Well, it was a lovely weekend here in Manchester so I did a lot of gardening, so good to get into the fresh sunny air.  Martin decided it was time to cut down a very old knarled apple tree that was no longer producing fruit.

We took it in turn to saw through the trunk and we got to the stage where a rope could be slung round the trunk and pulled down.  We threw the rope round and grabbed one end each, we counted to three and pulled, what happend next was hillarious, I just took off up in the air!!!  What happened there I thought….  We tried again, same thing , flying through the air with the greatest of ease, - Martin is not that strong but we decided it was me, the whimp!!  Picture yourself pulling hard on something and you realise how much you use your legs to push down to gain strength in your arms.

So, my question is, how do I at nearly 60 get some strength back in my legs.  I am not near a swimming pool, I don’t belong to (nor do I want to belong to) a gym, I am unable to ride my bike any more because of a fused disc in my neck.  I have done all the exercises suggested by my physio, I use the pilates ball at home, I walk for as long as I can but still my leg is as flat as a pancake and quite pathetic.  I am quite small and even though I try to use the static bike at home my legs only just reach the pedals so it is difficult to use.

Any ideas would be welcomed.

ps - We managed eventualy to pull it down, or rather Martin did, I continued to saw the trunk as he pulled then it dropped nicely onto the lawn, then we had the chore of sawing it up ready to take to the eco centre.

Decided to go to the Dentist this morning without the aid of a crutch.  Well when I eventually got there I was in a state of uncontrollable giggles.  The Manchester weather was true to form absolutely pouring down, I didn’t take an umbrella in case it upset my balance!! 

It is autumn here now and the leaves are falling onto the pavements, so trying not to look an idiot I was walking very slowly round the puddles making sure I didn’t slip on the leaves, steps got smaller and smaller and felt as if I was going backwards the village appeared to be further and further away, eventually I thought I’m going to be late so what the heck, walk through the puddles, or why not even splash through the puddles, I’m still wearing sandles and socks as shoes and trainers are still a long way off, so there is this mad old woman in sandles skipping (or sort of) through puddles and laughing, I’m just waiting for the men in white coats to come and take me away.

Got to Dentists still giggling to myself and the receptionist says in very loud voice to a packed waiting room - “Wow your crutchless”  (but, sounded more like crotchless) the whole waiting room looked at me up and down and I could tell they weren’t sure what she meant!!  So I laughed out loud again and explained to the waiting room that what she meant was I was not walking using the aid of a CRUTCH…   Smiles all round.

Still smiling went into Dentist and he had to take some impressions and they wouldn’t work as I kept chuckling.  Eventually after 4th attempt all OK.  By this time I have given up trying to explain why I was laughing and left a bemused Dentist and waiting room of people wondering if they should send for someone to take me home.

Decided to call at the cake shop on way back and treat myself.  But, after all that I am very pleased to report progress on the walking front.

Well, I’m 59 today and getting back to the real me.  For those of you who know Ikea, I built a billy bookcase, 6′ high (I’m only 5′1″ ish) carried it from my sons lounge into his boiler room, lifted it over the washing machine, put it in place and screwed it to the wall.  Phew, hard work carrying it but I did it, had to use quite a bit of strength in my leg but I was careful.

Went to the football yesterday, (City actually won 3-0) and the young woman who sits next to my husband had broken her ankle in 2 places and Roy an elderly gent in front of me had been unwell and was using a walking stick, general opinion was if you didn’t have a crutch you couldn’t sit in our section!!!   Quite funny really but I think I won in the injury stakes.

ps UK Nodger, my brother had read the blog and has got the Adrian Chiles’ book so is letting me have a read of it.  His wife is a Baggies fan!!  Just watching the cricket on Sky - Lancs v Sussex, my son has gone down from Manchester  to Hove for the game, expected back at 3 a.m. (or thereabouts) and is due in work at 8 a.m. must be mad.

Valeri Bojinov has had surgery on his Achilles injury and is set to start rehabilitation work almost straight away.

The luckless striker tore his right Achilles tendon in the pre-match warm up at Villa Park on Sunday, just ahead of what should have been his first league start after he battled back from a cruciate knee injury sustained nearly a year ago.

Club doctor Mark Whitaker has confirmed that the Bulgarian has had the required operation, telling mcfc.co.uk: “This was a completely new problem and had no relationship to his knee injury. He had surgery on Monday afternoon – the aim is for repair as soon as possible after the injury. His rehab will initially involve letting the tendon repair and then a gradual strength programme with an anticipated return date in six months.

“Everything went very well at the time of surgery and Valeri is fit and well post-op. He will be back in Carrington next week to start his rehab programme.”

Manager Mark Hughes added: “Valeri knows exactly what kind of work he has in front of him, and if he approaches it in the same way as he did with his last injury, then he will be back soon, I’m sure of that.”

The poor man had only just returned to the first team after being out for 12 months.!!!  

Gives hope to us all, although I don’t  think I will be playing football for City !!!

I don’t believe it 

Valeri Bojinov our wonderful Manchester City forward (saying that with tongue in cheek) he cost us £7 million GB pounds last year, he played 8 minutes of 1st game and was injured and never played again the whole season due to knee ligament problems.

First Premier league game today, he’s injured in the warm up ‘Achilles’ victim, so will miss the whole of this season as well, and we lost 4-2, looks like were going to have a bad year.

