IM Nail Removal – Your Experiences

It’s been 2 years since I had an operation to have an IM Nail inserted into my left leg, and although I don’t get really get any pain, just niggles here and there, I have been pondering whether to have it removed? Having the metal in my leg does not stop me doing anything but feel maybe I have become a little reluctant to put myself into situations that might damage the leg. Also, there is a concern if I had another accident, there is no way to predict how the metal in my leg would react? Would it help or make the situation worse?

I am going to see the consultant and run through the options and risks as although it seems having the IM Nail removed is far less traumatic than having it put in, it would mean having a general anaesthetic and being on crutches again for a few weeks. There is always a possibility of complications with a procedure like this and if I’m basically fine now, then maybe it’s not worth the risk?

There is very little on the internet about the recovery from IM Nail insertions and even less about the recovery and process of having them removed. A few people have very kindly shared their experiences on this blog, but may not be easy to find as are hidden in comments way down the page. So, I thought I would make some links to the comments to make it easier to find and perhaps encourage others to share their experiences too.

Carl
Carl had his IM Nail removed in August 2012. He has very kindly shared his experiences, including photos, here.

Nick
Nick had his IM Nail removed in Feb 2011 and was very kind enough to provide several updates  with a lot of detail of what happened:
1st Update
2nd Update
3rd Update (May 2011)
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Andrew
Andrew had his IM Nail removed just over 10 years ago.

Emily
Emily had her IM Nail removed in April 2011 as her consultant said the nail was a little too long and was damaging tissue:
1st Update (Just after removal)
2nd Update (Dec 2011)

Becs
Becs has an IM Nail in both tibias and after 15 years had them both removed in April 2012. You can read  the reasons she gave to the doctors to persuade them to remove the nails and her experience of recovery 3 weeks after the removal by clicking here.

Caz
Caz had her IM Nail removed after 3 years in August 2012. The doctors did not seem too keen for her to do it, but after one night in hospital she was back home and her knee pain has gone.

Also, please read the comments made below.

If you have had your IM Nail removed or are about to, it would be great for the rest of us to read about your experiences as there really isn’t much information about this and it is so useful and supportive for others to read.

Jake McMillan

Me and My IM Nail (Part 7) – 2 Years On

<<< Me and My IM Nail (Part 6) – 1 Year after the accident

Me and My IM Nail (Part 8) – 3 Years after the accident >>>

Wow! It is hard to believe it has been two whole years since I broke my tibia and fibula at Clapham Junction Station and had an operation to put an intramedullary nail (IM Nail) into my left leg in January 2010. Getting to this point now seemed like a lifetime away shortly after the accident as I only let myself concentrate on short term goals. I took things a month at a time and 6mths seemed too far away to think about, let alone two years. However, here I am and happy to report things are good!

Before getting to specifics, I would like to say a massive thanks to everyone who has contributed to this blog, not just for some of the nice things said, but especially to those who have shared their own experiences.  I started writing about my own experience as there wasn’t (and still isn’t) very much on the interweb about IM Nail recovery and what to expect. It has been very helpful and reassuring to me and to everyone else that others are going through similar problems, worries and issues. Please do keep adding and updating your own experiences as well as any handy tips as lots of people have got in touch to say how useful it is to read them all.

Right, a few people have asked me some questions of how the leg is 2 years on, so I will answer those:

Does the leg feel like a normal leg now?
Almost, but not quite. If you have broken your leg to such an extent that you need an IM Nail inserted, then your leg is never going to be quite the same again. You have to accept that having a large bit of metal in it means that it is not a normal leg any more. Two years on and it feels normal most of the time, but not all the time. For the first 6mths and year of recovery you will be very aware when walking that one of your leg feels noticeably different. However, as time goes by, it starts to feel less and less different to the extent that you don’t think about it much, but you are still aware of it. Don’t be disheartened into thinking you can’t do the things you did before, as you can, you will just be much more aware and careful with your leg. Doing the physio and exercising the leg can actually make it stronger than it was before the IM Nail.

Do you still get pain?
No, I wouldn’t describe it as pain, but I get niggles from time to time. For example, yesterday I had a few niggles just below the knee whilst in Central London. I’ve been ill with a fever and been stuck in bed so it was the first time I had walked anywhere in a few days. I had to sit in an uncomfortable chair for an hour or so and when I got up and had to start carrying/moving stuff around I noticed the niggle. No great pain, just small blasts of it feeling sore and a bit weird. It didn’t prevent me from walking around or doing what I was doing.

Have the scars gone?
Nope, they have faded a bit, but not a lot. As you can see below there is still an annoying brown/bruise type mark where the tibia broke. I had hoped that this would have gone away as it’s nowhere near as sexy as an operation scar. Oh, and apologies about the hairy legs!

Will you have the IM Nail taken out?
It’s definitely something I am considering doing, but because I don’t get lots of pain, just niggles, it is not a priority. I am going to organise a visit with the consultant to see what the options are and review the risks.

