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!

Trying To Stay Positive...

 

I'm trying really hard to stay positive, but pain does weird things to a person. I'm sharing this photo again to show you at least one of my knees. It's swollen, and that's the good one. The more recently injured one is much more swollen and red.

The knee that you can see is the knee that's bone-on-bone, meaning there is no cartilage left in the knee joint. I favored it for a few years until I had my silly accident in February. February 7th, to be exact. That's the day the new dog bed arrived from Amazon, and the day I severely twisted my knee trying to place the bed just right in the living room for the dogs. The dogs never used the bed in the living room, by the way. When I finally took it away because it was just taking up useless space, it went into the back seat area of Handsome's truck where the girls love it! Anyway, that's how I know the exact date.

I kept thinking my twisted knee would heal and feel better, but it hasn't. My "bad" knee became my "good" knee, and it's been the stronger of the two for getting me up and down stairs, or for anything else I needed to do. We do what we have to when we need to. (Hmmmm. Perhaps I should embroider that on a shirt?)

After Handsome got back from Florida, I made the first appointment with an orthopedist. He suspected a torn meniscus because of the way it was injured. I was sent home with meds and an appointment for an MRI. That appointment had to be cancelled because I had a device in my hip that precluded the test. My most recent surgical procedure was to remove that device because it was causing its own set of issues, so I was then able to reschedule the MRI. As you know, that happened on Monday.

I decided to check my health care "portal" last night, to find that the MRI results are back. I'm not doctor, but I can understand enough to know that there's no way I'm going to be able to avoid surgery on the knee I injured. The report also completely explains why I've been in such terrible pain since the accident. I did purchase a set of bamboo fabric compression sleeves, which have been an immense help when I'm working or know I'll be on my feet for a longer period of time, but the pain never really goes away. No medicine helps either, by the way, so I take Tylenol when it's nearly unbearable to bring it back to a bearable level.

Handsome and I meet with the doctor this afternoon, and then I'll get all of this explained in layman's terms. I know I'm not going to be happy, but I also know something needs to be done soon. Pain can make a person ugly (at least on the inside), and I fear it will make me ugly on the outside if it's not handled. So, once again, we'll do what's required. I'll let you know the details after I hear them today. 

More Scones...

Farmhouse Strawberry and Strawberry Pecan Scones

I baked again yesterday. I made more scones to take to work, share with Andy and Shelly, and still have a few left for Handsome for the rest of the week.

The last batch was well-received, so I wanted to spread out my audience past relatives to see if the reviews hold up. Personally, I prefer the strawberry and pecan variety, but Handsome loves them either way.

I may try some rhubarb scones, too. My rhubarb patch is huge this year, so I could make some, and if they're as tasty as these strawberry ones, I could make and freeze them to bake and ice later. I'll probably do a trial batch to get some feedback from Handsome.

The MRI went well...at least I think it did. I fell fast asleep listening to music and the whirrrrrr of the machine. I'll see the orthopedist tomorrow to see what he thinks. Handsome will be going with me for his own appointment, as his back has been torturing him for the past two weeks. I convinced him to have a specialist take a look. Poor guy really needs some relief that doesn't involve medication that completely knocks him out.

I'll be at work today, so I hope he takes it easy. The bamboo compression sleeves I purchased have really helped support my knees while I'm at the station, so that's a plus. I guess I'd better grab my morning cuppa and get ready to go. I never want to be late, and the sooner I get there, the sooner I get back home.

I hope you have a great day. Do something creative and think of me, okay? See you tomorrow.