Counting backward from 100...again

Today was my birthday. I don't like birthdays anymore. I have decided that this is the last one that I'm going to count. The numbers are getting ridiculous. There should be a law against time going by so fast. I can't possibly be as old as I've gotten to be. It hurts, I don't like it, I don't like it one little bit. And then there is this thing about feeling like my body is just falling apart...piece by piece.

I just must not be holding my mouth right or something. Sometimes I think that someone has a voodoo doll in my image and they entertain themselves by sticking needles in it every other year. I have had my share of surgeries in the past, some minor and some major, the ones that I can remember total 7 and that's NOT counting oral surgeries. That might not seem like many to some people, but to me, it's a lot. Especially when you consider that I admit a lot of elderly people to the hospital and one of the questions that I ask on the admission history is how many surgeries have you had in the past. I am always amazed by how many people in their 70's and 80's answer, "none". Of those that have had surgeries, the answer is usually 2 to 3. I swore that I'd never lie down on an OR table and count backward from 100 again. I've been reminded, once again, that one should never say never!

Friday afternoon I'm having arthroscopic surgery on my right knee. I have a torn meniscus and it's driving me crazy. I have had bad knees all of my adult life. I'm NOT an athlete. The only thing I can figure is that all of the hands and knees floor scrubbing I've done in my life has done the damage. For the past month my knee has been swollen and very painful. By the time I get home from work in the evenings, the right knee is 2 inches bigger around than the left one. I've limped and "ouched" for about a month and it's getting worse not better. I cannot bend my knee at all without pain and it gives out on me at very inconvenient times (not that there are convenient times, I suppose!). I went to the orthopod on Tuesday and he said the meniscus is torn. The pain is from the meniscal flap being caught between the bones of my tibia and femur. The only way to correct that is to cut the torn pieces away. Oh joy! He also suspects that my patella is rough and needs to be shaved.

The good news is that knee surgery has come a long way in recent years and they can now do this with just two small incisions instead of opening up the whole knee. I guess I should just be grateful for that. And I am, trust me.

The interesting thing is, Patrick just had this very same surgery on June 2. The discouraging thing is, his knee still hurts. I have had many people tell me the same thing. It's not very encouraging. But, I can't keep going with the knee like it is. So, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope this works.

(Crown courtesy of Austin!) You've gotta love a big brother that will wear a foam crown lovingly made for him by his little brother AND have his picture taken wearing it to make that little brother happy.