Have you had any other issues?
Two months ago (November), I had a problem with a shin splint type pain in my bad leg so had to rest it for a few weeks. Shin splints are caused by muscle imbalances in the legs and I think because I hadn’t been keeping up my exercising (I cancelled my gym membership a few months beforehand) this caused this issue.

Any words of advice or encouragement?
Yes, absolutely. Although the above has focussed on issues I have had, I feel my leg is really good right now and I am happy with it. Although doctors tell us that it takes 6mths to recover, it is actually longer than this. We will still get pain and soreness for much longer even though we can be very active on our leg. Be patient with any pain, it should subside eventually. If you are still getting a lot of pain after a year then definitely go back to discuss with your consultants. Even when the leg is feeling good a year after the operation, do keep up some of the physio. I still do the standing on tip toes on my bad leg from time to time (sets of 15).

Can I get in touch with someone who posted a comment as it seems they experienced what I am going through now?
Potentially yes, this has happened already. I will get in touch with the person and ask if they are happy for you to contact them.  Please send me an email: jake.t.mcmillan@gmail.com

Please share your experiences! It really is useful for others to hear about what you have gone through. Also, if you have any questions or worries, then maybe others have an answer.

Jake McMillan

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<<< Me and My IM Nail (Part 6) – 1 Year after the accident

Me and My IM Nail (Part 8) – 3 Years after the accident >>>

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Fast Forward Anxiety

by Jake McMillan

Do you suffer from fast-forward anxiety? This occurs when you’re watching a recorded programme with other people and you need to fast forward through the advertisements. As you fast-forward the others will silently judge you on the speed of fast-forwarding (FF) you use and whether you can stop at the correct point.

For example, I live with three other people at the moment and we each FF the Sky+ box in different ways. One of them FF at only 2x as she is scared to make a mistake, whereas I am the alpha male, remote-wise, and will FF at 30x.

As I FF in my manly loose canon way, I can see out of the corner of my eye the anxiety and stress caused in the others as they think I am going too fast. “He’ll never be able to stop in time” they think. You can see the relief as they let out a breath as the FF stops as the programme resumes.

The more you notice the anxiety caused by this social situation, the more anxiety it will create in you as you feel the stress to perform. Only the other day I prematurely ejaculated FF-wise and hit play way too soon.

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Interesting James Bond Trivia

Whether you’re just discovering the world of James Bond 007 or have been a fan for years, the following trivia should be of interest to you. If you are a true Bond aficionado then you should know them already, but do you know them all?!

1) M’s Real Name
M’s real name is Vice Admiral Sir Miles Messervy. Revealed in Fleming’s final book ‘Man with the Golden Gun’. In the 1977 Spy Who Loved Me, General Gogol actually refers to M as  Miles when they are together, “Miles, after you“, during the scenes they explain to 007 that he and Triple X will be working together on the mission.

2) Sean Connery wore a Toupee 
Sean Connery wears a toupee in all the James Bond movies he appears in.

3) Jaws’s Real Name
In the screenplay, Jaws is revealed to be Polish and his real name is Zbigniew Krycsiwiki.

4) Roger Moore has played Bond the Most Times
Roger Moore has played Bond the most in official bond films – 7, although so has Sean Connery if you include Never Say Never Again (a remake of Thunderball).

5) The Top Rated Bond Films on IMDb
The following are the Top 12 rated Bond films on IMDb (Correct as of 14th November 2012):

Skyfall 8.1 (out of 10) – 97,000 votes
Casino Royale 7.9  - 267,000 votes
Goldfinger 7.8 – 80,000 votes
From Russia with Love 7.5 – 50,000 votes
Dr No 7.3 – 65,000 votes
Goldeneye 7.2 – 120,000 votes 
The Spy Who Loved Me 7.1 – 43,000 votes
Thunderball 7.0 – 46,000 votes
You Only Live Twice 6.9 – 42,000 votes
OHMSS 6.8 – 33,000 votes
Live and Let Die 6.8 – 42,000 votes
For Your Eyes Only 6.8 – 41,000 votes
Quantum of Solace 6.7 – 176,000 votes

The lowest ranked Bond film is Die Another Day with a score of 6.0 (105,000 votes).

Non-official James Bond film Never Say Never Again has a score of 6.1 from 31,000 votes.

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6) For Your Eyes Only Underwater Scenes Weren’t Underwater
The close-ups of Carole Bouquet and Roger Moore for the underwater scenes were actually filmed in a studio with a windfan to produce the effect of floating hair. The scenes were then played in slow motion with the bubbles added in.

