I borked my knee

[hellymedic]

beat me to it.  I was just thinking that unless I get a smaller tent I'll probably have may trailer.  Though whether Chris wants to spend 43-odd km gazing at my rear wheel (hope it's a dry road) and hanging on at 6" above the roadway on a dodgy bit of canvas, well ...

Sounds great! 

Edit: BTW - by August, I'm going to be fatter than John Prescott after a doughnut binge; 1500km cycling a month to 0km is going to play havoc with the metabolism...

It might not be as drastic as you fear; I have gone from 11,000 miles per year to zilch without any gross change in my weight. I may be no lightweight but I'm not Prescott-shaped and can wear 20-year-old garments. Just don't eat if you're not hungry.

Hope your knee improves soon!

[MSeries]

beat me to it.  I was just thinking that unless I get a smaller tent I'll probably have may trailer.  Though whether Chris wants to spend 43-odd km gazing at my rear wheel (hope it's a dry road) and hanging on at 6" above the roadway on a dodgy bit of canvas, well ...

Sounds great! 

Edit: BTW - by August, I'm going to be fatter than John Prescott after a doughnut binge; 1500km cycling a month to 0km is going to play havoc with the metabolism...

Yup, it certainly does. Stay off the chocolate.

[Chris S]

Reasons to be optimistic I think.

The knee has felt much better the last three or four days, still clicky, and sore by the end of the day, but I'm off the Diclofenac and Horse tranquilisers.

So - against the advice of, well... everyone really, I twiddled my geared bike around the village for about 3km, on a really small gear. No problems, nothing snapped, broke, fell off or hurt. Some clickiness, that's all - but I put bugger all load through it really.

So - hopeful signs perhaps...

[Wowbagger]

Take it easy old chap.

[RogerT]

Hope the improvement continues...do NOT do anything to foolish !

[Chris S]

...do NOT do anything to foolish !

* puts down entry form for DIY 600 * 

[Wobbly John]

Chris, I read the fist page and then hadn't looked at this thread for some time, but after talking about you with Annie last weekend, I thought I'd have another read.

I didn't realise how badly you had damaged your knee. It would drive me round the bend if I suddenly couldn't ride my bike (well actually, it has happened, but that was a shoulder injury so I could go out walking for miles).

Have you thought about hiring a handcycle? Kevin at Dtek would probably have some to try out and hire one to you, If not try Cyclemagic or Bromakin in the midlands.

I'll let you look the websites up rather than link to them - it'll keep you busy for a while.

There's a story here on Velovision of someone in a similar position who hired one to comute with.

I'm not suggesting you audax on a handcycle, but if you get one, we'll organise a mid-Norfolk ride you can get out on. 

[annie]

...do NOT do anything to foolish !

* puts down entry form for DIY 600 * 

I knew you would be cycling again before the week was out.  Don't do too much or I shall be round to have some serious words with you and that will be scary.  Seriously though, little steps Chris.  Crossing all of my ten fingers and ten toes for you.

[Maladict]

Have you had a scan to confirm the diagnosis yet?

[Chris S]

Have you had a scan to confirm the diagnosis yet?

No

[MSeries]

Take it easy Chris, get the scan done then see about becoming more active, and stay off the chocolate and beer

[Chris S]

...stay off the chocolate and beer

Oh bugger... 

[MSeries]

believe me it's much easier and much more enjoyable to sit on your arse or in my case lie on my back and put weight on that it is to get it off

[Chris S]

believe me it's much easier and much more enjoyable to sit on your arse or in my case lie on my back and put weight on that it is to get it off

 

Your progress in the last year is going to be one of my primary motivators to get back to fitness...

[MSeries]

Shucks, I am flattered. I ain't there yet but getting there. Stay positive and don't run before you can walk. I know these expressions are awful when one really can't stand on ones own two feet. Seriously be really careful not to rush things. I hope you don't need an operation but sometimes they do mean a faster recovery

[Chris S]

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to convince myself I need to maintain zero activity.

Nearly all the pain in my knee has gone - just a little when it clicks. There is no swelling anymore, and never was any instability.

On the basis of these facts, I just cannot believe I've done my ACL; there would surely be more symptoms if I had?

Still no sign of my MRI referral. I can either start getting myself minimally active again, or I can throw £300 away on getting an MRI privately. I bet it would show everything is OK.

[MSeries]

How mobile are you atm ? Are you hobbling around on crutches ?I started weight bearing before they said I should. My surgeon said do not do it for 3 months, I did it after two. Risky though.

