Getting through injury

[Anjuli_Bai]

Just returned from the 2 week post op visit to the surgeon.  All is well (so far),  Total healing of the nerve will take 6 months to a year - nerves heal very slowly.  He was very happy the way I've kept my legs stretched.  PT starts on Wed to strengthen right leg.  

 

I am no longer using the walker except to hold my knitting and in and out of the shower.

 

I can start driving in a week or two - but no long trips.

 

The trick is to recover before the next menace strikes.  

 

Oh - one thing more - each doctor thought the other had given me a prescription for post op pain medication.  Whoops.  Guess who got none?   So, aside from a Tylenol or two - 

[porthesia]

Hi Anjuli, it sounds positive so far.  I like the idea of your knitting on the walker - does it hang there clicking it's needles in impatience whilst you are in the shower!  Mmm lack of communication over the pain killers somewhat!

 

LinMM, yes, couldn't really have picked a worse weekend to be coming back - except if this had happened during the Olympics!  It is getting a bit tight to get from Euston to Victoria - we have an hour and two minutes to get from platform in Euston onto train in Victoria so I have the feeling we may miss our connection,  We'll give it a go.  I am afraid though that she will be getting a seat because I will be very firm and polite and ask those who don't need it to let her sit in the priority seats.   I had considered First Class, but it's normally a very small carriage and I imagine is already fully booked!!

[LinMM]

Ive never found out the price difference either never having travelled first class.

Actually having suggested that......the other weekend because there were rail works around Eastbourne somewhere all the trains were coming via Brighton and were VERY full! So much so that passengers were allowed to use the First Class carriage because by the time got to Haywards Heath where doesn't normally stop there were loads of people standing already!!

 

At least Fridays should be a normal service AND I really hope you don't HAVE to ask someone to give up a seat!! Hopefully if not their normal conscience at least their Christmas conscience should prick them a little!!

Actually on those trains if you ask the guard which carriage there is one with a space for wheelchairs. It has huge amounts of leg room in normal circumstances and obviously if someone is on the train in a wheelchair they will need it but often there is not so this would be a good carriage to aim for!! It's also near the loos etc!

In a less busy time should only take about 20-25 mins in a taxi from Euston to Victoria so an hour should be maximum time I'm sure you'll make it.

Well to be a bit of a Job's comforter I just had this experience a few months back where I had got one of those advanced fairs to London of only £3-30 each way(using my senior railcard). Anyway on my way back from the Angel Islington I decided to get a bus which normally only takes about 35- 40 mins so left an hour for the journey.......and it took one and a quarter hours!! (Roadworks around Shaftesbury Avenue area) so missed my train and had to pay £16 for a single ticket back to Brighton!!

 

We'll all be keeping our fingers crossed for you on the 20th ......I think that should do the trick.....hopefully!!

[alison]

Usually there's plenty of legroom in proper taxis which is what you need. You sort of go in back first sit down and then swing the legs round afterwards instead of stepping into in the normal fashion! You may not need a special one. But there are some taxis especially for disabilities which can be ordered from house to wherever.....I'm not sure how it works station to station. There must be a black cab general enquiries number for London I would have thought.

 

There might be a bit of help here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/transportaccessibility/1179.aspx

 

Also, are you travelling with Southern?  They actually have disabled-priority cards which allow you to sit in the priority spaces.  Don't know whether it might be worth asking whether a temporary one could be issued.  OTOH, if you're travelling with SouthEastern, forget it!

[alison]

Yes the 20th being the end of term for most AND a Friday AND the last friday before Christmas certainly will be busy unfortunately. If you are crossing London by taxi from Euston to Victoria may need to leave about up to an hour for this especially if in the rush hour on fridays between 3 and 7.30pm.

 

And don't forget to allow for theatre chuck-outs from extra matinees just before Christmas.  If you've ever tried getting onto a Southern train (particularly the Littlehampton one) from Victoria shortly after the Billy Elliott and Wicked matinees finish, it can be absolute hell.  I once actually injured my knee so badly trying to get down to Croydon that the staff at East Croydon insisted on putting me in a wheelchair and pushing me up the ramps! (where were they when I was coming back from holiday after knee surgery, on two crutches and trying to manoeuvre a suitcase?)

