The Road Not Taken

I went to see an orthopedic specialist yesterday afternoon -- Dr. Sullivan, in Austin. What an experience this was, in so many different ways.

Mom offered to go with me 'cause she knew how nervous I was about going.....there are no words I can use to describe just how thoughtful that was, and how loved that made me feel. Thanks mom. xoxo

My nervousness was eased just by the fact that Donato went with me; I am thankful he took the time from work to go with me. He had me laughing hysterically the entire time....thanks Donut. :o) We spent about an hour waiting once I got into my room.....which gave us plenty of time to just talk and cut up and joke around....thankfully we didn't 'cause too much damage. lol

When Dr. Sullivan finally got to our room, he asked all kinds of questions and poked and twisted my knee in all sorts of directions....none of which bothered me or caused pain (well, maybe the poking around my knee did a little). After talking for a few minutes, he determined that he'd like to see what was going on inside my knee, so he ordered up x-rays for me. We waited another 45 minutes or so before the technician came in and took us for x-rays.

The x-ray machine was the coolest thing ever! I actually stood on a stool with one knee in front of the other, and bent slightly. This giant arm came out of this machine and twisted around my knee. As he was positioning it and while I was shaky because it hurt to stand still like that for a long time (Donut held my hand 'cause he saw my trembling, God bless him!), we could see "live" pictures of my knee bones up on the screen! So, as I moved around, I was watching the screen to see what my knee bones and knee cap looked like! It was amazing! After taking multiple pictures/x-rays of my knees, we went back to our room to wait for the results from the doctor. (this isn't an actual picture of my knee....but it was somewhat like this.)

After about another 30 minutes, he came in to tell me my knees have osteoarthritis. Oh my.

My immediate first question was: "So, this is as good as it gets?!"

The doctor said no, right away. He said that although there is no cure for arthritis, there are several things we can do to alleviate the pain.

1) Lose weight. Interestingly enough, he told me something I didn't really know. When I told him that exercising was hard because my knees hurt so badly, he told me that the key to losing weight was not exercising, but instead the key was in counting calories. "a-ha moment!" He went on to say that if I kept my daily calorie intake no higher than 1200-1400 calories (1800 for guys), then the weight would come off by itself. (I just wish I had followed this all this time...oh well....it just means good news for the future! :o)

2) I can control the pain in a few different ways:

a) Taking 2-3 ibuprofen (200mg.) 3 times per day, on a regular basis.

b) If that didn't help, then I could take a medicine just once a day, called Meloxican.

c) If that doesn't seem to help, there are injections that I can have in my knee. One is a gel that will lubricate my knee joints and will last 10-12 months.

d) And if all this fails, the very last resort would be knee surgery. (don't wanna go there)

So, I have begun my calorie-counting and am taking 2 ibuprofen, 3 times a day now. I've decided that I want to carefully and closely monitor my blood pressure while taking all of these medicines. I'm just funny that way, I suppose....I just know how meds can mess up a body, and I don't like taking meds and try not to if I can. Thankfully, my BP has remained normal so far.

So.....the new journey officially begins....

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two riads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

Blessings,
-t

If we don't change the direction we are headed, we will end up where we are going. -Chinese Proverb