sNOw anxiety

Well, it's that time of year again when the evil white stuff (the 'devil's dandruff' as one friend calls it!) dons the ground turning all those with bambi-legs into quivering wreaks! Remarkably, I'm not as terrified as last winter - because there's no pain!

I discussed my 'snow anxiety' with my physio last week because whilst out walking a week earlier my stick went from under me after hitting a patch of black ice. Nothing happened. Last year that would have resulted in groin pain. HOO-BLOODY-RAY! So we talked about it momentarily whilst doing exercise and he had to go and jinx it by saying "oh it won't be as bad as last winter, that was exceptional, it might snow, but it'll just last a day like it normally does!". Well the whole country's been sitting below 0oC for mmm....a week now, there's snow outside and it's iced up all the pavements. *sigh* thanks mr. physio!

I did take up a recommendation though. Ice cleats for the walking stick!

Genius! Been out with this on the stick already and it's great. It's not going to stop you losing your footing though!! Beware, but it means you don't have to worry about the stick going out from under you if you are still inclined to put weight through it. Yaktrax's are what you want for your feet (www.yaktrax.co.uk).

Thankfully I'm at a stage where I'm not actually putting weight through it and I could, if necessary, walk without it....but I'd be really slow and I'd tire quickly because the hip-gait-sway thing I have is still there. Although, the physio is paying off and it's going (just really really slowly!). I've no expectations of exactly when I might get rid of it..... it's not healthy to beat myself up about still having my hippy-gait because when it comes down to it, I'm not in pain, I have zero stiffness and can actually walk and do the stuff everyone else can do.

In the last 2 weeks I've progressed into the physio gym to push weights. I've been really bad about getting into the gym on my own time though! I'm still doing everything else at home and progressing through increased resistance in the therabands - including using 2 bands at a time, which feels a little like a bondage session! But, it works.

Talking of which.....