[porthesia]

It's Southern rail and when train splits at Haywards Heath we go off towards Ore.  I haven't booked my ticket yet so I may pop into the station and see if I can get a temporary priority disabled card..  There is no assistance at our last station - it's too small, but at least a ramp and not far to the car!  Thanks for the link to the Black Cab web site.  Still debating whether to book one or just grab one at the rank.

 

Have used First Class when dd auditioned for Northern Ballet School.  The part from Euston to Manchester and back (Virgin Trains) was lovely.  Very quiet, passable food etc.  The First Class carriage on Southern rail is a small compartment - just separated by a door - nothing special so haven't bothered booking since, but the fare, if I remember correctly really wasn't that much more on the particular day and time that we went.  I think we travelled on a Sunday and came back Monday so maybe a good deal on these days

[alison]

I've picked up some cab phone numbers this evening. If I forget to post them here, send me a PM.

[alison]

It's Southern rail and when train splits at Haywards Heath we go off towards Ore.  I haven't booked my ticket yet so I may pop into the station and see if I can get a temporary priority disabled card..  There is no assistance at our last station - it's too small, but at least a ramp and not far to the car!  Thanks for the link to the Black Cab web site.  Still debating whether to book one or just grab one at the rank.

 

 

Oh yes, I know that one: doesn't leave you much in the way of alternatives, so may need to wait for a later train to get in there first.

 

Anyway, I chatted to a friendly cabbie in the rank this evening, and he gave me these numbers for Computer Cab (they're the cabs with "ComCab" on the sides - there's another scheme called Dial-A-Cab: I assume that both will have some sort of website).  There's one phone no. for cash payments for immediate or advance bookings, 020 7908 0207, and also one for their credit-card hotline where you can "book in advance from your train and pay by any major credit card", 020 7432 1432.

[charlie4dancin]

Hope you have a speedy recovery

Cxx

[porthesia]

Unfortunately not able to get a temporary disabled pass - ticket office doesn't think they exist and he was positive that people would give their seat up for dd.  I'm not bothered, stood from Victoria many, many times.  Also got persuaded to buy a Network Rail Card.  Saved £10.00 on first journey, just need to save another £20.00 and I've broken even!

 

Alison, thank you very much for the Cab numbers, that was very thoughtful and kind of you.

 

Dd now has a boot on, so is able to put weight on the injured foot.  She has an appointment in January where they might take the book off, then the real work beings!

 

Thanks to everyone for their advice and good wishes

[alison]

Also got persuaded to buy a Network Rail Card.  Saved £10.00 on first journey, just need to save another £20.00 and I've broken even!

 

They're really useful: I get 1/3 off a Zones 1-6 Travelcard at weekends, which brings them down well below the Zones 1-4 I'd be paying for via Oyster.  Only problem is the weekday minimum fare, which makes it a lot less economic for people not travelling too far than it would otherwise be. Given how much I travel into London, it's really useful.  Oops, just said that .  I'm tired: it's past midnight, and I've had a stressful evening.

[LinMM]

I agree these network cards are great though mine has morphed into a senior card. But if you do a lot of rail travel I think it only takes about three journeys and you've paid for it. You can still use them when trying to get advantage fares which is why I can get up to London for £3-30 each way......well that's the cheapest.....they go first...then they graduate up to the normal single fare. With these Advantage fares......an especially good deal on Southern rail it seems.....you are tied to a certain train though so doesn't suit every occasion.

 

So glad your daughter has a boot now. I think these must be comparatively new in the last five years?? I seem to see more people wearing them and so much better than the plaster......it must make bathing so much easier. Also you can have gentle access to other muscles for massage while the bone is healing so perhaps not so much atrophy here which you always get with the plaster job.

[Thecatsmother]

Contrast bathing is recommended to aid circulation particularly when healing foot injuries as circulation not as good at extremities. Always finish with cold. It helps a lot with swelling in my experience.

[porthesia]

Thank you for the advice Balleteacher. I have texted her the information.  As she has Raynauds it is probably very important for her to do this.

