In answer to the questions concerning the baby that is coming to our family. We do not know whether it is a boy or a girl. The adoption agency does not know, either, at this point. The due date is the 25th. Beyond that, there is a whole lot to guess about, speculate about, REJOICE about. It is such an exciting time for the two extended families. A baby shower is being planned, tentatively for March 6th, in the evening, but details of that are still being formulated. They really have only the basics, and it is beyond exciting to them to think about setting up the nursery and getting things ready. Please continue to pray for them and this happy but challenging time. Life will certainly be different for them and for all of us, for that matter.
About the knee. When I saw the Physician’s Assistant last week, he said that the MRI showed a complete tear in the meniscus, and that the only solution to this kind of tear was to clean things out and see from there how it recovered. He scheduled me with the surgeon, and I saw him today. Dr. Spieker came in and put the original X-rays of my knees on the lighted panel and said, “Henry (the P.A.) tells me you’re having some trouble.”
“To tell you the truth,” I said a bit ruefully, “I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place.”
“You absolutely are,” he said sympathetically. “There is absolutely nothing we can do for that right knee except a replacement.” He motioned towards the joint. “As you can see here, it is even off center, bone on bone, with not cartilage of any kind left.” My mind started thinking, then, about my other knee and what he was going to do about that, when I heard him say, “We cannot do arthroscopy on it. It won’t do a bit of good. Replacement is our only method of treatment, and you aren’t a candidate for that.” My heart had done a little flip flop right about when he said, . . .It won’t do a bit of good . . . and I started scrambling in my mind what they were ever going to do. About then, he said, “Now your left knee . . .” and I could breathe again. I had changed gears, er, knees, and he hadn’t! Anyhow, so the plan is to see if we can “clean up” the left knee, and see how things go. There is a chance that they will follow up with SYNVISC injections if the recovery isn’t quite what they hope, but even that may not be necessary.
Surgery is scheduled for the 26th (I know, the day after Jesse’s and Christina’s baby is due – At least I can sit and hold baby!) and it will be done on an outpatient basis at the surgical suite that is maintained by these orthopedic surgeons. I won’t even have to be admitted to the hospital. And I know that it isn’t a cure-all. And probably there will be people coming out of the woodwork telling me not to have it, but Cerain Man had it done over 20 years ago (before all the advances that have been made) in both knees and it made a wondrous difference for him. The thing I most would like to be able to do is alleviate some of the pain. It has really been troubling me — I have a high pain tolerance, so that I don’t usually feel pain unless it is really bad, so the fact that this is really hurting has made me want to get something done — and it has also made me realize that having a high pain tolerance does not mean that you are stoic about pain! It just means you don’t feel it. And I guess that I am one that when I do feel it, I am not stoic at all! (Does that make any sense?) What I am trying to say is that I am not necessarily brave about this present complication in my life. In the past, I felt really strong and brave when I could keep going when things hurt a little bit. All I want to do now is sit on my chair. Even the computer is annoying because the desk chair that I sit on doesn’t hold the leg right to keep the knee from going into some sort of spasms.
So there, you have my joys and my gripes. We do plan to go to wedding this weekend. — just my Sweet Mama, Certain Man and Myself, and I am looking forward to that. I am afraid that I will make a spectacle of myself at the wedding. It looks kinda like Hopalong Cassidy when I start walking after sitting a while. The sad thing is, my bad leg is not accustomed to being the strong one, and it has taken to complaining vociferously as well. So whenever I decide to get up and walk somewhere, it is hop a little, drag the leg, swing the other, hop a little, drag the leg, lock the knee, swing the leg, hop a little — well, anyhow, I don’t think you need a video to get the picture.
So here’s to hope and new babies and good doctors and gimpy knees — God Bless us everyone!
Delaware Grammy 