A New Year, A New Decade and A New (more active) Me.

So, last year it appears I failed (once again) to keep my blog/s up to date. It would be prudent of me to point out how busy I've been with various things but let's face it! If I can string a few tweets together to throw out on twitter...I should be able to write a blog post once in a while, right?

And so, here we are, another new year and another new decade - one that people can't even figure out what to call, for that matter. Prehaps we should call it 'Fred' and be done with it? No? Hmm, well, maybe not.
But the most important thing is, it will involve a new me! A more active blogger. So active that I will annoy the hell out of you with my endless wit and knowledge...
Or maybe just prattle.

Anyway, enough about 2010 (read it how you feel, I'm not inflicting my pronunciation on whichever bored saps decide to actually read this drivel.) The question is....

How did I spend my last month of 2009?

Apparently with a little bit of luck. I kicked it off by winning a signed & dedicated copy of Justin Pollard's (QI writer) 'Secret Britain'. He wrote a rather nice message in it about me saying I never win things (because I prattled in an email to him when I couldn't think of a dedication...I know, how calm and collected of me).

But did the bout of luck end there? Nope. For I had also entered a competition on my mobile phone to win tickets to a preview screening for the first episode of series 2 of BBC's 'Being Human'.
To say I was in shock when a very nice man from the BBC (called Hugh, for extra information) called me to say I'd won a pair...would be a major understatement.

Now, if I could just work out what the dress code of 'being human' pertains before this Thursday, I should be fine for the actual event.

Of new years, knees and hope...

Should blogs be hard to write? Or is it just the fact that I've forgotten (yet again) that I decided to do these to keep myself writing?
Either way, we're well and truly into 2009 and I am determined to keep my blogs up to date - even if, for the majority of the time, I am prattling away to myself.

Anyway, onwards to news...

2009, thus far, seems to be good news health wise for me. I have been referred to the care of a sports physiotherapist who is determined to get my knee (and me) back into shape, so I can get back to playing football. The exercises are tough, but considering I studied 'Sports Science' I would expect nothing less. I'm just happy to be able to move around to some degree again.

I'm crediting the fact that I'm allowed to exercise again (and am doing so without too much pain and mishap) with my lifted mood. My depression has abated nicely. No longer am I having about five mini-migraines a week. And overall, I just feel a lot healthier and happier - much to my family's relief (I was getting to be difficult to be around...let's leave it at that. Enough said.)

I believe that is all there is to post on this particular blog. Now. Off to update my art blog.

Yet another Knee update...

This morning the physio rang with my results of my MRI scan. The good news? It appears that the cartilage is not actually torn. So, this should mean no need for surgery - thank goodness.
What the scan did show was: Deep bruising to the bones around the knee (after 9 months? I swear it was a person not a lorry that hit me); deep bruising and inflammation of the cartilage; and, inflammation of the tendon at the front of the leg.

I have an appointment to see him in two weeks time, where he'll go through the scan and then we'll go from there.

Knee Update

Tuesday, 29th July. 09:00. Mobile unit at Barking Hospital.

That was my appointment day, time and place for my MRI scan, for my right knee. My brother gave me a lift before he went to work, which resulted in me being a half hour early. Lucky for me, the bloke scheduled before me had also got there early and was finished, thus, I got to go in early.

I went in the machine feet first and up to my shoulders (so just my head was out). I was a bit miffed - as the radio they'd put on for me kept cutting out and as it was pre-9am, all I got was the news *sighs*. Anyway, so I was in the scanner for what felt like hours; but was really a mere twenty minutes; and my knee was starting to hurt - as they had to pack it in place so it didn't spasm during the scan, unfortunately, the position they'd put it in was not a position I'd put the injured joint in; hence the pain.

So, anyway, finally had the scan. Been told should have the results in four days (so hopefully I'll hear something Monday.) Here's hoping that after 9 months of messing me around, my knee can finally start getting seen to.

But he can't!!

That is merely my reaction to the latest Doctor Who episode. And now I will pout and rewatch 'Stolen Earth' to death on iplayer until next saturday's finale... because, he just can't!!

Doctors and Physios are Sadists!

I'd lost interest in my blog for a while...ok, more aptly, I forgot I had blogs.

Anyway. Around the end of October, I got a pretty nasty injury whilst playing football.
After 8 months and with only slight improvement, my GP referred me to a Musculo-skeletal Clinic for the 25th June. Had that on wednesday, Doc prodded and twisted knee in all wonderful and painful positions (sadist!) before ordering an MRI scan. He suspects torn cartilage.

Yesterday got phoned by hospital, MRI scan has been booked for 29th July at 9am. Then we go from there.

Friendly at Waltham Abbey

Well Dagenham & Redbridge Ladies Reserves Team had our first match of the season yesterday evening. We played a team in Waltham Abbey, who were just stepping up to women's football.

If you excuse the fact that we got lost on the way there due to confusion in which directions we were following (and the complete idiot who chose to cut us up on the inside lane) than everything went without a hitch.

12 players altogether (out of the full 24/5 signed on for the reserves) we had roll on subs, so everyone got a fair amount of play. Personally, I played about 3/4 of the match - playing in central midfield and having 2 shots on goal (one with my left which has astonished me already this season...I swear I've borrowed someone else's foot) but sadly were saved by this annoying person know as a goalkeeper.

Come the end of the match, after having had something like 24 attempts on goal, we managed to net 7 with the opposition only getting in on goal once because; at the request of our very bored goalkeeper; our defense let the striker have a shot but was saved easily.

Now as much as I like playing football...we now have a cup match against Watford on Sunday, and hopefully everyone will be recovered by then...