That man from Yorkshire.

[steveD]

Cheers guys.

I'm now back at home and finding out the hard way how to get up and down stairs!

I've had the staples out and the dressings are now gone. Going to have some great man scars!

Had the knees x-rayed again and the surgeons brief was not to bend my knees and come back in a months time. Difficult to walk but I have to, to get supplies et.

Trying to get to grips with ESA (Employment and support allowance). What a load of jobsworths, I wouldn't employ any of them. Sending me the wrong forms and when they get the right ones they have the wrong information.

Need to get some income soon as the Mortgage company has given me 30 days before threatening legal proceedings, helpful eh!

Need to get the Occupational therapist here to assess the house and see what help I can get as I'm sleeping in the basement where I have all my necessary facilities except a toilet which is two flights of stairs up. A sit down session has to be planned carefully! going up the stairs on all fours is not that fast. Try walking or climbing without bending your knees! I'm pretty lucky because I can still touch the floor with the palms of my hands with my legs straight. Go on have a try!  You bend your knees, put your hands flat on the floor then straighten your legs. Painful eh. Consequently getting dressed and picking up things from the floor are not a problem. I'm just getting bored to tears, bike and van are still fully insured but bike is sorned. It grieves me that I cannot suspend the insurances as the van especially is quite expensive. My van is over at my brothers place so it is well off the road and safe.

Also bugs me that I'm missing this great weather.

I was also keeping busy with work and now I'm having to tell customers that I cannot do any work for perhaps the next 5 months, although one has 'booked' me in for a kitchen as soon as I'm well.

PS daytime television sucks!

Will keep you informed
If anyone is interested have a look at ' Bilateral Quadriceps Tendon Rupture', some quite good reading.

Cheers Steve

[andy230]

If anyone is interested have a look at ' Bilateral Quadriceps Tendon Rupture', some quite good reading.

I am.  It looks (and sounds) extremely unpleasant Steve.  How did you do it??

a

[steveD]

Hi Andy. I was taking a bag of rubble down some stairs and stumbled on the last step. Barely fell a foot but it felt as though I had hit a brick (in the bag) on the egde of my knee cap. The bag was not full and thus not heavy as the stairs were quite steep and I had a fair amount of rubble to clear. Any how I thought that I had broken the kneecap in two as there was a discernible lump further up my thigh than expected and I tried to push it back! No joy. Fortunately there was a neighbour that had been sniffing around wanting me to do a few jobs on his house whilst I was working in the area, the front door was open as it was so hot and I saw him looking in. He was immediately collared for a trip to A&E. The rest is history.
If you have been reading up about this Quadriceps rupture, the info seems to say that it is quite uncommon to do Bilateral. All I can think of is just basic wear and tear / old age. Could happen to anyone my sort of age and it appears it is not dependant on physical condition. I have read some reports and this has happened to extreme athletes!

I don't think that you can really be careful to stop this sort of problem occurring, it was just a matter of when. At least I wasn't on my bike in the middle of nowhere which could have easily happened.

Will keep you guys posted, not that I have got much else to do or have to go anywhere!

Cheers Steve.

[Mark]

I'm pretty lucky because I can still touch the floor with the palms of my hands with my legs straight.

I have also seen your knuckles dragging on the floor when walking upright.

Lets hope you are on your way to a full recovery and ahead of schedule.

Mark

[guest987]

Just had a thought Steve.

Get Nursey to walk the whippets and feed the ferrets.

Rob

[steveD]

.............well, considering I started work in 1973 and have paid into the tax system and my National Insurance for the past forty odd years perhaps I could be supplied with a 'nursey', or perhaps a 'Doley'! I think I'm entitled to have one for at least a day a week free of charge!
help with cleaning and vacuuming and the odd shop would be good or I'm never going to get back on my feet!

[tommy]

hi steve sorry to hear your laid up im out action too with slipped discs  ,best weather in years and no biking    day time telly really is bad isnt it  all the best  tommy

[steveD]

.....blimey, It's catching.

Must be an old gits thing.

Slipped disc, not nice................and yes daytime TV sucks!

Rest and get well Tommy.

Steve

[guest987]

.............well, considering I started work in 1973 and have paid into the tax system and my National Insurance for the past forty odd years perhaps I could be supplied with a 'nursey', or perhaps a 'Doley'! I think I'm entitled to have one for at least a day a week free of charge!
help with cleaning and vacuuming and the odd shop would be good or I'm never going to get back on my feet!

See, that's where you went wrong............working.If you had done fuck all you would have had all sorts of help. The system does not favour thr hard working.

Surely the district nurse is calling. Physio?

Rob.

[steveD]

...................Hey Rob, NOTHING........................cannot even get an extra handrail as the injury is temporary!

No physio or anything until next appointment which is 29th next month. Until then brief is not to bend legs or walk. Try sleeping with straight legs. In fact try living with straight legs and not walking, living by yourself! It doesn't really equate.

In fact other than the superb treatment by the hospital staff in Bolton and the iffy behaviour at Huddersfield hospital I've had nothing and my mortgage company have just flatly turned 'round and told me to sell the house!

Will keep you guys informed.

Cheers Steve

[Steffan]

Well, I think this calls for a shed meet at Steve's House.

Cheer you up and you will have to spend what you had saved for the mortgage on sausage and coffee

Steffan

[Smithy]

.....blimey, It's catching.

Must be an old gits thin

Slipped disc, not nice................and yes daytime TV sucks!

Rest and get well Tommy.

Steve

I recently went to a Harley rally and the field was full of grey haired old blokes limping around unable to bend, and I was one of them! Riding bikes and building stuff wreaks havoc on your knees.

Take your time mate and safe recovery.

[guest987]

Steve, I am struggling to get my head around the approach taken by the  mortgage company.
There must be a way around this. Can you not defer payment for a twelve month?

[steveD]

Hi Rog. I'm waiting to see what benefits I can get then I'll approach the mortgage company again. At least then I would have some sort of 'ammo'. I feel that if I can make some sort of offer, they would have a hard time in court saying that I was not making an effort. After all this is not a permanent thing and i should be earning again in perhaps six months time.

Will keep you informed.

Cheers steve

[themoudie]

Aye Steve,

Very sorry to read this tale of woe and angst and hope that the recovery is as swift as possible.

As for the mortgage company, may I suggest a trip to the Citizens Advice. I am not suggesting incompetence on your part, but that they might have encountered this 'toe rag' mentality before and be able to offer some guidance or supportive document.

Whilst, not appropriate at present, a name and shame to the likes of Watchdog or those 3 instigative ladies on BBC1 might not be amiss.

Here's wishing you well.

My regards, Bill.