January 19, 2010

The Good and the Ugly (No Need for the Bad)

Today was my first day back on campus and it was a good one. I'm teaching Fundamentals of Speech only this semester; and although it's at 8 a.m. I am pumped for this semester. First, I don't know how it happened, but this adjunct got one of the best rooms on campus. I have white boards. I have projector screens that automatically emerge from the ceiling at the push of a button. I have some ELMO thing that I don't even know how to use, but I have one. I also have enough computers for all my students, comfortably arranged around the perimeter of the room which is going to make a HUGE difference when we start researching speech topics. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but praying to the classroom assignment gods and maybe having done a semester of chalkboard purgatory have done me well.

In addition to the fantastic surroundings, I seem to have a great group of students. I have six students from previous semesters who are all awesome, and the new students seem to be a nice group of kids as well. My class is loaded with athletes and nursing majors. I might as well just give them all A's now. I had one eye-rolling girl (there's always one) who warmed up after about 15 minutes and they all seemed like good sports, even when I announced that they'd be giving a short speech today. I see a lot of potential in this group and am excited to go back to class on Thursday. Here's hoping this trend continues.

On another note, I had my awesome physical therapist and his wonderfully talented graphic designer wife over for dinner and fun this weekend. I whipped out my knee once again and had him take a look at it. Once again, my PT strongly recommended I go back to see the surgeon. I asked him what he thinks is going on and he mentioned the possibility of something going on with the screw in my tibia. Perhaps it's backing out. Sometimes screws need to be removed.

Mr. BBM did some research on it and found me pages of people on the internet who have the same problems that I have: unreasonable pain at the tibia site, the ability to feel the screw through my skin, bruising that won't go away, pain that doesn't quit, the inability to kneel in any way, shape or form without looking like a crazy person. I felt a gush of relief when I saw the pages of people with the same issue. I also felt fresh new fear.

Many people who have the problems I have had to have another surgery to remove the screw. Almost everyone who went this route reported incision pain for a couple days, followed by relief, sweet, sweet relief. If that's the problem, and it has to be done, then it's going to get done. It would absolutely figure that I'm one of the 3% who would have this problem. The symptoms seem to match up exactly to what mine are and I'm going to make an appointment and see what I can do about it.

On one hand I'm happy to know I'm not alone and that something can be done if this is my problem. On the other hand, it's another surgery, the third one on the same knee. That, I dread. However, knowing there are options and that I won't have to just accept pain as part of my daily life is a good thing.

If surgery is required, I'll need to time it just right, probably over spring break, so that I won't need to take any time away from campus. But hopefully, if this is the path I have to take, it will be the last time I have to walk down the surgery aisle, squeezing a gown shut behind me and hoping for the best. In my wildest dreams I imagine myself doing karate without feeling any pain. That alone, would be worth it right there.