Month: October 2017

I had an appointment on Friday with Dr. Moore. I was told that he works closely with Dr. Frush but he is a non surgical sports medicine doctor.   My knee was kind of hurting when I saw him. When he came in, I noticed he was really tall and he spoke freely with my mom and me both.   He pressed my knee in all the spots where it hurt and he talked about a few options to help it to feel better.

He talked about another Cortisone shot to help and if that didn’t work to do a procedure called Tenex.   If that didn’t work either, he talked about a third procedure but that is not covered by insurance. He told me it would be about $1000. I don’t have $1000 for a procedure so I’m hoping that the first two options work out.   He pulled up the images of my ultrasound and took a look at them.

He decided that we would do a Cortisone shot that day, see how it does, make a return appointment in about four weeks, and then see what we’ll do from there.   The nurse came back in to get things ready for the Cortisone shot. I had two previous Cortisone shots from Dr. Frush  with one not making my knee feel better before surgery and one making my knee feel a little better after surgery.

After the nurse readied the needle for the shot, she left and brought back in the ultrasound machine. Dr. Moore came back in and we kind of played musical chairs where to situate me in the room so this could work.  Dr. Moore is a couple of years younger than me so when he put my chair, in the corner, facing it, he laughed at my Blair Witch Project reference.

After all of  equipment was set up, I commented that this is a little bit more involved of a Cortisone shot than the ones I received from Dr. Frush.   The nurse sprayed numbing solution on the medial side of my knee and then glopped a whole bunch of ointment on for the ultrasound machine. Dr. Moore pushed the ultrasound wand onto my knee  and looked at the monitor that was over my shoulder. My mom said that it looked like the ocean and I think those scans look more like a pork loin.

Dr. Moore put the needle in my knee and looked at the monitor. He moved the needle around a bunch while it was inside my knee.   I had a needle moving around in my knee. That should hurt. But, it didn’t because it was numbed.   After he found a good spot, he injected the Cortisone into my knee.

He asked how my knee felt and at that moment it felt good. It felt completely numb. He told me we may have found the spot where it would do the  most good for my knee but told me to make a return appointment for four weeks to see. I left, and my return appointment is set for November 10th.   As my mom and I were driving home, my knee started to hurt.

I can’t believe that it has been over a year since my knee was injured and it still hurts! I told Dr. Moore that I told Dr. Frush   that he could cut my leg off but Dr. Moore agreed with him that that was not a good idea. Since my latest Cortisone shot, my knee moves from a dull ache too a sharp, stabbing pain.  I know that is not normal but I hope to get some more answers at my next appointment.

Dr. Moore said the Tenex is where they  make a small incision to put a needle in  and then he said something about scraping my tendon and then I kind of stopped listening. That sounded gross! But if it’s going to help,  I’m not going to argue. I just hope this procedure works so I don’t have to do the procedure that is not covered by insurance.

I received two calls last Friday. The first call was from Kristen, Dr. Frush’s assistant, and she told me that the ultrasound showed that everything with my MCL was okay but I have tendinitis in my knee and she wants me to make an appointment with Dr. Moore.  He works with Dr. Frush and is a non-surgical sports medicine doctor.   I was shocked that there is still something wrong with my knee over a year after my original injury and over five months after surgery. But I felt better that Dr. Moore works closely with Dr. Frush.

The second call was  Audrey from Dr. Frush’s office.   She was calling to schedule my appointment with Dr. Moore. I see him this coming Friday. Audrey spoke of the possibility of a Cortisone shot or a steroid shot to reduce the inflammation  but Dr. Moore would know more once he sees me. He works out of the same office as Dr. Frush.

I told all of this to Brad and Larry as they got me onto the table. Brad started out by putting me in traction and that relieved some of the pain temporarily.  He bent my knee and rubbed it out.  Brad pressed the places where it hurt and I think that concurred with tendinitis. I did an abbreviated version of my leg lifts and then I pushed my heel down to the table as  my knee was bent and his hand was on my hamstring to feel the muscle activation.

Then, Larry came over and we got ready for stands. Standing was difficult on Monday. Of my four downs, I only *BINK*ed once.   My knee kind of hurt as I was trying to stand. Larry asked how my, “Jendinitis”  was doing and I said it kind of hurt my knee to stand and I stood one more time and for a brief, shining moment I was able to stand fully but it was not even long enough for a *BINK.*

My mom came over as he hooked up the stim and he said that the tendinitis  might be a good thing. I couldn’t imagine how my pain could be good but he explained that  inflammation comes from movement and the fact that I can move my knee is a step in the right direction. The inflammation is a setback and I hope to get that figured out on Friday.   So then, maybe I can get back to Barwis!

Larry and Brad helped me get onto the table so as Brad was grabbing my ankles, I showed him where my knee was especially hurting that day. Rather then a dull aching, it felt like a sharp pain. I pressed where it hurt  and he told me that we would probably put some tape on my knee today.   He put my right leg in traction and that made it feel a little better.

As I laid back on the table, I asked Brad who he was going to be for Halloween of the Game of Thrones cast. He said that he doesn’t know the guy’s name  but he  has a beard. I asked him if it was the guy with the red hair?   I  like that guy and I told him that I didn’t know his name either but he has red hair and he is still alive. I have since found out that his name in the series is Tormund Giantsbane.

Brad said he would have to get a red wig and a big fur coat and I smiled and told him that he was a wildling! He bent my right knee  and rubbed it out. We started leg lifts with my left leg first and I told him that it was showing my right leg what to do.   After I finished the leg lifts on both legs, we got ready to stand. Larry told me to, “get in the zone” and that I was going to *BINK.*

For my first two downs, I stood up strong and *BINK*ed easily.  For my second two downs I could not *BINK* at all.   I sat down on the table after my four downs and looked at Brad and told him that maybe I just have two *BINK*s in me.   He gave me one more down and I was surprised that I was able to stand up strong and hold it for a moment. As I stood up to a *BINK* my eyes got wide and I looked at Brad and told him that this was, “The third *BINK.*” As Larry and Brad  helped me to lay back down on the table, I told them that I didn’t even biff the End zone celebration this time because I held it for longer than a split second.   Larry hooked me up with ice and stim and my knee felt better for this brief, shining moment.

I worked with Luba yesterday and Larry came over to help get me onto the table and Luba called him, “Lar-Bear.”  I laughed and said that I loved it! Larry just kind of smiled and shook his head and Luba and Larry helped me onto the table.   I told Larry that I call my  lifelong friend Marilyn, Mar-Bear.   I told him that I liked how that sounded and it definitely would stick!

He continued to shake his head and walked away. Luba asked how my knee felt as she bent it and rubbed it. I told her that it felt wobbly over the weekend. It didn’t pop out but it felt shaky like something was going to happen anytime I transferred. She had me pull my knee in and push it out which I did not do very well and she told me all of the therapists were going is be the Game of Thrones cast for Halloween. I really liked that because I just binged the whole series not too long ago and I hoped I would be at ATI on Halloween.

She asked me if I wanted stim. or ultrasound.  I told her that I have just had stim. and ice since after surgery.   Larry came over and hooked me up.  It’s going to take me a minute to  get used to calling him Lar-Bear but I hope I do! Because that’s fun!