Argh..I'm going to go crazy

[7rider]

So, I must ask..how am I going to not go nuts? I don't want to add to the obesity epidemic! I can't swim for another few weeks I think. I can reaaly only walk to & from the train station(30 min walk) then to work. I will try the sand on the dog beach. I still have to rely on Ian to drive though.

If anyone can assist me in the quest to maintain some type of fitness level let me know. That and keep my dear man sane.

Ouch. Can you put weight on the leg? Are you on crutches? Be careful of the sand, that you don't twist your knee on the soft, uneven surface.

When I was out of commission after a knee injury - and later after surgery - I caught up on all those books I had been *meaning to read* but just never had time to crack open! Re: fitness. Yeah, talk to your PT and get some recommendations there. Whatever...take it easy. Don't hurt yourself (more). And stay away from the pantry!! Read or start doing crossword puzzles or knitting or organize that sock drawer or ANYthing to keep yourself occupied and away from the mindless munching.

Good luck and feel better soon!

[Wahine]

I will second the please be careful on the sand comment. It's a good way to tweak your already tweaked knee.

I have a windsurfing/cycling friend that broke her knee very badly at the end of August. She was totally out of comission and no allowed to weight bear at all on the leg. She managed to do Pilates with her brace and we had her in a pool in water up to her low chest area doing exercises for her leg after about 3 weeks. She would walk forward and backward, side to side, do squats in the water, leg lifts in all directions, knee bends......You should be able to so something like that pretty quickly but clear it with the Doc first.

My friend also took up knitting which helped her deal with the injury a lot. And, she lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks even though she wasn't doing anything, so I wouldn't worry too much about blimping out. Like others have said, you metabolism will be up for a while to try to deal with the injury.

[solobiker]

Sorry to hear that you are currently sidelined. Since 2000 every fall I get some kind of injury that takes me out of the exercise world for a few months. It is hard to believe but something has happened every fall, well to make a long story short, I too was worried about "obeisity" and losing all my fitness. I was getting so discourage when a friend told me this is the time to pick up a hobby that I had always wanted to do or was interested in. so one year I learned quilting, next year I took up using a wood lathe, the following year scroll sawing. The list goes on. So I leave you with this question, is there anything you are interested in outside of the fitness world that you could devote attention too? I find it very relaxing. Hope you get better soon.

[snowtulip]

Hey CC - still sending healing vibes!!! When I'm down and out, I do as others have suggested, pick up a sit at home hobby (scrapbook or draw) or a stroll outdoors hobby (taking photos) or a favorite, people watching while reading a book at an outdoor cafe. I must admit it takes a little while to get used, the hardest part is making your brain believe it is ok to minimize physical activity for a little bit. Good luck!

[Possegal]

i have tremendous sympathy! i spent 6 weeks with my right knee immobilized due to a patellar dislocation and honestly, it was horrid! and the beginning of a weight gain downward spiral for me. 8 yrs later, i'm still trying to undo the damage. and i did find it mentally so depressing. i had friends saying - what's to complain about, you get to lie around the house all day! but they were couch potato types. it is really hard for someone who is active to do that.

sitting in a chair was terribly uncomfortable. my work brought my computer home for me so i could sit on the couch with my leg completely propped up on the couch. that helped the comfort, but not so much the immobility. more reason to stay home and do nothing! sitting at my office there was no way to put my leg that it didn't hurt. i tried propping it on a garbage can but even with the brace on it, i would get pressure point pain where the garbage can hit my leg. and i found walking slowly around places seemed to annoy people. more than once i found myself yelling at someone in a grocery store - 'injured here, can't you see the brace!'. people can be so annoying! one little old lady walked by me and said "i feel so sorry for you honey, my husband just got out of one of those" and i nearly cried.

ok, that all makes me sound a little unbalanced perhaps.

you sound like you have a far better attitude than i did and you are aware of the trap you could fall into. so i think you will find ways to completely avoid it. i wish i had a better attitude during my injury (which did result in surgery, which probably didn't help) or i wish i had more folks around me to keep me active within my physical limits.

good luck and glad you don't need surgery! and yes, i too ended up with a funny looking tan.

[sundial]

i spent 6 weeks with my right knee immobilized due to a patellar dislocation and honestly, it was horrid!

I had to wear one short term and I was never so glad to get it OFF.

I am holed in too and I've decided to start addressing Christmas cards.