7) The Gun Barrel Opening Sequence
Maurice Binder designed the gun barrel opening at the last minute, by pointing a pinhole camera through a real gun barrel. The actor in the sequence is not Sean Connery, but stuntman Bob Simmons. Connery didn’t film the sequence himself until Thunderball.
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8) Q/Major Boothroyd
“Q”/ Major Boothroyd played by Desmond Llewelyn appears for the first time in From Russia With Love. This character was played by Peter Burton in Dr. No. When Burton was unable to return for this film, the role was recast with Llewelyn in the part. Llewelyn would reprise the role of “Q” in 16 subsequent Bond films (17 performances in all, but he didn’t appear in Live and Let Die. Q is referred to by his real name, “Major Boothroyd,” only in Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and The Spy Who Loved Me.

9) Octopussy Stunt Actually Real
In Octopussy, during the scene the TukTuks are racing through the busy Indian street, a bike goes between the two vehicles. This was not a rehearsed stunt, but a local riding through not realising they were filming!
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10) Maud Adams Appeared in 3 James Bond Films
Very eagle eyed viewers can spot Maud Adams as a woman in the crowd at Fisherman’s Wharf in ‘A View to a Kill’. Adams happened to be visiting San Francisco when the film was in production there. Roger Moore got her to appear as an uncredited extra in a crowd scene, making her the only actress to appear in 3 Bond films (excluding actresses in recurring roles), after The Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy. http://commanderbond.net/2410/james-bond-mystery-solved-maud-adams-found-in-a-view-to-a-kill.html

11) Dolph Lundgren’s First Role in A View to a Kill
Although only appearing very briefly, A View to a Kill is Dolph Lundgren‘s first on-screen role, playing General Gogol’s KGB bodyguard Venz. He landed the position because he was dating Grace Jones at the time of the filming, and was conveniently on set when director John Glenrealized he quickly needed someone to fill in as a simple gun wielding body guard. You can spot him 52mins in to the film.

12) Jaws Had Only One Line of Dialogue
Actor Richard Kiel has only one line of dialogue in his two Bond appearances as “Jaws” (Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me). He says, “Well, here’s to us,” near the end of Moonraker to his blonde girlfriend.

 13) Recurring Drunk Tourist Role
The guy on the beach who looks bemused as he sees Bond’s Lotus Esprit come out of the water in The Spy Who Loved Me, also appears in Moonraker & For Your Eyes Only. His real name is Victor Tourjanski and he is not an actor, he is an Assistant Director.

14) The Last Film Elvis Presley Saw
Elvis Presley saw The Spy Who Loved Me on August 10th 1977 during a special viewing at the General Cinema in Whitehaven, TN. It was the last movie he saw as he died six days later on August 16th 1977 at the age of 42.

15) American Actor James Brolin Almost Played James Bond
During casting, James Brolin was almost given the role of James Bond when at the last minute, Roger Moore agreed to play Bond again. Brolin’s screen tests can be seen on the DVD. Moore had gone out of contract after Moonraker, and had agreed to return to the role one more time in For Your Eyes Only. The production went with Moore because this film would be competing with Never Say Never Again starring original and former James Bond actor and legend Sean Connery. The uncertainty in using an American actor in the role and having to introduce a new actor in going-up against Connery were the reasons. In the meantime, Oliver Tobias, Michael Billington, Timothy Dalton and Ian Ogilvy had also been considered for James Bond.

16) The Eldest James Bond
Despite being the third actor to play James Bond in the official films, Roger Moore is 3 years older than Sean Connery. Moore was born in 1927 and Connery in 1930.

17) JFK’s Top 10 Favourite Books
When then US President John F. Kennedy listed Ian Fleming”s book From Russia With Love among his top ten favourite novels of all time, a list published in Life Magazine, March 17, 1961, the producers decided to make this the second James Bond movie.

18) MI6 Objection to Bond Filming
When the real MI6 learned that ‘The World is Not Enough’ would shoot a scene around their headquarters, they moved to prohibit it, citing a security risk. However, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, at the urging of Member of Parliament Janet Anderson, moved to overrule them and allow the shoot, stating, “After all Bond has done for Britain, it was the least we could do for Bond.”

19) Ian Fleming’s Secret Cameo in From Russia with Love
It is rumoured that Ian Fleming made a secret appearance in From Russia with Love, but it has never been confirmed or denied by the film-makers. Make up your own mind by reading the following and watching the clip of the film.

20) Octopussy Phantom Nipple
I went to see Octopussy on my friend Jonathan Owen’s birthday with his younger brother Duncan and a few others. Duncan Owen afterwards claimed you could see the nipple of  Kristina Wayborn when she is standing at her bedroom door when Bond is staying at Khan’s Palace. This isn’t true! However, at the beginning of Diamonds Are Forever you can see a nipple very briefly when Bond (Connery) rips off the bikini top of Marie (played by Denise Perrier) trying to find the location of Blofeld.

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James Bond is an A##hole

A friend sent me this funny link earlier today, which is a silly song (to the 007 theme) explaining why James Bond is, in fact, a bit of a prick.

Warning: it does contain bad language.