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Leg update - ever more irregular ;)
Nov. 12th, 2023 02:32 pmThe last three weeks have been interestingly busy.
Had a work meal out (the Italian round the corner from the old office). Colleague S was most annoyed that they seem to have been bought out by English people. Food still good, but inflation has definitely happened.
I caused much horror with my walk, which I admit was a little Frankenstein's Monster's initial attempts, and as becomes a pattern, no one believed me when I said it didn't hurt. Slow speed of movement was noted, and fitted into London plans.
Almost a week after, I had my follow-up physio appointment. Physio happy with progress (because I think the work meal walking had helped iron out the kinks in my nervous system going 'walking, what is this nonsense?!'), so happy that she's scheduled my next one for the day after my next orthopaedics appointment. Cross fingers on the 16th of November, please.
She was also horrified/amused by how I was doing one of my exercises and showed me a different way to do it, that involved less wriggling.
I did tell her about the London trip, and she also didn't say no, although she was worried about the stairs (because I still don't have 'all weight on bad leg permission' but the only way I can do stairs is all weight on bad leg at certain points).
London trip was interesting.
Passenger Assist is both better than people have warned me it will be and expleteing useless at times. I made sure to ask for ramps to get on and off, because stairs are the only things I can't do. Of the 8 times I needed a ramp on the there and back, ramps were provided 6 times. So there was more pain than necessary. I also liked that according to station [name redacted], other station had called them ahead and said I didn't need a ramp. Now I love the staff of station [name redacted], but I am also used to them, so if there's been a miscommunication, I have strong suspicions where it occurred.
However, Passenger Assist did mean I got to go under Euston and see whole new parts of Euston train station. (L also liked that my ride both times had Pride livery).
Train journeys went okay despite one train being cancelled. Lovely train guard directed me to the "special assistance seats outside the guard's office". So I sat, much to the annoyance of the man who wanted that seat for his wife. Shame that the people who need assistance get first claim of those seats.
Lovely lady on the kitchen also gave me a free tea, which I shan't specifically mention when I email Avanti saying how lovely the train crew were.
Got to London, the Cafe Nero at Euston has moved so had to find that. L then had to do overtime at work so I waited as late as I could but then had to hobble to the taxi stand. In one of those lucky coincidences, the lady behind me had had a broken hip and was up and about again. As they are more serious than my break and she is older than me, I am taking it as a sign that these things can be overcome.
Got to the hotel. The set up for telling them I needed the fancy limited mobility lift was tricky (and I may have shouted), but the lift itself was awesome. They took one look at me and upgraded me to the fully disabled room. I had emailed them to say I was on crutches but apparently no-one communicates anywhere.
The room was most excellent and I was able to have two showers in 3 days. Which since I can't have showers at home is a big thing!!! (It did feature me having to dry myself then hop out of the bathroom with moonboot, walking boot, rucksack and nothing else on but clean at least).
It's the Assembly Covent Garden (https://www.assemblyhotels.com/) if you're wanting a central London hotel that's not extortionate, comfortable and excellently located.
The Wyndham is a lovely theatre. The front door staff took one look at me and were like "are you sure you're safe to be out." I explained that I had emailed and was told it would be okay, but again, no one had communicated this so they snuck me in the side entrance.
Lear was good, even if they did cut too much of Regan and Goneril. The people who didn't like the stick fighting are wrong.
The original intention was to spend Saturday in the National Gallery (which hires out wheelchairs if you need them) but the weather intervened (also, it was a bit busy - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/04/thousands-demonstrate-in-trafalgar-square-for-gaza-ceasefire), so we hung out in a local pub instead.
Which turns out to be featured in "Murder Must Advertise".
Downside of London, so many places have steps. This did lead to breakfast at Five Guys, who now do pistachio milkshakes, so you know, silver linings.
If you need taxis in London for a set time, rather than grabbing a Hackney carriage (which are hell on Earth to get into/out of on crutches), may I recommend Addison Lee (https://www.addisonlee.com/).
Sunday we went to the Wellcome Collection, which is one of my favourite museums in London. Got to see the "Cult of Beauty" exhibition (https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA) which I recommend if you're down there.
Walked along the whole exhibition without side effects so I'm taking that as a good sign.
By the time I got back on Sunday night the leg had swelled up somewhat, and gone entirely rhomboid in the ankle, but it calmed down within a couple of days, so I'm presuming it was just over-doing it.
Work still don't have an evac chair, and more and more people are annoyed on my behalf and support my plans to keep raising it. It meant that I had a 6 hour meeting online so my brain was mush.
I'd also managed to double book myself that evening, with a works do and a fencing AGM. With some fancy footwork (and some forgiveness on the part of work colleagues) I managed to do both. Boss and Marketing Me Equivalent were both slightly freaked by the crutch walk, but remaining colleagues agreed when I said it was much improved from the two weeks previous.
I mean, I'm not going to, but the fact that I know I could walk home from the hospital or the physio (same hospital, different building) does make me feel a lot better.
