Oh, Bugger

[Slitter]

I doubt I would normally post this but it has been so slow around here, I figured what the heck.

Many of you know that earlier this spring I managed to fracture my medial femoral condyle (translation: the knobby end of my thighbone on the inside of my right knee). I was on crutches and wearing a brace for something like 4 weeks. It was just lovely.

Lately, I have been having a fair amount of trouble with it. My knee swells up like a grapefruit (it bears no resemblance to a knee at all). I baby it with tons of Advil, alternating hot and cold, elevation, etc. and it settles down. Then in about a week or less, it does it all again.

After a few cycles of this, I figured something had to be wrong so today I went back to the doctor. He couldn't see anything on the new x-rays but it took an MRI to find the problem the first time so that wasn't a big surprise. He thinks it never fully healed and that even little activity like just walking on it is causing the swelling and pain (just rolling over in bed is enough to make me want to cry out - and I have a pretty high pain tolerance). I baby it and it gets to feeling better so I walk on it again which sets the whole cycle back in motion.

The long and short of it is that I am back wearing the brace and on crutches for at least another three weeks. I am not a happy camper but I'm just going to have to deal with it. Hopefully at least it will fix it for good this time. :luck:

[tahitisweetie]

Sorry. It is a true nuisance I'm sure but necessary to get the Slitter back up and running at full pace.

[Virgo6]

I know you are bummed out about this because we talk privately, but I am sure I speak for everyone on here when I say "Come here for support and to vent" because we are your friends and online family. When one of us is hurting mentally or physically we are concerned and care. Hang in there.:hug2:

[Irishlass]

((((((Slitter))))))

I'm sorry you are back on the crutches, I know how you hate them. Just focus on the end result, you don't want that pain forever. Three weeks will be over before you know it.

[Gabby]

OUCH! I hope that the three weeks will bring relief. I was afraid the story would end with some sort of surgery! :eek:

Don't crutches suck!? I was on them for six months (many years ago) and I hope I never have to do it again.

[pocket]

It's a setback, but you'll get through it, Sli. If it helps you to avoid surgery, then it's worth it. I'm already wincing in sympathy, for your sore hands and shoulders from those darn crutches. I hope the time goes fast and you heal properly.

[frawniemae]

Sure hate to hear your still having problems. As hard as I know it is, dont' rush it. Bum knees, for whatever the reason, are a pain in so many ways. Do you have a rolling office chair? That's what i used when I broke my foot several years ago. I scooted all over the house. I hate using crutches, too.

((((hugs)))), prayers and good thoughts for a speedy healing.

[Slitter]

Thanks all. I just needed to whine a little. It was such a feeling of victory when I took the crutches back last time and such a feeling of failure to be told to go get them again (yeah, I realize that doesn't make sense but I felt it anyway).

I am grateful that the story didn't end in surgery - not yet anyway and hopefully not ever. And Irish is right, the time will go by pretty fast. I do have a rolling chair at work. I scooted around on it plenty last time around. If this keeps up, I might just have to mount a rear view mirror on it.

And hey, it isn't six months either. I can't even imagine putting up with them that long. I'll try not to whine at you all any more. I got back to see the doctor in 3 weeks. I'll let you know what he says then.

[Gabby]

There's nothing wrong with a little whine between friends!

:cheers:

[Virgo6]

Cute play on words Gabby. LOL And she is right Sli. Whine away. If you get that rear view mirror you will need one of those backup beepers like the trucks use. LOL

[Fuel]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your troubles...

[Slitter]

Today I learned that a guy that sits very close to me at work was on crutches for five YEARS when he was a kid. He said he was faster on his crutchs than all the other kids in his class were on their feet. :)

I got the things adjusted correctly today (as opposed to my trial and error which was at least as much error as trial). It makes a huge difference. I am sore from having used them set wrong all day yesterday but hopefully that will quickly fade away. Is it TMI to tell you I have an ice pack in my left armpit as I type this? LOL

I got the moves and rhythm of it back pretty quickly. There is one door at work that is a royal B***H to open but, aside from that, I am doing pretty well. And the people at work have been great. Several just got an extra cup of coffee for me when they were getting their own on the way in this morning. I had coffee coming out of my ears! :) I just wish I sat a little closer to the bathroom - especially after all that coffee!

[Gabby]

:spit:

[frawniemae]

Your humorous outlook is what I love about you most, Slitter! You always seem to have a great attitude.
Hope your pit is better!;)

[AvecLion]

Sorry to hear it Sli - crutches weren't fun.

But on the bright side, the more you use them, the better chance you have of winning an arm-wrestling competition!

