The Sticker Chart/Week One

There are certain things I have learnt over the last 8 surgeries, one of which is that your attitude both before and after surgery is vitally important to your recovery process and the success level of the surgery. It is also very important to have something else to focus on rather than just the upcoming surgery and the long road of recovery. A couple of weeks after agreeing to my next surgery, which basically consists of breaking off the bit of bone the tendon that runs down the front of your knee is connected to and screwing it back on in a different place (TTT) then using a couple of strands from the hamstring to essentially lasso the knee cap, stabilising it (otherwise known as ‘they are reconstructing my knee’), I made up a recovery plan detailing physio goals and personal targets in the process of re-learning how to walk and use my new knee.



However it was pointed out to me that post op goals shouldn’t be the only goals I have for the coming year, hence the creation of the sticker chart. On my wall is a Gruffalo sticker chart, (which comes in a book of 30 charts, each chart providing space for five goals to achieve a day for an entire week complete with four sheets of various Gruffalo themed stickers), it currently has four goals, three of which are daily and one weekly goal. Every week the goals will change according to what I need to be doing. At the end of day two I have all six daily stickers but I am yet to achieve my weekly goal. I will aim to post each week's goals on Monday as an extra incentive to keep going. The one goal that I intent to remain constant throughout the pre and post op period is to write something every day.

So here are the goals for week one Monday 2nd January 2012 to Sunday 8th January 2012:

1. Go outside at least once a day. (Something I have been struggling wit since being on sick leave and dealing with constant pain but something I need to do to stay sane!)

2. Do balance and coordination physio at least once a day. (A comical game of catch which is played while standing on one leg, on day 2 I discovered I can simply bounce the ball off the wall allowing me to complete this goal without help)

3. Write something every day. (kind of explains itself really)

4. Go swimming at least once this week. (Swimming is the only currently approved form of exercise and as such is important in combination with daily physio to help maintain muscle tone and fitness)