of flats which I am sure will increase fast, after all I am a girl and it is a good excuse to buy a new shoes!

I got these 1960s style studded black pumps from Select for only £6.00. 

 I got these lovelies from Debenhams in the sale for only £15.00. I wore these to a ball while I had my ex-fix on, I thought they were going to be comfier than what they were though! 

These ones were from Miss Guided and were also in the sale, £13.99. I bought these quite early on when I had my ex-fix so they wouldn't fit on my poorly foot. 

Tah dah they now fit :')  

Almost three weeks since the removal of my ex-fix I can get them on both feet. 

As you can also see my pin site wounds have completely healed, now I just need to work on that tan!

& Finally I got these from Select again in the sale for only £4.00. 

Hope this was useful. 

What do you think?

Out & About

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been a little while since my last post, I have been really busy! But busy in a good way. :') Which got me thinking back to how restricted to the house I was not too long ago. For those of you with experience of an ex-fix I am sure this will all be familiar to you too.

The first time leaving the house with an ex-fix on is one of the most scary but exciting things I have experienced. To be able to get out of that one room you have been stuck in for so long and to feel the fresh air on your face is one of the best feelings ever. My dad organised a wheelchair with a panel to elevate my leg from the Red Cross, who were extremely helpful & kind. Without this I wouldn't have been able to get out & about as much as I did! That wheelchair has been everywhere!

My favourite place to go while I had to use a wheelchair was the Metro Centre in Gateshead. Probably because I love the place anyway as it is full of shops & nice places to eat out! But it is a really good place for wheelchairs & access is really easy.

Another favourite place of mine is Northumberland's coastal villages & beaches, which isn't ideal when you have an ex-fix! Imagine the sand & those pin sites! Not ideal. However I did still manage to visit these beautiful places while I had my ex-fix, we just had to do things slightly differently.

Here I am at Beadnell Bay harbor, Northumberland. I love the beach here! I would usually be walking my doggy Reggie along the beach but I made the best of the day by enjoying the view from the harbor instead where I wouldn't usually spend as much time.

After a little while we traveled up to the next harbor, Sea Houses. We managed to get a good spot to sit & eat our fish & chips! This was the view in the picture below. 

After a while of having my ex-fix I was able to sit in the front of the car without my foot swelling like it would have done in the beginning when I needed to lie across the back seats so that my leg could be elevated. I started with short journeys then this increased with the progress of my leg.

It's great to get out of the house when you have an ex-fix but things are never as easy as you think. The simple things become the hardest, like needing to use a public toilet. That's sometimes more of a challenge than you may think!

Just over a week ago I had to get a train from Durham to Manchester with changes. I was using a wheelchair for this as I had just had my ex-fix removed and I am currently not allowed to put more than half my body weights worth of weight through my leg. I am therefore using two crutches at all times but I would have been unable to get on and off the trains! 

Here I am in Manchester waiting for the train back home. I found this very amusing! The disabled access service provided by the train companies was exceptional though. 

I traveled to Manchester with my dad as we were attending the Manchester International Tattoo Show, which was brilliant! 

Below is a picture of me in my fancy wheelchair :') with Sallie Axl at the tattoo show, who some of you may know from this years big brother. 

Although days out are great you cant always manage to get out and about so as I become more able whenever the sunshine was out I made sure I enjoyed it by sitting in my back garden. 

Hope this was an interesting read! 

Let me know what you think?

Have you got a favourite place to go to?

Another hurdle

Hello everyone! 

It's been over a week now since I had my ex-fix removed! Another hurdle taken care of. 
I am now able to put that little bit more weight through my leg & each day gets better. My wounds have also healed really well & are looking good, well as good as they can be! I thought I'd include a before & after pic for the fun of it :')

Here I am with my ex-fix at roughly 18 weeks

Here I am now with no ex-fix! Roughly one week after removal.

My sister says my leg reminds her of 'spotted dick' (raisin cake for those of you who wont know what spotted dick is & thinking it maybe something rude ah). I think the tan is probably my favourite look of my leg, 'white squares' I need to even this out! 


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Simple pleasures

 The other day I posted about having my well deserved bath but unfortunately for me my wounds hadn't quite healed enough. So I re-dressed the ones  that hadn't healed  & waited... Luckily for me when I removed the dressings they had healed this time, I could finally have my bath!!! 

Pre bath 

almost there! 

The feeling of the water touching the back of my leg was the strangest feeling! 

My leg felt even lighter when submerged in the water. 

Sometimes the simplest things are the best! 

What do you think?