more disappointment from the NHS
I kind of knew I should stop trusting what NHS staff say to me, but I hoped that when the consultant told me I was an urgent physio case and someone would phone me in 1-2 days about seeing a physiotherapist, that it would happen that way.
However, it didn’t, and so after chasing down where I’d been referred to (hurrah! my local hospital, 5 mins drive away instead of 50 mins!), the first available appointment was the 5th August. So it’s taken 10 weeks from my injury to see a physio and officially start exercising my leg. I shall continue to do my own thing until then I guess :-/
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I share your frustration! I was told I would have an ‘urgent’ appt made for me on my last visit. I got the distinct feeling that they had ‘forgotten’ the PT schedule.
I know our NHS service is supposedly free, but when you’ve paid taxes and National Insurance contributions for 23 years - the free bit sounds bit hollow.
Don’t rush your own exercises, I’m sure you know your limits.
I was told to FWB 3 days ago. (6wk post op) I’m hobbling, but feel liberated!
I’m 8 weeks post injury so 2 weeks ahead of you but two week behind! I was told still not to put any weight at all on the injured leg at my week 4 appointment - and my next appointment was at week 8.
I have been ignoring this since about week 5 because I worried about the lack of moving and DVTs (ha!).
I’ve been gradually increasing the amount of weight, but very carefully and maybe too carefully, but I’ve no intention of putting myself at the mercy of the NHS again through a re-rupture.
On Tuesday (my week 8), the consultant told me to start putting weight on it in my bare feet - not possible atm and I’m not pushing that one. I’ve taken another wedge out - I was told to take one out at week 6 but no further instruction.
And you’re right, we have paid for this rubbish service through our taxes and NI - sadly I’ve been paying longer than you
I think it’s more the disappointment when you’re led to believe something will happen within a certain time-frame and then treated as if you are unreasonable when you question why it didn’t, as happened to me today by a receptionist; not medical staff.
Stay close to a good proven protocol. If you’re behind, catch up gradually, but do it. If you do remove wedges gradually, do it at bedtime and sleep in the boot, to separate the ankle-angle change (stretch) from the WB loading.
It’s always frustrating to get bad service, and getting it from health pros is the worst, but it happens a lot. The Yanks pay top dollar for their medicine, and many studies (and our informal ATR survey here) suggest their not getting consistently excellent care either. Way too much random (& non-random) variation. Different systems produce different problems. I lucked out with my ATRs in Ontario, but some of my neighbours got less impressive care.
And thank you Norm for drawing my attention to the myth of aspirin preventing DVTs! Who would have known, given all the advice to take low dose aspirin before long-haul flights. I had no idea that it was only any use in preventing arterial clots, not venous. Sad that I had to go through the experience to learn this, lol!
If you haven’t found bit.ly/UWOProtocol yet, go find it and print it out. And the protocols we discussed on sudsy’s site recently, too. And catch up gradually. And DON’T go slower to lower your rerupture risk, because the evidence is clear that it does the OPPOSITE.
Hi Pam,
I’ve seen many people not start physio week 10. Heck, before my re-rupture I was told I may not need PT. I am going to bring it up again.
LouMar, KellyGirl and others have posted some of their exercises in addition to the link Norm has posted with other protocols.
Keep us posted on your progress. Take Care. xx