Life Updates

The last couple of months just flew by, and I realize I have not posted since May. Yes, other posts have found their way here, but I know many are reading this for the medical updates.

The knees have still been an issue. (See previous update for background info: http://www.tlkpride.org/knarrlysblog/life-updates/) I followed the rules for the first month. The next appointment they put me with a brand new physician’s assistant. She agreed with the first “doctor”, that it was a tracking issue of sorts (??). She said I was not feeling better because I “refused” physical therapy. (Side note: I never refused it. The last “doctor” asked if I have ever been to PT, and I mentioned I went to it for my ankle a while ago, and that it was discontinued because it made the ankle worse. So she said she would not subject me again for fear that it would irritate the ankle.) I informed her what really happened and said I was not opposed to PT if it would help. But my condition was that no exercises that would irritate the ankle: weight bearing, elliptical, exercise bikes, treadmill, etc. So off to PT I went. It started out…ok. I was not improving any. It felt worse if anything, but at least I was not doing anything that would hurt the ankle. Then they introduced the bike, which I was promised would not happen. I protested that this would bother my ankle, and they told me it wouldn’t. They were wrong. Then came the leg press weights…weight bearing on the ankle. I actually laughed after the one day, and said whatever they were hoping to accomplish was not working because I was only pushing the whole weight with my left foot and avoiding my right because it hurt so much. So the right was not seeing any benefits. They brushed me off. I went on vacation for two weeks and got a blessed relief from torture. I went back to the sports medicine place, and had yet another physician’s assistant. I told him my concerns. He started examining my knees and they popped every time he moved them. He looked a bit concerned and told me he was going to get the supervising doctor. (Finally!) The doctor came in and checked me out, and revealed that he thought it was osteo-arthritis all along. This was what I thought it was, and the pain management people thought! He told me that osteo-arthritis doesn’t always show on x-rays. After a knee injection, I left the office with much less pain. I get the other knee done Friday. I am so glad the mystery is gone and we are on the right track.

Buddy: While my PT drama went on, Buddy needed his own PT. His back has been bothering him a bit, and it is because the bone grafts are taking hold at this stage. So we have been going to visits together. Talk about some quality mother/son time. *lol* He spends most of his PT multi-tasking between his therapy and his smartphone. School is over, he graduated!

Sierra: Sierra is the same, medically. But good news this summer, she was accepted into a PBS summer program! They only chose like a couple out of each area school! She is very excited.

Everyone else in the immediate family is stable.

My mom though, is another matter. She had a bit of drama a few months ago where they found a lump on her breast. Thankfully, the power of prayer worked and no trace of the lump was fund on the testing! Now, new drama. She was at a doctor appointment and they found multiple nodules on her thyroid! So she was referred to a surgeon. The surgeon sent her for a fine needle aspiration this morning. We are awaiting the test results. More on that soon, I hope.

That is all for now. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!