Things have been slowly declining with my osteoarthritis. It kind of just snuck up on me really. A few weeks ago I partially tore my rotator cuff on my left side. The ER doctor gave me a sling to wear during the day. Then some pain meds to take so I could get some relief and sleep. I'm not gonna lie. It was amazing. I had no pain. I was able to rest and my shoulder is healing great. I'm doing the exercises I learned in physical therapy from the first time I tore this back a few years ago.
When I say I had no pain I mean NO PAIN. My knees felt heavenly. At one point a went down to take a nap and instead just laid there. I wanted to be awake. I wanted to soak in this new feeling.
After a few days I was off the pain meds. While my shoulder was just bothersome, my knees were killing me! I couldn't stand, walk, use stairs, or sit with my legs bending without extreme pain. I dusted of my walker and crutches. On Friday I got out of my sisters car. I was walking like a 90 year old and she said "ok you are calling your doctor now. Something isn't right."
Tuesday (which is today) I had x-rays and an appointment with my orthopedist first thing in the morning. My OA is declining and something is up with my "good" knee. The knee I had surgery on. Both knees were very swollen and inflamed. My doctor took one look and said "what the hell happened?"
After some talking he came to the conclusion that my good knee is compensating for the pain and lack of function in my bad knee. My doctor drained about 25 ml of orange fluid from my good knee and gave me a shot of cortisone. Usually in the past I would get an injection of Synvisc in my bad knee, a synthetic gel to take the place of cartilage temporarily. Aetna, my insurance, stopped covering this. My only option was to receive a cortisone shot which most of the time doesn't work, and push my surgery on the bad knee to be as soon as possible. Oh and he thinks he is already booked for January.
I'm trying to look on the positive side and think that I am almost there. Almost to the end of this knee saga. 24 months down, 10 to go. I'm working hard not to be discouraged. I can do this. I know I can. For tonight...pity, party of one.
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