Fit at last

For the first time since 30th October 2008, I am able to declare myself fit for Thursday.  In the game against MHP on the 30th, I felt good and was, even though I say so myself, having a good game.  At the break we were 3-2 up and I had scored one and played the final pass for the other two.  Unfortunately after about 15 minutes of the second half, whilst chasing another good ball down the line, I was tackled.  The tackle took my legs away whilst running fast and as I came down, the toes of my right leg landed not on the pitch but on the ankle of the clumsy tackler. 

My ankle twisted both ways with my weight through it.  The action was accompanied with a cracking and grating feeling in my ankle.  I've badly damaged this ankle before but not for 14 years and the feeling was familiar but not welcome.  I doubled up in pain and crawled off the pitch where I was highly agitated as I knew what this meant and that I was playing well.  It was disappointing to hear that some of the opposition questioned my reaction, making out that I hadn't really done anything.

I hobbled around the pitch with boot and sock off to the bags where the tackler lay, also injured.  He did have the decency to apologise.

My ankle was now sore but I could weight bear.  I could also move it up and down.  When Joe got injured I tried to hop around up front for five minutes back on the pitch but it was hopeless and I had to come off.

I needed a taxi home from London Bridge later on.  The next day the ankle and foot had swollen up and was lightly bruised, one of the dirty black smudges that I seem to bruise with.  I couldn't walk on it with out pain and had to call in to work to say I wasn't able to nor could I until the Wednesday of the following week.

Annoyingly I was going back to visit my parents that weekend so I had to get another taxi across London to Paddington to catch my train and pick up some crutches from work.

After the weekend giving it some rest, the hard work started.  I began at a low level and built up.  I also visited an ankle surgeon friend of mine who X-rayed it.  Fortunately there was no fracture although some old bone spurs were seen, probably from the injury in the '90s.  I was asked to come back for a review in three weeks.

By then I was walking without crutches but there was still a lot of pain on the inside of the ankle.  I had an MRI scan with contrast dye, which caused me to miss the game on the 27th November.  The next day the results came through which showed ligament damage to both sides of the ankle (a strange type of injury) and extensive bone bruising, which was the cause of my pain.  However, my main concern was for the joint surfaces.  Fortunately they were in great condition.

I stepped up my rehabilitating despite the pain.  By the 18th December I was nearly there but no games for three weeks meant that my status as 'injured but present' would have to wait to change to 'present'.

I've gritted it out in the snow, in the dark, in the gym on my own, up and down stairs, performing hops, plyometric bounces, sprints, strength, balance and football drills.  I've had to watch from the side lines as we've won and lost, in the evening at the stadium under clear skies and in the morning in Tooting in sleet and rain.

It wasn't life or death and other Accies have come back from worse injuries and from longer set backs but it's been hard work and it's been frustrating.  But I'm fit now and am ready to play, if selected of course.