[Thecatsmother]

I have had major problems with cold feet, not in the metaphorical sense which has definitely impacted the rate of reduction of swelling. Since adding this in twice a day it has helped a lot. There are two free webinars with Liza Howell when she is talking to dancers with stress fractures. She recommends this then lying with your feet up the wall for drainage. Can I add if it's anything like my boot if she has circulation issues some extra warm socks might come in handy in the Xmas stocking as I find my foot gets so cold when outside in the boot and then it is hard to get it warm again.

[porthesia]

Hi Balleteacher thanks for all the advice. Liza Howell is on our list to watch over Christmas and pick some DVD's to buy.    Was only looking at some socks today but thought M&S were a bit boring this year. Had some really different ones in Accessorize.  I think we have every colour of Tescos fluffy ones - must remind her to pack those in particular!

[BankruptMum]

Porthesia - Next have some very cute slipper socks which are long and thick!

[Thecatsmother]

Slipper socks are most definitely the way forward or TX Maxx do thermal ones which I think are intended for skiing but I have used at night to keep my foot warm as circulation impaired with swelling.

[porthesia]

thanks for the advice on the socks. I went back to M&S and found some nice socks.  They've put them in the queuing bit so its a nightmare to bend down and look as people are constantly pushing past or those that are polite are constantly asking if you're in the queue.  Nearest TKmaxx is quite a way away but I'll have a look in Next when "next" 'scuse the pun in town.

[Thecatsmother]

Tentative promising news. Seen the surgeon and I can try progressing to trainers when pain subsides enough to get out of boot. I seem to be expert in the unusual experiences as the consultant thinks that what I have been suffering from is complex regional pain syndrome triggered by cortisone injections. At least I hope it is going the right way and will be so nice to get back to wearing 2 shoes.

[Jan McNulty]

Good luck BT!

[LinMM]

Sounds good Bt

 

Also good luck Porthesia with the big journey with your DD tomorrow! At least no snow maybe the odd shower. Hope all goes well!

[taxi4ballet]

Slipper socks are most definitely the way forward or TX Maxx do thermal ones which I think are intended for skiing but I have used at night to keep my foot warm as circulation impaired with swelling.

 

Re slippers/socks with the tiny rubbery dots on the soles...

 

When wearing them round the house, we've found that they somehow manage to polish our vinyl kitchen floor to a mirror shine and make it incredibly slippery.

[porthesia]

So the journey back was a bit of a disaster.  They left her on the train for half an hour at Euston.  I was waiting at the taxi rank as they wouldn't let me go on the buggy.  We were keeping in contact and she had been told they knew she was there and they would come back for her.  In the end I went down to the platform myself and collared a member of the Virgin staff.  I'm ashamed to say I used words I'm not supposed to know.  I was worried she would end up going back to Glasgow.  Fortunately a member of the cleaning staff had got her off the train.  They had to find another buggy and it took ages.  This is now 45 minutes after her train arrived. Consequently we missed our connection at Victoria and missed the buggy there.  They did find us another buggy and we caught a later train.  I shall be lodging a complaint for dd being left on a train, but I will be complementing the gentleman from Virgin who shot off down to find her.  I had wondered if I was making a lot of fuss having arranged the assistance, but having walked to the last but one coach and being told that the Virgin trains are 1/3 mile long I am glad I booked it and will be booking it back.  Just hoping it all goes right next time.

 

She has only one crutch and is getting around quite well. 

Edited December 20, 2013 by porthesia

[LinMM]

Oh that's a shame after so much careful planning too. You didn't lose any money by missing the connection at Victoria did you?

 

If so perhaps you can get some compensation from Virgin to meet any extra costs incurred.

 

Good job she wasn't a younger child could have been a bit scary being left on the train like that! Thank heaven for mobile phones!

 

Anyway safely home now to enjoy Christmas

[ZooZoo]

Taxi4ballet - it is interesting what you say about the slipper socks with tiny dots.  A long time ago I bought these for my toddler DS.  I think the rubber or vinyl comes off and makes hard floors really slippy - our wood floors (as we had then) became lethal.

[porthesia]

Hi LinMM

 

No we didn't incur any extra costs, I think the gentleman from Virgin phoned ahead as he knew we had missed our connection.  I had an open ticket so I wouldn't have incurred extra costs anyway.

