There have been a few things happening around the Deaf Dogs and Benevolent Gnomes homestead, nothing significant, but since I've been remiss in updating everyone lately, it's probably time to catch you up (and make a few excuses for my lack of bloggering recently) with what's been happening.
Last weekend saw some measurable snow here in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Not a lot, only 2-3 inches, but it was followed by some very cold temperatures that allowed the snow to stay on the ground. So we went from Fall to Winter very quickly, with 50 degree Fall days to ice crusted sidewalks in a few days. Bummer.
We've also been visited again by our Pileated Woodpecker friend. We snapped some pictures and posted them in the recent Pileated Woodpecker post, but haven't been able to snap a good photo of the woodpeckers subsequent visits. That's OK though, it was just fun to watch the woodpecker frolic around the front yard.
The big reason for my lack of blogging has been a recent knee injury. It's been a rough month with two cortisone shots (shoulder, knee), two X-Rays (shoulder, knee), and an MRI (knee), and the bottom line is that I'm barely able to walk up stairs or around the block without severe discomfort/pain. The preliminary diagnosis is a torn meniscus or floating body in the knee, and some other "rough cartilage". I've got an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon next week to read the MRI and discuss a more specific diagnosis and options.
I'm always hesitant to reveal personal issues for fear of turning this noble blog into a "woe is me" missive, but this immobilization has been tough for me. I've not only had to stop playing basketball and volleyball (I play 4-5 days a week) but also modify my Pilates routine (this is easy since my instructor is awesome) and pretty much suspend any and all physical activity. This totally makes sense since walking upstairs to go to the bathroom or 50 yards from my office to a classroom is very difficult, but it's been hard to grapple with no exercise in my life. We'll keep you updated with our prognosis and let you know what happens.
2 comments:
So sorry to hear of your knee injury. Those two words put fear in my heart. In a way, having winter show up now is maybe going to help you a little as far as resting the injury goes. When it's snowy out, we don't tend to leap about as much.
I hope you aren't trying to compete with the Original Woe Is Me blog (which would be mine) because them's big shoes to fill. You may remember my little bounce down the basement steps?
I found the book 'Pain Free' by Pete Egoscue to be a big help in easing some of my aches and pains, and believe me, the older you get, the more there are. Check your public library for a copy. The Egoscue method is not new, but specializes in rehabilitation exercises and prevention of recurrence.
Get well soon, John!
Thanks Karen. I'm up for exploring just about any unorthodox pain mitigation techniques, I'll have to check that book out. First though, I have to find out exactly what the problem is, what my options are, then decide what course of action to pursue. Keep your fingers and pallets of rocks crossed...
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