Cautious Optimism

Had a cortisone injection in my right knee two weeks ago Monday. It did provide some much-needed relief, although only about half of what the previous injections (last Nov and Jan 30) had done. I immediately returned to deep water aerobics and enjoyed two days of lovely warm weather before our normal summer morning cold, fog, and wind returned.

[If any of you do not know about deep water aerobics, it is a marvelous invention. Everyone wears a flotation device, either a belt or ankle cuffs, so that one can "stand" upright in deep water without touching bottom. This is NO-impact aerobics! Pushing against the water gives a good workout. We use aqua barbells, made of foam, that provide extra resistance. We do arm and leg exercises simultaneously, moving straight legs back and forth or sideways or doing a jogging or bicycling motion, whilst doing curls or pushing arms out or down in front, in back, or at the sides. Then we lie back and do crunches. In all of this, feet do not make contact with the bottom. Aside from freezing when I get out in the cold and wind, I love it! The class goes year-round in spite of being outside.]

The best thing is that I've been able to walk normally. Still have to go down stairs one step at a time, but I can go up some stairs. The injection does seem to be wearing off some already, and I felt a little pain in my knee when I was at the dog park this morning. I'm hoping that the cortisone will last enough so that I can exercise for two more months, but I'm worried that it won't.

KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY IS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, 31 AUGUST. I don't know why the surgeon only does replacements on Fridays since one has to stay in the hospital for three days, and weekends are not the best time to be in the hospital! This particular weekend may be a total disaster since it's Labor Day Weekend. But that was the first available date. I had hoped for July! Oh well, time to practice acceptance!

The spine surgeon was supposed to call me Wednesday; it was postponed until Friday; then it was postponed until Monday, July 9th. He's doing lots of emergency operating. Maybe it's a good thing. I really think the nerve pain is improving. It seemed to lessen once I was walking better after the knee injection. It certainly isn't gone, and so, of course, I fret and stew, but I am, indeed, cautiously optimistic. I've been totally off Percocet for over two weeks and was on only half a pill a day for over a week before that; I think it must be completely out of my system by now. I never felt any kind of a "buzz" when I took it and noticed no withdrawal symptoms coming off, maybe because I did it so gradually. It's great not to take it and not to have to take the stool softener! It never helped the arthritis pain in my knee or back, just the nerve pain, so there's no point taking it now.

I probably won't do another update until sometime in August when I'll be reaching out to friends to help after the knee replacement. Hope you all have a great July! Thanks for checking in at this site.

Creusa (June 1st) and Achates (June 16th) both turned six this month. Creusa is already very grey and Achates is getting there, but they are both healthy and active and silly and willing to run for 30 seconds or so every day. Hard to believe I've had Achates for three and a half years. In some ways it seems as if he's been with me forever, in other ways it seems as if he arrived only yesterday. I do love them so much!

Love you, too,
Janet