![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
railentheIn the nearly two years now since I hurt my leg originally, there have been a lot of doctor visits and a lot of speculation, and a lot of treatment of symptoms, with a certain degree of inability to find causes for the problem.
Almost a month ago exactly now, I hurt my knee again. Knowing that there would be more trouble if I didn’t go to the doctor than if I did, I went in and had the knee looked at. Anyone who’s been here often since then remembers the janky diagram I made using slashes and the ‘absolute value bar’ symbol to illustrate what my knees were doing. The painkiller I got in response to that injury, to be taken until I got to the referral appointment, caused agonizing side effects that required me to stop taking it and turn to alternative remedies.
Today was my referral appointment. I woke up at around five this morning with a soreness in my leg and a crunchy pain in my jaw. The knee would eventually shut up, but the jaw pain—well, that’s my TMJ disorder acting up on me.
I thought it was a migraine at first, but 1) there was no nausea, 2) there was no aura, 3) it’s on the wrong side of my head, and most importantly 4) I can’t move one side of my jaw. I took two Alka-Seltzers for that and will cross my fingers.
Nine AM arrived and so did my shuttle. I hopped in and was transported two towns and three zip codes over to an orthopedic clinic that I can tell you wasn’t there two years ago—ah, local progress. Problem was, there was some confusing stuff going on and so there was a delay. I was glad I’d brought my Nook Tablet. When reading began to render me drowsy I forced myself to try Sudoku puzzles. I cleared one and only used 30 hints!
I didn’t enjoy getting weighed. I’ve crossed the 150 lb mark. 150.3, to be exact. I don’t look like it, but frankly that’s too high for my height. I need to lose a dozen pounds—or convert it into much, much muscle. My BMI’s 28.4. Normal range for my height is between 19 and 25. Most of you have seen my convention pictures—remember that tiny woman in the pink kimono and hauling a Turtwig? Did she look borderline obese? I didn’t think so. That’s me. I think it might be time for a professional fitness assessment. Numbers alone are wonky now. Even so. I’ve never weighed this much and it makes me feel kinda paranoid. Anyway back on topic:
By about noon, I was getting x-rays done. The place was cold. The x-rays didn’t take as long as I thought they would—especially considering that the imaging was digitized, unlike in the last place I went. But then I had to wait in another room. After overhearing an obvious mistake (No, I wasn’t in the middle of receiving a steroid shot and therefore just about on my way out the door, thanks, now could I get seen by the doctor please?) the doctor finally saw me.
The next few minutes were: small talk, small talk, small talk, flex leg, get the “Uhh, that ain’t right” look. Questions, about the initial injury and then the December reinjury. I explain exactly what I felt/heard during that injury as we look at my x-rays. I’m asking questions the whole time, noting that the little bit of space that should indicate the presence of cushioning fluid and cartilage is not there—I’ve got bone-on-bone-on-bone. I’m no doctor and even I can see that ain’t right. I explain that both times now, the kneecap’s dislodged itself without outside contact
“Straighten that leg out for me?”
I do so. Poke, poke prod—
—slide—
“Yeowch!”
It didn’t take much to knock that knee loose. Luckily, the doctor’s hand was right there, so it didn’t finish that slide out of joint. We prod it back into joint and resume testing its range, as well as the rest of the leg’s range, noting that bizarre thing it does where it doesn’t hinge forward properly. And that one thing where it hinges side to side, which knees aren’t supposed to be able to do.
—stick—
We’ve gone from entirely too much movement to the kneecap going “Like hell am I moving that way.”
“Won’t let me move it that way, huh?”
“It’s nothing I’m doing, sir—I can feel it knocking into something and not moving.”
“Okay, I think I’ve just about found the problem. I need some more information, though. Tell me everything that this leg does that seems, as you put it, ‘stupid.’”
I happily oblige. There’s more poking, more prodding, another slide, another stick, and then a poke at a zone on the leg that I’m fairly certain I’m supposed to be able to feel but am only aware of because I’m looking at it. I say as much as he does a couple more things to the leg.
“Yeah, I think we found it. Technically.”
Um, that sounds a little wonky. “Technically?” I parrot.
“Yeah. That ligament’s gone.”
I know one of the younger nurses heard me and that’s why the giggle when I said “Um—whut?”
“There’s nothing there.”
Suddenly I remember one part of the injury: a loud TICK! noise and a snapping sensation that happened while my bosses stood me back up when the knee went out, followed by a stabbing sensation in the leg that lasted two weeks. I recount that detail.
