OW & Grrrrr-a bit long

[crazycanuck]

I'm rather annoyed...Í can't bike for a whole week....

I'm ok but my poor knee isn't...

We were out mtbing at our fave spot (same place they're holding WA's 12hr event) just getting some practice runs in...Weeeelllll..i managed only 5k's...I'm not sure exactly what happened. I was going around a bit of bush, i must of looked the wrong way & ended up falling on a rock..right on my kneecap...

I thought "ow" & then looked down to see quite a bit of blood running down me leg...I had nothing to stop the bleeding & had to keep going. (This track does "eventually" run parallel to a fire road but knowing me i'd go the wrong direction & get completely lost...In addition there are never tons of people out there..) I biked as much as I could & walked alot as well....Ran accross another rider who just happened to have a wad of tissues on him...he must have passed ian & told him i was a bit hurt. (What made it worse was i was swooped by birds again but i just growled...)

When ian finished his lap we cleaned the wound a bit & ventured to the A& E...Ended up with two stitches & a tetanus shot..

I am now sitting at home with my knee bandaged up & annoyed that I can't bike or run..for a whole week...I can hardly walk on my right leg...I'm going to go crazy...

What can i do to make my knee heal properly?

Oh pooh...

c

[doc]

Injuries are totally frustrating. I know, I'm on my second in a row. 10th week of no biking. Only 2 more to go.

As for healing, since its a joint, try not to bend a lot and disrupt the healing in the begining. Take care of yourself first. Ride later. It is always a worthwhile trade off.

[Lise]

I'm rather annoyed...Í can't bike for a whole week....
What can i do to make my knee heal properly?

Oh pooh...

c

Well, ratz. The scariest part to me is "swooped by birds"! Life's rough out there! To help healing, I'd say take it easy, know that your body is working overtime to prevent further injury, such as infection, and to heal what's happened. This summer I had the urban equivalent of your injury--I tripped and fell while running, and gouged one knee, scraped the other knee and both palms. Painful, messy, and decent potential for infection. I kept them really clean, took an extra 500mg vit C, and ate lots of protein and veggies. When I'd feel aggravated about it, I'd imagine how hard my body was working at the cellular level to repair the damage. ((((((Cc)))))) Hang in there. This too, shall pass. L.

[Trekhawk]

I'm rather annoyed...Í can't bike for a whole week....
I'm ok but my poor knee isn't...
We were out mtbing at our fave spot (same place they're holding WA's 12hr event) just getting some practice runs in...Weeeelllll..i managed only 5k's...I'm not sure exactly what happened. I was going around a bit of bush, i must of looked the wrong way & ended up falling on a rock..right on my kneecap...
I thought "ow" & then looked down to see quite a bit of blood running down me leg...I had nothing to stop the bleeding & had to keep going. (This track does "eventually" run parallel to a fire road but knowing me i'd go the wrong direction & get completely lost...In addition there are never tons of people out there..) I biked as much as I could & walked alot as well....Ran accross another rider who just happened to have a wad of tissues on him...he must have passed ian & told him i was a bit hurt. (What made it worse was i was swooped by birds again but i just growled...)
When ian finished his lap we cleaned the wound a bit & ventured to the A& E...Ended up with two stitches & a tetanus shot..
I am now sitting at home with my knee bandaged up & annoyed that I can't bike or run..for a whole week...I can hardly walk on my right leg...I'm going to go crazy...
What can i do to make my knee heal properly?
Oh pooh...
c

Oh no CC thats bad news - your poor knee and being swooped by birds too - those pesky birds, cant be long before their nicer manners return, those baby birds must be grown up soon.

Rest up and let your knee heal your bike will be waiting.

Are you anywhere near Cottesloe?

You could have a sit by the sea at the Indiana Tea rooms and just relax enjoy the ocean view, the sunshine and sip something nice.

PS After writing this I realize its years since I have been home - Im assuming the Tea Rooms are still there.

[massbikebabe]

bummer!!