 

It was still rather scary for her - she was banging on the window trying to get peoples attention to get her off.  By the time we were all on the platform the passengers for the next journey were starting to get on the train so she would have been able to ask one of them to get her off.  I will be making a complaint - I shudder to think of a wheelchair bound person being left on a train. 

[Fiz]

They should be ashamed! Obviously nothing has changed since an old lady I knew broke her leg on holiday. The company for whom I was working made meticulous arrangements for her return to Scotland. Everything went badly wrong, even though she was travelling accompanied! Grr!

[LinMM]

Well that is awful Porthesia. When one is injured one is just so much more vulnerable. Your poor DD.

glad you didn't lose any money anyway.......but still enough to give you blood pressure and its somehow worse when you have tried to plan it out to make it all easier!

 

At least you weren't making the journey today the weather down here is just atrocious now.

It's a bit scary on the buses into Brighton when it's so windy as they do sway around a bit especially if you're upstairs!

[alison]

I was wondering how it had all gone.  Sorry it didn't go better.

 

OT, I know, but I remember getting really irate - it's a few years ago now, because there are now no Southern services running through from Charing Cross - about a poor guy in a wheelchair.  I was standing near him on the platform at London Bridge waiting for the train to come through from CHX, and the platform staff came up with the wheelchair ramp.  Southern Metro trains have for a number of years had a designated wheelchair area, with securing belts etc. (and for that matter a designated bike area), and it's always in the most central bit of the 2nd or 3rd carriage, depending on which way the train's "facing".  So they should have been able to ring CHX and find out precisely where the wheelchair area (which was unoccupied when the train arrived) was, then set up the ramp at London Bridge at the appropriate spot. No.  They set up the ramp for the *next* carriage instead, then just wheeled him in and left him sitting by the doors, unsecured.  By the time all the other passengers had crammed in (and it was a fairly full train), everyone was pressed around him, standing, and this guy was sitting there on the equivalent of a low upright chair with his head at around their waist levels.  It was so unnecessary, and must have been really quite unpleasant for him.  Shows there's still some way to go in disabled customer care on Britain's railways.

[porthesia]

It has made me realise how difficult things that I take for granted are for wheelchair bound people.  I shall be interested to find out what happened as each buggy had a list with the people they were to deal with on.  I had checked that they would go onto the train to get her off and had asked if I could travel down with the buggy but they wouldn't let me.  This surprised the gentleman from Virgin that I spoke to.  I hope he complains as all the rail lines contribute to the running of this service as do we all, every time we buy a ticket, as he informed me. 

[alison]

Yes, having had quite a lot to do with wheelchair-bound people over the last few decades, I am still often surprised at how transport and suchlike isn't always alert to their needs.  For instance, if you want to travel from my local station from where I live you have to go over the footbridge to get to the booking hall and buy a ticket, then come back over to the other side again, all because there are no ticket purchasing facilities on the "down" platform.  It must require nearly half-a-mile's detour each way if you're in a wheelchair.  And yet if you begin your journey without a ticket you're liable to get fined.

[Anjuli_Bai]

Today is the completion of four weeks of my six weeks of convalescence.  It's marvelous being able to walk - and sometimes scary, too. Now that the pain is gone, I have to be extra careful not to forget - no bending twisting, reaching, etc - for at least two more weeks.

 

I went into a store (other than a restaurant) for the first time since Sept to make a purchase - what fun!  

 

I walked in my garden for the first time since Sept.  It looks neat and trim (we hire someone to do that) but it doesn't look loved.  I'm afraid my days of delving in the earth to plant flowers and such are over, so I don't expect it to look loved - by me -  again.  I'm hoping the daffodils remember  to come up.  All of the leaves from the trees have been raked and disposed of instead of letting them lie where they fell to act as a mulch and protect the earth from washing away when it rains.

 

 

A little twig - about two inches long - that I snipped off a neighbor's tree two years ago and planted in a pot covered by a jar which was thriving and beginning to look like a little tree - three feet tall - is not looking well.  Some one put it in a dark corner  - no one to love it.  

 

Everything needs love.