The timeline of life was found in a waiting room yesterday. Waiting in Orthopedic Doctor's waiting rooms runs the gamut much more than a Cardiologists. Several years ago I went to an Orthopedic surgeon whose specialty is joint replacement. So the waiting room was filled with people who tended to be on the older side. It seemed that everyone sitting there was probably in the worst health in their family and used to being listened to and catered to. A roomful of entitlement is not a pretty picture. The waiting room yesterday had quite a few injured high school athletes that are almost ready to return to their sport. There were a few middle age types and several of my types, not middle aged but not yet ancient of days. Oh yes, there was a smattering of ancients but not as many as I had anticipated. Even though most of us were occupied with our phones or e-readers, we all kept an eye on the magic golden door that leads back to the individual waiting rooms. The doctors were running behind schedule yesterday.
I thought I had made a good choice on capris yesterday because I knew they would be taking x-rays. Dang, I didn't see the small metal rivets on the pockets so I had to wear a lovely pair of shorts that are the equivalent to hospital gowns. X-rays are so much easier now and couldn't really believe so much improvement had come in the last five years. After that I went back to my little waiting room for the consult with the Doctor. I really like Dr. Smith, and Smith is really his last name. My concern is having my heart healthy enough to withstand surgery. I thought it was really a nice gift from the Lord that on my way to the appointment, the cardiologist office called to give me the fourth good report from wearing a heart monitor. My heart is functioning like a normal heart. After a brief examination of my knees and having me do the orthopedic cat walk for him, we began to discuss my knees and the options available. This will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me but my knees are really bad. All bone on bone. He could not believe that I have lived the past five years being unable to take any kind of anti-inflammatories or pain meds due to my heart. Good thing I have a high threshold for pain but everyday has been extremely painful when it comes to my knees. The extreme fatigue I endured triumphed the knee pain many days but I was always ever mindful of the lack of mobility. Since my surgery in March I have felt so much better but ironically that meant I was now much more cognizant of the knee pain. So he asked me was my mindset totally on surgery, which I will need on both knees. or would I be willing to start with conservative treatment of having the knee injections again since I had responded to them so well five years ago. I told him I was open to both options. I think the conservative route is a good place to start. He wants a report from my upcoming visit with the cardiologist and I am to ask if I can go back on anti-inflammatories. We will start the weekly injections as soon as my insurance okays the treatment. I am praying that I will respond well to the injections again, along with anti-inflammatories and I will be going back onto Ultram ER. Most people experience wild euphoria on this med, but for me it makes me much more focused and less ADD. If the conservative treatment buys me some time of feeling good and puts off surgery, I am all for that. If I don't have a good response, then I am ready to "Proceed" with surgery and get on the road to good knees. It will be nice to be able to get out of a chair normally, not have to gut it up to go up stairs, turn over at night without intense pain waking me up and not having knees that lock or give way both extremely awkward and somewhat embarrassing at times.
After the appointment Emily and I met for lunch at Kay's Tea Parlour. It was packed but we got seated without too long of a wait. Great catching up with her. She had to get on home after lunch but I went to a new shop that opened next to Kay's, Junk Street Market. Very cute things. I did not leave empty handed. I also made a purchase at Bill's antique store. I am a sucker for old gates. This one has been placed on a stand so it might be an indoor thing or it might be an outside on the courtyard thing.
Roy and I went to dinner at Tony's, Mexican not fancy place, and then did a little grocery shopping because once again, we are wild like that. We did a drive-by of Dena's house for good measure because it will only be a couple of more weeks until she's officially a Rancho De Five resident.
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