“Yeah, that’s probably when it went. As it goes, right now, there is nothing there. Your patella’s tracking wrong because that ligament—it’s basically the support cable for the knee, and without it there, your leg’s turned itself that way to hold the knee into the groove the bones make. And now the tendon in that leg is overcompensating for the absence of that ligament—and that is why that nerve in your leg is on fire. Now, normally, we’d hit this with physical therapy and it’ll rebuild and repair, but this thing keeps going out without outside trauma—and that’s not supposed to happen. We’ll have to do something about it.”
“Huh!” So now we have our answer. “What do we do about it?”
“Well, there’s about five solutions to this one.”
“Yay!”
“All of them involve surgery.”
“Oof.” Just because I’m curious, I ask for details.
“Well, we’ll need an MRI to see which approach we go in with, but we’ll either take a cadaver ligament or pilfer some from elsewhere in your body to rebuild that support structure—but we can fix it. We can rebuild that knee and make your leg stable again.”
At this point, I’m doing two things: 1) internally lol-ing at the fact that the doctor actually did use the term ‘pilfer,’ and 2) thinking “Well, now what?”
As I’m about to ask “Now what?” I’m given two scrips: one for an MRI arrangement and another for a specially-fitted brace designed to ape the function of the missing ligament in my knee. So I’ll be going to get a new knee brace soon, one that will fix the actual problem.
And after the MRI I’ll probably be fitted for CADAVER LIGAMENTS.
I should be terrified of all this crap—bone damage! Nerve damage! NO LIGAMENTS IN THAT LEG! SURGERY!!!—but you know what? I’m just glad that, after all this time, I have proof that this is NOT all in my head.
Now if the swelling in my face will go down, I’ll feel awesome.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 02:10 am (UTC)NOW THAT I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION
I could try but I'm not very good at drawing anything at all that isn't an inanimate object or a very basic sketchy map. I might be able to find someone to do it.
marmite coated wheat snack
I might go downstairs and buy a bag of pretzels now just to dip them in my Marmite jar. That sounds delicious. You're right on about cats loving small round things. I almost lost a hair decal like that: it was one of those things that has two stretchy sides and sparkly balls on either end.
I've had cats steal my Tension Tamer tea before. The stuff's good: chamomile, ginseng, mints, catnip and other things. I once turned around to see a cutscene in a game my best friend was playing and when I turned back around, the cat had walked off with my empty mug on his head. He'll also steal buttered toast. And plain toast. And the butter in general.
TWO WORDS, KUJA: COLD SHOWER.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 02:20 am (UTC)Here's the Wikipedia article on it. Mont loves twiglets so whenever someone opens a packet, naturally she must have some. I might actually go and get some if we've got any left. (Mont's just bounded off my lap so I guess I have to.)
I've had Mont steal bread while it's hanging out of my mouth on several occasions. She'll also try and eat from your plate if you don't force her off the table. And the other week there was the case of the butter licking... Basically I was heating up some croissants, got a bit of butter ready on a plate, covered the butter dish because Mont has been known to go for it when left unguarded and went to get a cup and saucer for tea only to turn around and notice a very pleased with herself Mont licking her lips (well...the cat equivalent of) from my poor defiled plate.
NOW HE KNOWS HOW THE REST OF US FEEL.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 02:37 am (UTC)Suddenly: JECHT AS PINUP MODEL.
Looking at that article, I might be able to recreate that sort of taste using a recipe I have for soft baked pretzels!
…apparently cats and bread theft is a thing. I've had cats steal french fries. Mostly cheese fries. They don't steal as much if I've managed to salt them already, but I've got to move fast.
YOUR CAT'S A NINJA.
Two weeks: there's no problem with sharing hot water, as Kuja has been taking ICE BATHS.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 02:47 am (UTC)Good luck with that. Sadly we're out of twiglets but I did find some Doritos. Mont will eat those too so I'd best watch out.
Mont eats fries too. Not chips; they're too big for her. But fries, yes. It's the salt lick she's after.
THIS WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME. I MEAN I'M PRETTY SURE SHE CAN TELEPORT AND SHE CERTAINLY LURKS LIKE ONE...
The things he will do to keep his complexion perfect. It's not like he even ages anyway! (I guess this is probably yet another reason why he and Ulti don't get along. She'd do anything to prevent getting old and remain young forever whilst Kuja has it already.)
no subject
Date: 2012-01-18 03:03 am (UTC)Mmm, Doritos. Now I want some, but I don't feel like walking through rain and COLD. I'll have a baked potato instead I guess XD
FRY-STEALING FELINE NINJA.
And thus the return of his subtle trolling hobby. The next fix he loves so much (allegedly)? Extra-virgin cold-pressed malboro oil.