As I expected, Joe’s taken a few steps backwards
psychologically. Rather than focus on the fact that it’s only going to be a
matter of a week or so and the scar wounds will cease to hurt and be virtually
healed, he’s pre-occupied with the idea, that now the pins have been removed
his leg is so weak again he can no longer walk and today he was off to his
Great Nans with a crutch. At the moment even with us cajoling him, he wont put
any significant weight through his leg. In the short term I’m not overly concerned,
as in the days since the op he’s been gradually bending his knee more and more
and therefore increasing his mobility. He went through a stage because of the
rigid knee where he though his leg was twisted, but with the increased mobility
with his knee this fear has diminished. The only reason he’s not moving the
knee joint is that the ‘Entry’ wounds are still fresh and tender so any
movement in that area means the stitches are strained, so that’s
understandable, but we can’t let him develop a psychological concept where he
convinces himself that without the pins his leg is weak and next to useless.
Thankfully the physio appointment is pretty soon and those girls don’t muck
about and they’ll have him in tears initially, but they’ll get him back on track
and doing physio.
There’s obviously some cause for caution though and that’s
the reason I’m not pushing him too far because I have no medical concept of
where the injury is at, but they have clearly stated that he cannot do any
contact sports, and he can’t run around, kick balls or do anything active in the short term. I don’t know if
that’s on the basis of something they have observed looking at his Xrays on an
individual basis, or whether that’s just common sense precautions applied to
anyone in this situation and a way of easing him slowly to the stage where the
full recovery and sports can resume, which at the moment sound like mid to late
Feb (6 weeks from Op day).
I’m going to have to contact his PE teachers at school and
make sure they know the situation and don’t go putting him in goal again!
The next day
Joe had a good day when I made the entry above, spent most
of the day on his feet and bending his knee, helped by the fact that the
bandage has come off now and enabling him to bend his knee more. This morning
he was sitting watching the tele with his knee bent at 90 degrees, so, good
progress. He’s still walking around as though he’s still fearful of his leg
breaking – limping, but Michelle said that during the day he was being told to
put more weight through his leg by everyone and she says that he has been
albeit slowly. I reckon in time it’ll come good and needless to say when the
Physio’s get hold of him they’ll push him a lot further.
