How was it getting around during consolidation when you came back home? Because I'm currently in community college and plan on doing my last semester online before I transfer out to either UCSB or hopefully UCLA (I live in LA). Which means I will be consolidating the summer before I start university and during my first fall quarter. What's mobility like in the months post CLL.?
Do you think you'll ever gain back you ankle flexibility and cure your Cecs? What has Dr. a Parihar said about it? Does the hospital have Wifi? Missing a week and not being able to study might set me back if take classes online.
I was reading on one of your posts in which you said Dr. Parihar said , the pain is less if you are occupying your mind with something. Did you have energy to do stuff while lengthening or where you always tired?
Sorry, I have a lot of questions, lol. But Dr. Parihar hasn't responded to my email. Only I've been talking to his assistant Dr. Ahuja.
Getting around was difficult initially. I had to use my wheelchair because I had a bit of ballerina left and I'd tip over and fall if I didn't hold onto a walker, which took a long time. Plus the wires near the ankles caused a bit of pain if I moved around too much. Cases where I was forced to use the stairs I had to lower myself to the ground and pull myself up each step while seated. When I was able to walk after the ballerina had lessened enough, it just took a very long time to get anywhere.
My ankle flexion has no issue but dorsiflexion will probably always be slightly worse than before I had surgery, no matter what stretching I do. Only way to improve it to pre-CLL levels would be an Achilles tendon lengthening or a gastroc-soleus recession, I think. Although I have read that CECS can inhibit dorsiflexion, so it's possible that after I'm treated for it it will improve slightly. CECS treatment is usually successful, but I'll have to wear walking braces for a while again and won't be able to do any strenuous physical activity on the legs for an additional few months. Right now I'm just trying to find an appropriate time window to request surgery. I haven't spoken to Dr Parihar about it, although he's treated people for it before. I'm getting mine treated locally though since I have a Kaiser HMO Platinum Plan through my job and surgery is only going to cost me $150.
When I was at Mangal Anand there was only wifi on Dr Parihar's floor, which is right above the patient ward. If I really had to use the internet they'd take me to his floor to connect to wifi, but if you bring a wifi dongle you should be set.
I was often tired and would take a lot of naps, but I'd be able to play Skyrim on PS3 or watch movies and stuff, which did help with pain at times. Showering, cleaning the pin sites, and replacing the gauze would usually take 2 hours and I'd immediately want to fall asleep after that. The problem is the frames are very uncomfortable and combined with the lengthening discomfort, you can go some nights without getting any sleep at all. I once went two days unable to sleep and I had to request sleeping pills, which just barely helped. You can get some studying done, but almost everyone usually feels too exhausted to get much productive done.
Is this pain in your muscle? My actual bone aches when I run. Right where the doctor put in a big screw to straighten my Tibias out.
Once I was able to run again I initially had a bone pain in the middle of my shins where Dr Parihar added the additional pins for stabilization during my second surgery, but that eventually went away. If yours is coming where the screw was inserted, then that will probably go away too in a few more months.
The pain is in the muscle and it comes from too much pressure building up in those compartments. Dr Parihar cut the fascia in one spot on each leg, likely to prevent this issue happening later, but looks like I'll need to get it in 1 or 2 more areas. I believe I had CECS to a lesser degree before CLL since I couldn't run long and I mistakenly thought it was due to being overweight, but I think lengthening exacerbated the issue since my muscles have to work harder than before when running.