Once the sutures come out, use Vitamin E on the tissue to minimize tissue loss, and prevent scarring. Just poke a pin into the tablet and use the goo inside...

I can't ride either, but these gals are such good posters/riders that you will be living through their adventures. Just let your mind take you where you want to be

karen

[crazycanuck]

Hey ladies,

I'm sitting here wondering about knees and want to ask a few q's-
Bear with me, i've never been injured whilst biking. Just trying to make sure i'm not ruining my knee!

1-If my leg is still swollen, is this a good thing or a bad thing? is it because i've been hobbling round work/home or just my knee healing?

2-I can't bend my leg/knee very far-should i be doing any exercises while the stitches are in or leave it alone?
( i went to the pool this morning-i thought i might be more mobile in the pool-i could only use a pull buoy as it was hilarious with a flutter board, i could bend my knee a little bit in the water though)

3-Any good websites that you like/recommend for q's like mine?

Thanks ladies...

c

[mary9761]

First let me say I'm sorry to hear that you were injured. I wouldn't try to exercise much if at all especially while the sutures are in unless the doctor says it's ok. You may want to give him a call to see what WOULD be appropriate before you do anything at all. You don't want to make the injury worse or cause the healing to take even longer than originally thought.
Good luck..

[kmoty]

First, waves of sympathy! Being denied your bike or a good run just adds insult to the injury, and it sounds like you're going a little stir crazy. I'm not a medical professional, so here's just some common sense from someone who's accident prone (I'm 58; I've been falling down and off things for most of those years, with no serious injuries, thank goodness.)

First, if in doubt, talk to your doctor or her/his nurse practitioner, if of course, you can reach one .

Swelling is normal. It's only been 3 days, right? You not only banged your poor knee hard, you proceeded to bike and walk some miles on it. All of this would produce soft tissue injury and swelling at least. If your knee or leg is red or hot, that's not normal and could be the sign of infection, so check with your doctor fast.

See http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec24/ch299/ch299g.html for a good, quick overview, and see the link to sports injuries at http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec05/ch07...075-ch075a-980. That recommends rest, ice, compression (depending on the injury, and probably not while you've got a lot of swelling), and elevation (RICE).

It sounds like you might force yourself to do a little more of the resting and elevation piece to good effect . It's most likely the swelling that's making it hard to bend your knee (more normal symptoms). Getting off it, elevating it, and icing it will help the swelling go down. Depending on how fast you heal, and you probably have a good sense of this, if it doesn't start to feel better in a few days, talk to your doctor again.

I'm a big believer in lots of ice. Chopped up ice in a couple of plastic bags with a little water will wrap around your knee while you're doing that resting. If you have an old-fashioned hot water bag with a wide mouth, that's good, and if your cupboard runs to frozen corn or peas, a pack of them reserved for this purpose is perfect. Just label it "knee" and keep refreezing it to use over. Bang on it when it comes out of the freezer to loosen up the contents and vent your frustration. Put a dish towel betwen the ice-bag and your knee, and don't use the ice for more than 15 minutes at a time. I use ice until I don't have swelling any more, but some sources recommend heat after the first 24 hours or couple of days. There doesn't seen to be complete consensus on this, so I'd say do what feels right. People and injuries differ.

Did your doctor suggest ibuprofen, aspirin, or another anti-inflammatory? If not, and if you can take an over-the counter one, that will help, too. Follow the package cautions!

Good luck, and fast healing.

[JLD]

Well canuck.........were you over here--we could just put you in a snowbank--and of course--that would cure Everything! ....But kmoty has very good instructions for getting thru this...I assume you were xrayed--to disprove a fracture of the patella and such--so---hang in there--and let nature take its course.

[CorsairMac]

sending healing thoughts your way my friend! sorry I can't help you much with the knee questions, but I Can keep you in my thoughts!..........heal well and ride soon!

[RoadRaven]

Ah, CC, bad bad luck

Sending you healing energy and patience from Aotearoa...

Look after that knee, they can be remarkably resilient...