Had a work meal out (the Italian round the corner from the old office). Colleague S was most annoyed that they seem to have been bought out by English people. Food still good, but inflation has definitely happened.
I caused much horror with my walk, which I admit was a little Frankenstein's Monster's initial attempts, and as becomes a pattern, no one believed me when I said it didn't hurt. Slow speed of movement was noted, and fitted into London plans.
Almost a week after, I had my follow-up physio appointment. Physio happy with progress (because I think the work meal walking had helped iron out the kinks in my nervous system going 'walking, what is this nonsense?!'), so happy that she's scheduled my next one for the day after my next orthopaedics appointment. Cross fingers on the 16th of November, please.
She was also horrified/amused by how I was doing one of my exercises and showed me a different way to do it, that involved less wriggling.
I did tell her about the London trip, and she also didn't say no, although she was worried about the stairs (because I still don't have 'all weight on bad leg permission' but the only way I can do stairs is all weight on bad leg at certain points).
London trip was interesting.
Passenger Assist is both better than people have warned me it will be and expleteing useless at times. I made sure to ask for ramps to get on and off, because stairs are the only things I can't do. Of the 8 times I needed a ramp on the there and back, ramps were provided 6 times. So there was more pain than necessary. I also liked that according to station [name redacted], other station had called them ahead and said I didn't need a ramp. Now I love the staff of station [name redacted], but I am also used to them, so if there's been a miscommunication, I have strong suspicions where it occurred.
However, Passenger Assist did mean I got to go under Euston and see whole new parts of Euston train station. (L also liked that my ride both times had Pride livery).
Train journeys went okay despite one train being cancelled. Lovely train guard directed me to the "special assistance seats outside the guard's office". So I sat, much to the annoyance of the man who wanted that seat for his wife. Shame that the people who need assistance get first claim of those seats.
Lovely lady on the kitchen also gave me a free tea, which I shan't specifically mention when I email Avanti saying how lovely the train crew were.
Got to London, the Cafe Nero at Euston has moved so had to find that. L then had to do overtime at work so I waited as late as I could but then had to hobble to the taxi stand. In one of those lucky coincidences, the lady behind me had had a broken hip and was up and about again. As they are more serious than my break and she is older than me, I am taking it as a sign that these things can be overcome.
Got to the hotel. The set up for telling them I needed the fancy limited mobility lift was tricky (and I may have shouted), but the lift itself was awesome. They took one look at me and upgraded me to the fully disabled room. I had emailed them to say I was on crutches but apparently no-one communicates anywhere.
The room was most excellent and I was able to have two showers in 3 days. Which since I can't have showers at home is a big thing!!! (It did feature me having to dry myself then hop out of the bathroom with moonboot, walking boot, rucksack and nothing else on but clean at least).
It's the Assembly Covent Garden (https://www.assemblyhotels.com/) if you're wanting a central London hotel that's not extortionate, comfortable and excellently located.
The Wyndham is a lovely theatre. The front door staff took one look at me and were like "are you sure you're safe to be out." I explained that I had emailed and was told it would be okay, but again, no one had communicated this so they snuck me in the side entrance.
Lear was good, even if they did cut too much of Regan and Goneril. The people who didn't like the stick fighting are wrong.
The original intention was to spend Saturday in the National Gallery (which hires out wheelchairs if you need them) but the weather intervened (also, it was a bit busy - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/04/thousands-demonstrate-in-trafalgar-square-for-gaza-ceasefire), so we hung out in a local pub instead.
Which turns out to be featured in "Murder Must Advertise".
Downside of London, so many places have steps. This did lead to breakfast at Five Guys, who now do pistachio milkshakes, so you know, silver linings.
If you need taxis in London for a set time, rather than grabbing a Hackney carriage (which are hell on Earth to get into/out of on crutches), may I recommend Addison Lee (https://www.addisonlee.com/).
Sunday we went to the Wellcome Collection, which is one of my favourite museums in London. Got to see the "Cult of Beauty" exhibition (https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA) which I recommend if you're down there.
Walked along the whole exhibition without side effects so I'm taking that as a good sign.
By the time I got back on Sunday night the leg had swelled up somewhat, and gone entirely rhomboid in the ankle, but it calmed down within a couple of days, so I'm presuming it was just over-doing it.
Work still don't have an evac chair, and more and more people are annoyed on my behalf and support my plans to keep raising it. It meant that I had a 6 hour meeting online so my brain was mush.
I'd also managed to double book myself that evening, with a works do and a fencing AGM. With some fancy footwork (and some forgiveness on the part of work colleagues) I managed to do both. Boss and Marketing Me Equivalent were both slightly freaked by the crutch walk, but remaining colleagues agreed when I said it was much improved from the two weeks previous.
I mean, I'm not going to, but the fact that I know I could walk home from the hospital or the physio (same hospital, different building) does make me feel a lot better.