[Chris S]

How mobile are you atm ? Are you hobbling around on crutches ?I started weight bearing before they said I should. My surgeon said do not do it for 3 months, I did it after two. Risky though.

I haven't been on crutches since the end of the first week.

I can get around the house, drive the car, and have ridden a bike about 3km. I've been forcing myself not to do any more until I have been scanned - but I think maybe this highly defensive approach is no longer necessary.

[Fidgetbuzz]

Careful -- I know nothing -- BUT - you had to be collected because you could not even get 5 miles to Halesworth. Whatever was / is wrong - was pretty unusual even for the  forum members with their huge range of experience, and injuries- so it is something that I just can not believe has self healed in 3 weeks. If you insist on getting on a bike --( apart from thinking you are foolish ) I plead with you to be very very careful -- I want you back as soon as poss. -- not laid up for even longer cos you were stupid.

[MSeries]

Play it safe Chris, hassle the medics about the scan. Tell the doctor what you told us earlier.

[Chris S]

Update. Still no sign of a scan, despite much hassling.

I'd have gone private by now, were it not for the fact that the knee is, very gradually, getting back to normal.

I'm still not walking much, but then, working at home, I never did  .

I've now done a couple of longer rides on the geared bike (fixed gear will be a No No for months) - at the weekend I did an easy 30km loop. I can't put a lot of load through the knee without it hurting, so I have to twiddle low gears - and I'm riding well below audax-average speeds, but hell - I don't care as I'm getting out at least.

I've bought a knee brace to see if that will help when I'm riding. I don't feel I need one at any other time, but it might help take some of the load off.

[Chris S]

Things are improving.

Norfolk & Norwich Hospital has contacted me. I have to ring a number in order to arrange an appointment to see an Orthopedic person  . By the time I get there, I'll be right as rain again.

[Fidgetbuzz]

Just after Chris' knee disaster, (not then knowing how serious it may well be) - I offered to keep him company on a DIY 200 in late July to keep his RRTY going.
He called that offer in last week - and despite my suggestions of a repeated ride from Ely to Kings Lynn and back to Ely ( that would have been really flat !!) enough times to get to 200kms and with my car halfway between the two towns so that we were never far from support - he insisted on a trip from home to Stamford and return.
He had been claiming that the knee was getting better - and that he had done some cycling - up to 50kms ( or was it 80kms) in the last week or two.
We got going about 8.00 - having been wished well by his wife,Debbie - and I felt very responsible that I had to get Chris home (in good shape would be nice too) - and if we had done the 200 as well that would be a real bonus.

If you follow Chris's links you will see that our ride was pretty flat - topping out on the North Pickenham ridge at about 85 metres ( twice mind you - out and back).

I can report that Chris completed the ride in about  9 hours riding time - and a total time of 10 1/2 hours - including a pub stop in Stamford. He seemed to go pretty well for someone who was short of actual riding time in the last 7 weeks - had me struggling to keep in touch at times. He was pretty cheerful at the end - BUT we do have to bully him to actually get real medical advice on what the problem was / is.

So a good day - a cheerful Chris and a pleased Debbie-- but he must get the knee looked at.

[Maladict]

+1 for the bullying.

Otherwise I'm going to struggle to overtake him on BJ after all. 

[Chris S]

Just back from the hospital, after an entertaining afternoon in N&N Orthopedics.

Went via X-ray to see a very nice consultant who didn't pull a face when I mentioned "I was 200km into a 600km bike ride when my knee suddenly started hurting."

After examinations and various pushing and pulling my leg, and testing various degrees of motion, he was happy that (a) my ACL was working just fine, (b) there is no fluid now and (c) my quads are well balanced wrt to my patella.

He suggested we could probably find out what had happened from an MRI, and he was happy to put me forward for one - my choice - but he was also happy that nothing had happened that my body had subsequently been unable to reverse or repair, which discounted ruptured ACL or torn cartilage.

We discussed the X-ray; the only thing of any note on there was a very slight narrowing of the spaces between the bones "consistent with an active person of your age" to quote him directly.

In the end, I declined the MRI. He asked if I was unable to do anything I was able to do before, or was avoiding anything. I mentioned that I was taking it easier on the bike, and not using a fixed gear bike for long or hilly rides because of the extra loads. He thought that was reasonable.

There was an open invite to go back should the situation change, and he'd put me straight in for an MRI if that happened - but was happy to release me as a-ok  .