[An-g_BB]

Ohh hon! you really got the bum end of the deal outta this...eh? how many more weeks?? sigh...
sorry to hear that your knee is being a total pita! sometimes... bones heal slower depending on the area they are-- i know wrist bones are reallly slow. its all about the blood flow- anyway--- BABY that knee as much as possible!!

hope it heals up good this time!! :luck:

[Slitter]

It'll be at least until the 18th when I see the doc again, Ang.

It was screwed up blood flow that started all of this. They call it "Spontaneous Osteonecrosis" which translates to "sudden bone death" (how creepy is that?). For some reason that they don't understand, the blood just quits going to a section of bone which causes it to become super brittle. I don't know what I did, if anything beyond just walking on it, to cause the fracture to begin with. I was to have another MRI this fall to see if the blood flow was normal again. I don't know if that will change or not now.

[An-g_BB]

Sli-- wow. I agree, that does sound creepy! Well.. please baby it as much as possible and take your vities!!-- you're much too young for brittle bones!! shesh!
as an xray tech... dont recall ever hearing of this... i'll have to google now!! ;p

[pocket]

How's it going, Sli? You've got one week behind you in your 3 week 'sentence'.

[Slitter]

It's going pretty well. I spent a very lazy weekend which was a boon to my shoulders. Late last week - I think Thursday - I came down "wrong" on my left foot and I think I gave myself a slight sprain there as it is now swollen and fairly painful. Actually, it hurts more than my knee but probably because the knee is on holiday and the beat up foot is bearing all the weight. The lazy weekend was a good break for all of my parts, lol.

[frawniemae]

I hate to hear you have another pain to deal with, Slitter. I hope nothing else "goes south" on you! Take care!

[Virgo6]

Someone has to wrap you in Bubble Wrap Sli!!!! LOL Be careful please.

[pocket]

Ow! Sli, :luck: your ankle is better today. It sounds like there isn't anything on your body that isn't hurting and you need more weekends and fewer work days.

[Slitter]

Bubble wrap....lol. OTOH, it might not be a bad idea the way things have been going. ;) I have been being super careful to move in a controlled manner. Enough is enough, right?

I told you people at work have been super helpful. This week reached a new high. One of the women I work with now walks out with me at the end of the day and, while I wait by the front door, she goes and gets my car for me which saves me a good 75 yards or so. Believe me, by the end of the day when everything is sore, that is a huge help! I'm going to have to think of something nice to do for her when this is all over with. :)

[TigerLily]

Ask her if she'd like a nice purple doily....

[frawniemae]

A steak dinner is always good, unless she's a Vegan then a night out at the movies or a concert, maybe? I know you'll think of something good!

Slitter in bubble wrap...now that is a picture!:biglaugh:

[Irishlass]

A steak dinner is always good

Slitter knows the best place to get a steak in the whole world and it is right there in St. Louis. Mr. Irish and I are still talking about the steaks we had there. I've even tried to talk him into a weekend trip back there just to have another steak and, of course, say a quick "hi" to Sli.

[Slitter]

and, of course, say a quick "hi" to Sli.

Just in passing or do I get to come to dinner too? ;)

[Irishlass]

Just in passing or do I get to come to dinner too? ;)

LOL, you would have to come too...........we don't remember how to get there on our own. ;) Remember you took us on that whirlwind tour of St. Louis before and after dinner. I have no clue where we were.

[Slitter]

LOL, you would have to come too...........we don't remember how to get there on our own. ;) Remember you took us on that whirlwind tour of St. Louis before and after dinner. I have no clue where we were.

A-Ha! My evil plan worked! ;)

And my car has 4 doors now which would make Mr. Irish's life a lot easier, lol.

[mel]

I hope you're feeling better.

[Slitter]

Under the wrong circumstances, three weeks can take a long time! I finally went back to the doctor today. He wasn't there himself because he is off being an orthopedist at the Olympics but I saw his associate.

I am officially weaning myself off the crutches as of today. In a nutshell, I am now allowed to "walk" but I still put some of my weight on the crutches. Believe me, it makes a huge difference when you can at least use both legs. I can bear this for a while but I don't think I could have taken full use of crutches for much longer. I'll gradually put more and more weight on my right leg until I just don't need the crutches at all any more. I'll still wear the brace for support for some while after that too. Then I'll be back to building strength back into the pampered leg.

Hopefully after all this it will really be healed this time.

[Irishlass]

Yipee...............weaning yourself off those killer crutches! Take it easy and don't rush things, healing takes time and, unfortunately, the older we get the longer it takes. Just wait 'til you get to be my age, it really takes a long time, lol.

You must have a very good doctor it he is off treating our Olympic athletes. I hope his associate is as good as your regular doc.

[Kramer]

Slitter, I am sorry you are having such troubles with your knee (((hugs))) Hope you have figured something out by now to make it better.