Friday, May 1, 2009

Semi-Crappy Knees and Packing and Such....

Although I didn't tell anyone ahead of time, I went to the knee doctor today. He's actually an orthopedic doctor but since all I ever discuss with him is knees, he's my knee doctor :-)

I'd seen him a couple of weeks ago about a baker's cyst, and we agreed it wouldn't kill me. Basically I was chicken and didn't want to have it drained. So I strongly suggested that he agree with me that it could wait.

But it really couldn't. When the back of your knee sticks out almost as far as the front, well, I don't want people to wonder if I'm coming or going, so I decided to suck it up and go for it.

I really wasn't looking forward to it. When I had a splitting headache this morning, I realized it was the stress of dreading it. I realized this because of the splitting headache from stress I had the last time I had to have it drained.

Crappy knees, crappy knees, crappy knees.

Thanks, I feel better.

So 'Poke-em Bill' came in, with two syringes for step one, and three for step two. It's just not good when you have five syringes sitting there and you're the only patient. I mean, I only have two knees for pity's sake.

Since it was the back of my knee, I rolled over on my stomach. I will tell you I showered and shaved my legs before going to this appointment, so as not to creep Bill out with kneecaps that feel like what elephants at the zoo's kneecaps look like. So I was confident my dignity was intact.

He said, 'big pinch' and it's just not good when they say 'big' before 'pinch'. Usually they at least lie and say 'little pinch', so you can figure if they say 'big pinch' it's really 'son-of-a-gun pinch'. So I laid there and clinched my fists as hard as I could to redirect my knee misery to my nails digging into my hands, having something else painful to concentrate on. It seemed to help. When he told me to roll over, I was happy to see three of the five syringes gone. Two filled, one emptied.

Getting shots in your knees is just creepy and it doesn't help that you have to sit there and look at it. You could turn your head, but I don't. The miserableness of it somehow fascinates me. I didn't love it, but I didn't die.

As soon as he was done, I realized I was somewhat worn out from dreading the whole thing. The nurses told me they'd heard the orders to grab all the syringes out in the hall and wondered 'who's the human pincushion?'

They then told me I should find the closest source of chocolate and consume it. I'm not real big on chocolate but I happened to pass Sonic on the way home, and a large strawberry ice cream float soothed whatever was left of my jitters.

So I'm set for packing - our daughter's house, and then ours, and unpacking our daughter's and ours, to two different locations 1200 miles apart.

And I have an appointment after all the moving is done, for him to survey the damage and tell me if he thinks we need any further jabbings.

I'm not loving this vicious cycle I seem to be stuck on, but it could be worse. I could be deathly afraid of needles. I don't know who came up with cortisone, but I'm thankful for them, and also for 'Poke-em Bill' who is pretty darned good at his job, which included engaging conversation while I laid there clinching my fists. And icing on the cake - you can tell which direction I'm going - straight into the future of retired life in the heart of Texas.

6 comments:

Judith said...

Bev, I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, but hope it gives some relief, and I would think setting your mind on other things, while it can't relieve it, at least makes you feel a little closer to that long awaited retirement.

Gretchen said...

Yucky mc yuck for you, my friend. Hope this gives some much needed relief and less pain while packing.

I think we have like, 1 Sonic in all of WA. I'll just have to find a substitute somewhere. But don't you worry about me. I will. For food is priority.

Linda said...

I know I shouldn't smile, but you have such a great way with words Bev. I really do hope this will be the last you have to see of "Poke em Bill."
I
Packing isn't much fun, but I'm looking forward to having you living in my neck of the woods (sort of - Texas is a rather large place).

Unknown said...

Well I'm glad that is over with. I've had the same thing with my elbow. Twice. They call it tennis elbow which is a whole lot more palatable than just plain tendonitis. And belies the fact that I have not played tennis in years. Cortisone is a gift :)

Barb said...

This is so not a funny situation, but you managed to make me laugh. You can imagine how I'd have handled those five syringes and if he'd said "big pinch" to me I might have punched his lights out.

Kidding. Sort of.

Lamaze. When I have to do something that I know isn't going to be fun, I immediately go back to my Lamaze breathing and focusing on something else. It helps. And there's just no way, no way!, I could watch those needles going in. Ugh.

I wouldn't trade your crappy knees for my crappy feet, for all the tea in China. Which one of our parents can we blame? :-)

xoxoxo

zztop357 said...

Well right now the Doc injected my right hip.Last trip my left hand.One before that right hand. Now it;s time to do the right hand again.My other Dr injected my elbows every 3 months. Nothing has really helped, so why make myself miserable.
First Doc thought it was tendinitis. It isn't.I have 2 kinds of arthritis and fibromalgia .You can have blood work done to determine what kind you have. Maybe anti- inflammatory's will work for up. I hope and pray that they at least help some.
God bless, Donna