Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Born to Hobble

I've been meaning to write an interim update for some time.

I think the sciatic pain is still there. I'm taking 3 Percocet daily, and it takes care of that pain although not my regular back and knee arthritis. I need to ask the spine surgeon if I should go off the Perc a week or so before our next appointment (May 2nd) to see how bad the pain is. I don't think it's disappeared, but I'm not positive.

The cortisone shot in my right knee has worn off, so once again putting on pants and socks, to say nothing of walking, is a challenge.

Almost three weeks ago, whilst walking through my house and changing directions, I pulled a quadriceps muscle in the front of my thigh. It hurt so much that I screamed! Could not walk a step without support. Thank goodness for my walker. I got it a year or so ago when my back pain was so awful but usually don't use it now. I needed it just to go from one room to another. Put my food on the seat to get it from kitchen to dining room.

The quad pull did get better and by last Thursday it was almost healed. Then Friday morning at the park I was walking toward a friend and talking and not looking at my running dogs. Creusa clipped me from behind (illegal in football!) and I went down splat on my back with my left leg twisted. My ankle was in agony and I could barely drive (disadvantages of having a stick shift and a clutch) but I did make it home with the dogs and called the doctor. Thank goodness for the walker again! Got an urgent care appointment for 11:30 and spent two and a half hours at the hospital waiting for one person or another. They took a bunch of X-rays (ankle, knee, back) and haven't called to say that anything is broken so I assume nothing is. Much to my surprise, my ankle actually did not get worse. I iced it and kept it up the rest of Friday, and by Saturday it was a little better. I have a huge bruise on my knee and leg and ankle (and probably on my back but I can't see it!) and the ankle still is painful but continues to improve, and I can walk and stand almost as well as I could before. My back is very sore but probably not much worse than before the fall. I've had terrible arthritis in the lower back for more than 30 years. No surgery can help that.

It's hard not knowing what's going to happen with the surgery. When I saw the surgeon on March 12th, he said he was sure he had cleared out enough room for the nerves and he thought maybe something new had happened. I can't visualize it, but he said maybe a herniated disk had slipped into the opening. Anyway, he'll do X-rays in May and we'll see.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to plan my life as if everything is going to be fine. Renewed my symphony subscription for next year. Bought tickets for the Prokofiev Festival in June. And I've made reservations to go to Swarthmore for Alumni Weekend (June 7-10) since my class is having a mini-reunion to warm up for our 50th in 2010. (An added incentive, aside from seeing classmates and the gorgeous campus, is that it's Peter Schickele's 50th and he's doing a special concert.) I figure that if I have to have another surgery, it can be done after June.

I don't like taking the Percocet on general principles, but it does not seem to have the side effects I would have expected. I seem to be as aware and alert as I was before. I've been a bit depressed, and that may be partly due to the drug, but at least I don't have the excruciating pain.

Enough. I'll write again after the May 2nd appointment, or before if anything momentous occurs.

Many thanks to all of you who continue to check and to express your concern for me.

Janet