just want to share how my PT looks like currently. I still go to my PT 3 times per week, we exercise things like kneeling and I definitely notice an improvement but I don't dare yet to put my knees/shins with its whole weight on a surface, also because numb skin(parts of my shins) on a hard surface just feels "icky". I also go to the gym 3 times per week and thus I don't do anything additionally at home except for stretching my calves/Achilles tendons and walking around.
At the gym I work on machines that are part of something called "Milon Zirkel" which according to my PT can replace the exercises I normally should have done at home. There are 12 machines. About half of them are for the legs/lower body and the other half for the upper body. In the beginning I did the elliptical trainer a few times but I stopped since it causes pain in the shins that I might not be ready for yet. All the machines are automatically adapted to one's own body and strength after letting it scan your wristband. I was able to increase the difficulty level of all machines except for two. One of them you see in the picture below with the woman using it. There you have to raise your legs and push something up. For me it's set to the lowest level it can get but it is still exhausting. I believe that it's because 1. my muscles are still too weak and 2. because certain parts of my upper shin (where the cut was made I guess) and sometimes the knees still hurt with certain exercises (but not always)
The other machine I still can't do better is the machine you can see in the back (man with yellow/green shoes), just the opposite, where you have to press something down. My left leg is stronger than my right, so only my right tibia (fracture area) seem to have a problem with that machine. (happens whenever I have to stop this thing for a moment as it goes upwards automatically.)
Weirdly my left shin hurts when I stretch my calves/Achilles tendons (but the right tibia doesn't), and when I do the "pushing something down movement" it's only the right tibia that hurts. The "pain" is not always the same level, sometimes less, sometimse more but it never stops me from doing those exercises.
I assume that it's the nails that cause those problems. My local orthopedist had told me that it would be better to remove the nails after complete consolidation because it could be possible that I'd need a knee replacement in like 50 years (not because of LL, but generally) and the nails need to be out for such a thing which won't be possible then. Dr. Giotikas on the other hand said that if the nails don't cause any problems they can be left inside. Since he does knee replacements according to his website I will ask him what he thinks about the other doctor's statement. I think that I will let the nails be removed either way even if I'm afraid of another surgery because that might lead to more numbness. (I hope not)
Author
Topic: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019 (Read 54162 times)