Hello all

Rehab

Following my last blog, aftre I had my knee surgery at Ross Hall, February started on crutches with a strict rehabilitation programme set up by Stephen Mutch at Space Physiotherapy.

Being a physio myself, and knowing the enormous journey my knee has in front of it in such a short time, it is very hard holding off training and only doing the knee rehab.  For the first week, I was only allowed to lie on my front and lift my knees up.  I did this religiously and by the second week, I managed to get to the next level of step ups and downs off a power plate machine. 

By the third week I was on the cross trainer but only allowed to go for 15 mins.  It is not possible to get my heart rate above 135 at present due to the load it puts on my knee but I have been trying not to look at the month ahead as it is unsettling knowing the desperately short time scale and what my knee must be able to do. 

So I take each day as it comes, work my hardest and appreciate that every day the knee is a little stronger than the last. 

Scare

In the third week of February, my Dad's doctor called to say his blood results showed that his cancer was not being controlled by his chemo.  This would only lead down one path and obviously we were desperately worried. 

We had to wait for five days before he could have the scan done which would confirm this either way. 

If the news was bad, I would of course have asked my sponsors if I could have postponed the expeditions for a year.  During this time it was very hard to keep my focus and keep training when emotionally you are full of dread.  But I continued the knee rehab exercises whenever and wherever I was. No doubt it always helped a little after I had finished them. I stayed on target. 

But I continued the knee rehab exercises whenever and wherever.  I was and no doubt it always helped a little after I had finished them. I stayed on target. 

Relief

We are a very close family, so were all at the cancer clinic (apart from my brother who works for the red cross in Geneva) to meet the consultant.  To our amazement, the consultant was very surprised at the scan and said that the cancer had not spread further and that the bloods had strangely been a Red Herring...  So everything was back on!

Knees up

It has been a rollercoaster of a month both physically and emotionally.  Dad managed to mow the lawn yesterday for the first time in months and I also managed to get on my bike for the first time. 

I am still on a tight regime for my knee and following every instruction 100%.  It is my total focus.  The muscle is still weaker than the right leg but I am doing everything I possibly can for it. 

My knee consultant Gordon Mackay was very pleased with my progress in such a short time.  Due to a little swelling in it, he injected it with cortisone and told me not to train. 

So I took a day off training and I let myself have a quick glance ahead into March, because in the middle of the month I have to be training in kite-skiing in Norway and Nordic training with a sledge.  It is a mammoth target for my knee to reach, so I will keep thinking about doing as much as I can today...

Heavy work

On the weight side, up until this point, I had managed to put on over a kilo a week, (which is the same weight as my ice axe, so think of it as an ice axe a week) however trying to force food down when you just want to be invisible emotionally is a struggle. 

I am eating as much as I can, but it sounds much easier than it is.  My body is no longer wanting any more and my teeth are sore from all the sugary food.  Unfortunately I also lost weight in that third week despite eating as much as I could, however collectively I have now put on a stone and a half, so only another half a stone to go. 

I am eating a cheesecake every day, build up shakes and so much pasta that I will surely keep Italy out of the recession.   None of my clothes fit me now and I have to wear my stretchy yoga pants all the time!

But… I went swimming in the sea yesterday and it felt so warm – obviously due to all my newly aquired blubber.  I know it will be worth it on the expedition when I am trying to sleep in minus 30 degree temperatures (in just six weeks time!).

I will catch up with you again at the end of March!

Cheers

Fiona