PhysioBob recovers from an avulsion injury to the left hamstrings - ALL of them

Hi All,

Just thought I'd make a post that I am writing on my blog about the pre and post surgical observations for my own surgery. I just did the manly front splits (think Jean Claude Van Dam) whilst kite surfing off Essaouira on the west coast of Morocco. It happen as I came into the beach to finish the day and as I took my back foot off the board to stand on the sand my kite was still too powered, a gust came and took my front foot and board like a tray on ice into a powered front splits. I didn't try to resist it as i am pretty flexible but hearing the double "POP" noise made me pause cautiously in the wave zone psyching myself to test the function.

Well enough said when I tried to flex the keen and the whole back of my leg went into an intense spasm and some noise resembling an exorcism escaped from my body. Surely it wasn't me. OK so then think red berets and prone on the chest and elbows crawling up the beach still attached to my floundering kite (emergency release pulled). Eventually my companion came in to the beach (about 30mins later) and found me trembling and in somewhat shock and helped me back to the Riad. Shower (mate assisted and never to be discussed again), ice, nurofen plus and a 2.5hr cab ride and we were back in Marrakech bound for London.

I was worried about blot clots and the flight but I was equally worried about bleeding out into my leg. Hard decision but decided no aspirin for the flight. Just compression bandage and wetsuit shorts for support. All was going OK until after eating I felt like i was going to be sick and tapping my mate on the shoulder to let him know I then proceeded to faint in my plane seat. I came to with a flight attendant and my mate asking if I just fainted. I suppose I had. Next came my personal oxygen bottle which made me feel much better. The attendant suggested that it was probably the low sugar due to the adrenaline rush and shock and the low cabin pressure. I of course was checking my respiratory comfort to check I didnt have an embolis or something similar.

Anyway off the O2 after 10 mins and had some more to eat to get the sugars up. What next..... I fainted again....More O2 which remained with me for the rest of the 3hr flight back to London. I have to say I was very impressed with the senior flight deck manager from Easy Jet throughtout the process.

Slept OK that night, then has dynamic ultrasound, MRI and orthopaedic consult all within 24hrs. Scheduled the repair surgery and that's now what I am noting on my blog to complete in due course a good overview of the protocol for post op recovery from this type of injury. I have some MRI images and Video of the surgery which I will get online in about a week to 10 days time.

My blog is here: http://www.physiobob.com/forum/blogs...amstrings.html

Hey! Hope you are healing well!

Oh no.... all the best in the recovery. We learn best when injured, and appreciate our patient's complaints more! Hope you gain something out of the experience.

oh my god, nasty. feel for you. extreme injury to do all of them, is it including biceps femoris or 'just' the 3 medial ones? small league to yours but last week saw footballer who snapped his biceps tendon, saw surgeon but treating conservatively as doing ok really. you no choice!
all the best with everything - long road ahead - good luck

Hey, how are you doing? You must be getting into the wanting to do things timeframe. Hope you are doing well. Likely making friends with everyone.

Wanted to check in and see, how are you doing?

Hope your are progressing well and not getting too stir crazy!

T

Just seen your blog, sounds awful and funny at the same time .. sorry.
Wish you all the best recovery Bob
scoobs910 ;)