On The Bright Side...

I'll have plenty of time to complete my bluebirds - and a few other projects! We had the appointment with the orthopedist yesterday and here's the news:

1) The meniscus is, in fact, severely torn on one side. The doctor likened it to a tree that's been uprooted. My meniscus is not attached to anything on the outer side of my knee joint, and as such is trying to squeeze itself out of the joint completely. This is bad.

2) I have the beginnings of arthritis in the joint (already in my other knee), and that can be addressed along with the tears.

3) The inner side of the joint also has a slight tear, but is thankfully still attached to the bone. It's a minor repair.

4) There is also a buildup of fluid trying to exit the back of the joint, causing some of the constant Level 10 pain I'm experiencing.

5) Post arthroscopic surgery recovery time with only toe-touch weight on that leg, is approximately TWELVE WEEKS. That would include post-op crutches and physical therapy.

I have three choices, only two of which are viable. 1) Do nothing. Not an option. 2) Full knee replacement. I'm not a fan of the option, even though I'm told that's now the only option for my other knee. and 3) arthroscopic surgery to repair the tears with about an 80% success rate.

I'm waiting for a phone call from the scheduling office to set the date for a pre-op physical therapy appointment, as well as the surgery date. I'm told that the longer I wait to do this, the more damage can occur in the joint. If the meniscus completely breaks free, it can't be saved. I'll be bone-on-bone on both knees with no other options but replacement. So, I'll be scheduling this asap.

I called my boss tonight to drop the news. She's wonderful. She said, "Don't worry about us. We'll figure it out. You need to take care of you and then heal." She assured me there will be a job waiting for me if I choose to go back...which I'd definitely do for her.

As the stairs in the farmhouse will likely be an issue for a while, we'll probably set up my smaller farmhouse bed in Handsome's downstairs office to avoid them altogether as I heal. We'll see if we can get help to move the bed down from the attic and set it up in the next week or so. I'll move some clothes downstairs, too, to make life easier all around.

The best possible news - the bright side - is that it appears I'll have lots of time for my needlework. I'll finish this bluebird project, make more spoolies, and also update my Etsy shop with new items for sale.  That means I'll also bring some supplies downstairs so I'm fully prepared for a little leisure time once the surgery is accomplished. 

I'll probably know the date before the weekend, so I'll also have time to make the other preparations. I think it's gonna be a little bumpy for us for a while, but like we always say, "It's what we do." We'll handle this as well.

Handsome is already feeling better, but he saw the doctor yesterday, too. He's scheduled for an MRI next week. The doctor will see him after that appointment, and once we know exactly what's causing this, we can look to help him to be pain-free.

Hope this all wasn't too boring for you, my friends. I don't want you to worry about me. We'll get this all figured out, and in the meantime, I'll be treating my knee with the utmost care to avoid further damage. I guess when I have an accident, I manage to go all in. I keep shaking my head at my rotten luck, but I'll continue to look to the bright side. It can be fixed, and as I'm a really good healer, I'm confident this will heal better than the statistics. We've got this, but prayers are always appreciated. You already knew that, right? Thank you in advance.

I have a baking order to fulfill today. I'm going to be busy, but careful. I promise. I'll show you what I accomplish tomorrow. Thanks again!