Month: October 2024

Osteoarthritis too?!

So, I went to the pain clinic on September 27 and the doctor looked at my knee and pressed it in two spots. Both spots he pressed; hurt! He gave me a new tens unit prescription and asked me to get a new x-ray of my knee because the last one was done in 2019.

I opted to get my x-ray the day we were going to the cider mill to my Mother’s chagrin! But, it all got done! I was for sure stressed before we left for the x-ray but I had a passing thought that maybe I could just have the x-ray while I am sitting in my chair.

We went through the same rig-a-ma-role about the doctor I saw, and the fact that this is a Worker’s Comp. injury. My Mom told them just to put it on my normal insurance and we will let them fight it out in the days and months to come.

I have yet to see if there’s a big dispute about it but the x-ray tech, Amanda, was wonderful! My Mom came with me and we weren’t sure how we were going to get me onto the table. Amanda thought about it for a moment and had me come around to the backside of the table so that I could remain sitting in my chair to get the x-rays of my right knee.

My Mom just held the board between my thighs. Amanda was able to get her first shot and then she asked me if she could put tape on my skin. I don’t have a problem with that so I told her it was no problem. I remember that my Dad had a problem with tape being put on his skin. Amanda taped my knee to the board as my Mom still held the board between my thighs.

She was able to get both x-rays and I’m still waiting for the doctor to review them. I read the results which made no sense to me but it does say that I have osteoarthritis. Well, of course I would have it! The two knee injuries that I have had on this knee, I remember my physical therapist at ATI, Brad, told me that in order for you to tear a ligament, your bones have to hit quite traumatically!

Well, I have done that to my right knee twice! Both times were NOT my fault!!!

Shocking

I think that my Mom took this picture two years ago. I know that she took it because I am laughing because that’s why I have smiled so big, but I don’t think I can smile that big even if I tried anymore. Additionally, my hair is so long!!!:

I never thought I would say that, because I never thought that my hair would be as short as it is now, but it is even shorter than it was in this picture. This picture popped up when we were leaving the house and going to the naturopath. After our excursion, I am still shocked at how big I was smiling and how long my hair was! it’s not that long anymore and that fact is shocking all by itself when I think about it for too long…

Civically Responsible

I woke up this morning, knowing that it would be a recovery day. as I am trying to wake up and become coherent, I scroll absentmindedly through Facebook and I saw this today:

Screenshot

I thought that I would show my Mom because both of us have completed our ballots already. When she came to get me out of bed today, she told me that she put them in the dropbox at City Hall. I was happy to hear that because this year was the first year that I received one of these stickers that I can’t wait to put on my phone because now it’s true:

check out Me being civically responsible!!!

So Much More Difficult

It was ‘go time’ today and I got everything done. Yay. But man, it was so much more difficult!!! I am still trying to wrap my head around it right now. All I know is of October 28, 2023, I woke up with my hips burning, both of them! That was the day that I started using wedges every night to save my hips.

I realized then that my disease was progressing but I am not sure that I know how to handle what happened today at my doctor appointment and my subsequent haircut. My Mom had to put my coat on for me completely. Like I was a child. It was really cold for me today and I wore my winter coat and hat.

But, tomorrow, after my knee x-ray, we are going to the Cider Mill!!! I have been looking forward to this since last year and it WON’T rain tomorrow like last year…

Racing

Tomorrow morning marks ‘go time’ and my mind is racing!!! Getting up and out of the house is getting harder! So much harder! I need to go to the naturopath and then we are getting haircut. Thursday we are going to a cider Mill after I get an x-ray and pay my water bill.

And because it’s October now, I am getting lasagna!!! I’m so glad that I can still eat that! It’s getting cold now and I need the warmth!

“The 12th of November”

When my Mom went to the orthopedist a couple weeks ago about her finger I asked how the appointment went and asked her if she has a return appointment. She told me that the doctor says that her finger is healed but it hurts and then she said, “The 12th of November”

Immediately when she said that to me, my eyes welded up, and I started to cry! I completely surprised myself! But I cry all the time now! But I was specifically thinking about a time when my Mom sang to my Dad when he was in the hospital. I am pretty sure that this was near the end…

Sean came by and I asked him to pull this song up and I told him about my Mom and Dad. He pulled it up and I heard the opening bars and I lost it! I think it’s a little crazy that it Johnny Mathis song make me cry, but it does now:

So Much More Involved

My new tens unit arrived last Saturday. When we opened the box, I saw that it is so much more involved than the previous tens unit I had!!!

I really couldn’t understand why it was so different but this is a different medical facility then when I first received it in December 2017. I was lucky that my Mom went to the orthopedist last Friday for her finger, he explained the differences to her and how I should best use it.

I know I have posted pictures of my tens unit before that looked like a pager from the 90s. This one looks a little different:

it took some time, but I think we have figured it out. I will keep it in the tens unit mode for the duration of me wearing it. The battery will definitely die quickly. I was given for additional batteries in the package with the leads that I received.

We called Zynex before I started using it, and ‘Jennifer’ helped us. She told us to call when we need anything. I think that this medical supply company is different than my normal medical supply companies. She asked if I was still in litigation regarding this matter. I told her, “Yes.” so it seems like I will have a second medical supply company sending me supplies. I never once expected my life to be like this!!!

I really like that I can see the lights easily. It was not that easy to look at the lights on the last tens unit I had. It will be like this for the rest of my life. But somehow, that is just a little bit daunting… or a lot!!!

So that Explains It!

I woke up this morning, knowing that I was going to pillage today. I got so concerned when I cried multiple times while getting ready today. It was the ugly face crying that I was doing. I felt it. But then it started raining so hard for about 10 minutes. So that explains it! That’s why I was crying! Disease progression ain’t no joke and that’s what’s going on right now. ‘Go time’ is on Wednesday.