The Franken-Knee Strikes Back
It is safe to say that I seriously overdid it on the slant board this weekend. I am walking like a primate. So much for exercise being good for your posture.
Yesterday, while feeling the pain of my two weekend work-outs, I lightly bumped my leg, right on the screw sticking out of my tibia, against one of my counter stools. I didn't think anything of it, other than "Ugh, not again!" and went on responding to emails and cooking my dinner. But after about 10 minutes, I realized that my leg was hurting pretty badly and I took a look down. A line of thick blood was oozing out of my leg, right where the screw is protruding. I'm fine with most medical stuff after having been through two childbirths and two knee surgeries and multiple kid boo-boo's, but I had to seriously consider whether or not I needed to sit down and put my head between my knees for a minute.
Instead I gutted it out and got a paper towel and started dabbing away the blood. There was a little slit, right at the top of the screw area, slowly oozing blood. The area surrounding it, the size of a quarter, was already reddish-purple underneath the skin and directly above the protruding screw head, deep purplish-black.
When I realized that it was the screw, cutting me from the inside out, not the actual bump on the smooth stool that cut me open, my stomach started to turn. I've just had it with these issues. If the screw doesn't get taken out soon, I fear it's going to come completely out all by itself which sounds like a boatload of fun, doesn't it?
I spent last night in bed, unable to have anything touching it because it was throbbing so badly. This morning I called my surgeon's secretary and told her that I really need to have this surgery scheduled now. I asked her to please call the plastic surgeon's office so that the two of them can work things out and get this on the schedule once and for all. If I could just get them both in the same room for five minutes, I'd have it all worked out and I would be on my way to getting rid of my Franken-knee problems once and for all.
Right now I'm looking at a surgery date that is over a month away and I am frustrated beyond belief.
Fending Off The Know-It-All
Filed under: Mental Strain for Mama, Things that get my gi all in a bunch, Work it out
I considered live blogging the Flyers game tonight. But then I realized that I would probably be writing a string of obscenities, followed by an occasional "YES!" and then a bunch of hair-raising, "No! NOO! NOOO!" chants and I figured that wouldn't be very entertaining. Also not entertaining? That stupid doodle-doodle song that Chicago sings every time they score. Mute button on the remote? Check.
Instead of telling you about how wonderful it's going to be for Philly to take the Cup in Game 7 in Chicago (because you already know how awesome that will be), I'll tell you about how I went to the gym twice this weekend and how I can barely move, laugh, breathe, walk or blink without being in pain because of it. I seriously hate that I had to stop working out because getting back into the shape I was in before is going to be no small feat. I will also tell you that I am currently trying out a different gym for a three week time period to see if I like it. Mr. BBM has joined with me as well.
On Saturday, we walked into the gym and there were only about five other people there. Sweet! No one was going to bother me. I put on my mean face, stuck my headphones in my ears, turned up the volume and got to work. I decided I would try out my new prescribed knee sleeve to see how I liked it.
About half way through my work-out, a rather overweight and out-of-shape looking older dude started talking at me. I tried to look away but he kept at it and stood right in front of me. I pulled out my headphones, obviously irritated, and he started on this whole tirade of, "I saw you over on those two machines a while ago and I see you have knee issues. What did you do? The reason I ask is because I have knee issues too and my ortho told me those machines are bad for you. You're not supposed to use them. You're supposed to do natural movements like deep squats and lunges, not extensions." He continued on for a while and I glared at him with my most irritated look I could muster.
I then told him that I'm not allowed to do deep squats (not to mention deep squats and lunges are the most natural movement I can think of-I mean, I practically walk through the grocery store doing lunge, deep squat, lunge, deep squat, because that is oh-so-natural, GRR), that I spent 8.5 months of my life working with a physical therapist under the direction of an ortho surgeon and that I also worked out with a personal trainer for about a year who was also trained and personally experienced with ACL issues. I told him he should continue to do whatever his surgeon told him, and "I'll continue to do what mine told me." I stuck my headphones back in my ears and turned away, 180 degrees so there was no question our conversation was now over.
As we were leaving, I told Mr. BBM that my workout had been great, minus my little know-it-all knee man encounter. Mr. BBM told me the dude could have cared less about my knee. He was trying to open up a line of communication with me. I would say he failed pretty miserably. Opened and closed in a matter of about 30 seconds. Score 1 for me and my headphones.
I can not stand guys who go to the gym and interfere in my workouts. I truly wish they would mind their own business. I give off the "leave me the hell alone vibe" plenty, avoid any and all eye contact, and still, it happens whenever I go. Maybe I need to check out the gym during the "soccer Mom" times, or maybe I should just pretend I don't speak English next time.
Or perhaps to let him know I'm really not conversation worthy, I should start singing that Chicago doodle-doodle song thing. I guess it might be good for something after all.
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Digging Out
I spent the past weekend at the beach with friends and it was a much needed reprieve. I sat around, read a book, drank Sangria and even got a Mom's night out to watch the new Sex & the City 2 movie (way over the top, by the way). On the way to the beach, I checked my voicemail at home and there was actually some good news for a very nice change.
My surgery requires no pre-certifications. It's covered by insurance. Apparently, they realize I'm not interested in having solely a "pretty" knee. Now I'm waiting for the orthopaedic surgeon and the plastic surgeon to sync up their schedules and get me in. I'll need to have the surgery at the hospital and I am hoping that it is quick, and as painless as possible. The screw in my tibia will be coming out and then I'm going to be fixed up by the plastic surgeon to eliminate the Franken-knee I'm currently sporting. He told me he'll be cutting out the scar itself, putting a layer of bio-fabric or something (the stuff they normally use during breast reconstruction surgery on the sides to connect everything) over my tibia and then sewing me up from the inside out. You don't know how happy I'll be to have the screw officially out of my knee. I can not wait. As much as I hate the idea of going into yet another surgery, I'm hoping this will be the very last and that my knee will no longer be stare-worthy.
I came home from the beach, after seeing the movie preview for "Eat, Pray, Love" and decided I had to read it. I borrowed it from a neighbor and I am plowing through it quickly and enjoying it immensely. If you don't know the premise, it's basically about a woman who puts her life back together through a year of traveling to Italy, India and Indonesia. Just reading about her, rejuvenating herself, is helping me to do the same. I need to write more, work out more, and start making an effort to enjoy myself more.
Soon, you may all be able to leave comments and write me emails about things other than loss and me feeling miserable. I know you're excited. So am I.
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