I really really hope it isn’t achilles, but that is what the TV are saying.  He re-appeared at half time on crutches with leg in plaster.

So that is every one of Manchester City’s forward players injured ‘ as some would say ‘  ””were doomed”’.

Hello all, as requested by Dennis pictures of my t-shirt.  Went to first home match of the season (Manchester City FC) - don’t ask the score, a very sore point - managed to walk there and back, as you can see it isn’t very far from my sons flat, also pic inside stadium and outside. 

Still took one crutch with me to negotiate the gravel car park, also walked up the circular turrets into the ground.  All went very well, apart from the score.

Annie

Well I have finally achieved one of my goals which was to walk from my house down to the Village and back a walk of about 1.5 miles, I walked quite well on the way down, using just the 1 cruch for security really, strode out quite well, the journey back was harder because although it looks flat it is actually slightly uphill all the way and steps were much shorter.  Normally a walk into the Village would take me less than 10 minutes but today it took 30 minutes.  I will do it in less time on my next trip.

Having got into the Village I had a dental appointment which lasted 75 minutes, this was to continue treatment started in March but because of my achilles problem I put the appointment off.  Anyway, had the preparatory work for two crowns done and second appointment next Monday.

So with the walking and the dental work I feel a bit exhausted but exhilarated at the same time because I walked such a long way so I will spend some time watching the Olympics.  Saw some badminton yesterday, it was fantastic, I played Badders for 20 years but not that well, just liked the game.  Andy Murry played Tennis today and lost but we did get an unexpected Gold and Bronze in the ladies swimming. 

Well after relying on people to take me around and about for the last few months, I have done it  -  I have actually been out on my own.

Well almost……. -  My husband drove me into Manchester and dropped me off, I then proceeded to walk over our newly cobbled streets (looks nice but awful to walk on very slippy and uneven).  I only had one crutch with me as it was pouring down with rain so I needed other hand free for the umbrella.  

I negotiated the cracks in the pavements, the slippy cobbled sets, crossed over several roads reaching the pedestrionised area in St Ann’s Square where my hairdressers was.  I was relieved to get inside and take a deep breath.

I did think I might ring Martin to come and pick me up but I thought no… I’ve made it this far I can go and get the bus, I managed to walk past Marks & Spencers without calling in for a cake … and carried on to the bus stop.  I could see the bus coming down the road and I thought, please stop at the traffic lights, which it did, and that allowed me just enough time to walk briskly to the stop and get the bus.

So, now I’ve been let loose there will be no stopping me now.  Look out Manchester here I come…

I feel as if I have been set free.

Annie

Just read this article about Curtis Davies who sustained his achilles injury in March, wasn’t expected to return to football until October, but played yesterday in a friendly, last time I saw him being interviewed he was wearing the boot and talking about getting back into the first team by Christmas, well done I say to you Curtis….

“Aston Villa’s defensive concerns will have eased somewhat with the news that Curtis Davies has come through a friendly game to make his return from a serious injury.

The former West Brom defender, who was called up for England by Fabio Capello last season, played 60 minutes of a behind closed doors fixture against Notts County at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground.

His appearance marks a significant milestone in his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon sustained in March, and comes as something of a surprise given he was expected to be absent until October with the problem.

“I feel great,” Davies told the club’s official website. “It was a good game to get 60 minutes in.

“I felt I could have played the whole 90 but I’ll take it slowly, one day at a time and see how I came through it.”

I hope he does well and gives us all hope - just checking blogs whilst it is half-time in the Manchester City FC EUEFA Cup game, 0-0 so far, City should be 10 - 0 up by now!!  Come on you Blues !!!

Annie

Well, at last, 14 weeks post op and today my Physiotherapist and the Consultant were happy that I was at last showing some signs of improvement.

The physio wrote to my Consultant so he had a better idea of what types of treatment she had been giving me.   Lots of ultrasound, laser and megapulse treatments along with all the exercises I have to do at home and at work.  She had been quite concerned about the swelling, circulation and heel pain.

The heel pain which I still have all the time, is, according to the Consultant  the extreme tightness of the tendon and the fact there is a lot of fluid still in my leg and hardened areas around the scar.  He assures me it is not a ‘heel spur’ or a ‘neuroma’ which is what the physio was worried it might be.  Consultant thinks that over the next 3 or 4 weeks as the tendon hopefully becomes more supple that the pain will ease.

Both of them were pleased with the way I was walking  without crutches, much less of a limp now, and I actually ventured out from my office and walked on the very dodgy pavements and crossed a narrow road to post some letters - without crutches - it wasn’t far but I felt I had achieved a great deal.   Have to admit to being very nervous in case a car approached too fast as I crossed the road but all was OK.

Anyway, I am really beginning to see the light at the end of the very long dark tunnel.  Cannot wait to get out and do some gardening!

Regarding my other injuries which happened at the same time, the bits of loose bone in my knee - the Consultant thinks he can treat with a local anaesthetic and take out the bits of bone, the right ankle he said will need to be operated on (an arthroscopy) as soon as possible.  I will go ahead with both of these two mini-operations only when my achilles leg is strong enough.

Thanks to you all for your help so far I am having a day off work tomorrow and going to my sons flat, hopefully to sit on his balcony in the sunshine and watching the world go by, the view from the back of his flat is over the canal so that will be very restful watching the ducks, geese and longboats go by.

Now I cannot wait to get my Achilles.Blog T-shirts which I will be so happy to wear!!