Kneedy Degenerate

Wow---less than three weeks until Christmas.  I best get my sorry ass off the couch and over to the computer to get some shopping done.

I thought you might want to stay up to date with my knee.  If not, just pretend.  I spent a lot of money to find out what is going on with my knee, so humor me.

Dr. Kneedy came into the room with a half smile on his face, shook my hand, sat down and said the dreaded words: "Well, I have some good news and some bad news."

Right then and there I knew 100% that I didn't need surgery.  I KNEW that was going to be his good news.

"The good news is that you don't need surgery."

SEE? I TOLD YOU!

I played my best poker face and coolly inquired, "and, the bad news?"

Suffice it to say he gave me all sorts of medical gobbly gook that indicated my issues are degenerative in nature.  I knew I was a degenerate--now, I had proof. I wish I were Ellen Degenerate instead of Kneedy Degenerate.  (Just a little humor there, emphasis on little. I'm trying to keep this light hearted.) My meniscus isn't torn but it degenerating. He showed me the MRI and pointed out the various concerns.  Yup, there's my non-torn meniscus, smiling back at me.  Yup, I see that white stuff.  Yup, I see the areas of deterioration you are pointing to.  All that nonsense and you don't do surgery for that. You have what you have. I have degeneration in a variety of locations, including the tibiofibular joint, which explains why I have pain there.  Who knew there was even a joint there? Every time he explained something and pointed to it on my knee, I said, "uh huh" because he was pointing to right where I've been having various pains.  Damn. An educational moment came when he spoke about Hoffa's fat.  What the hell is Hoffa's fat? Does everyone have Hoffa's fat? Is it Jimmy Hoffa's fat? Is that where Jimmy Hoffa is? Well, whatever it is, I have fluid in mine. I don't know if that is good or bad or means that Jimmy is in a pool or what.

Good news, bad news.  Who would think the need to have surgery would be better news?

As I don't feel I'm to the point of needing injections, I'm nowhere near needing knee replacement and I decided not to go to physical therapy, he gave me a list of exercises to do and then sent a PT in to show me how to do them.  Simple enough to understand.  Now, I just have to do them.  He also told me to try glucosamine and chondroitin.  He made no guarantees but thought it was worth a shot.

I'm not sure where this leaves my jogging.  Part of me says to go ahead and pursue my goal and then hang up the shoes.  Part of me says I'm an idiot if I don't stop before I do more damage.

Of course, there is the part of me that says go with the flow and let the Universe take care of me and my knees.  I plan on walking as usual.  I have no plan to start swimming.  I suppose I could ride a bike. I wonder if Zumba is hard on the knees?

I have been researching metaphysical and spiritual information on what knee problems "mean."  Inflexibility or unwillingness to bend are at the top of the list.  I find this hard to believe.  Even the wife says I am one of the most flexible people she knows.  Maybe I'm inflexible in my thinking about being flexible. Others mention stubbornness.  Ooooh, I am stubborn.  (You can be flexible and stubborn at the same time, IMHO.) Another site suggested a "knee jerk" reaction.  Or, perhaps it is a kidney issue, per another site. Unfortunately, knees can also represent pride.  Ouch.  I might need a slap in the head about that one.  My research has led me to using Louis Hay's affirmation of: "I am flexible and flowing.  Forgiveness. Understanding. Compassion.  I bend and flow with ease and all is well." I'm all good with that.

And so, I remind young ladies once again to take care of your knees.  Do your warm ups, strengthen your quads, be kind and gentle. Don't abuse them.  Love them.  Nurture them. Need them.  And, I remind my sisters in the knee pain that we are flexible and flowing and that all is well, no matter what Dr. Kneedy says.