My Motorcycle Injuries

My previous post had me stating that I knew practically nothing regarding arthritis of the knee and the pains associated with it. I stated that I didn't believe that I've developed arthritis yet. Yeah, I was dead wrong. I looked it up online and the list below describes the things that are involved with arthritis of the knee. I have every single thing on the list, including the "when it's worse" section, except for the bone spurs. I mean, come on, every single thing except one? Sheesh. I feel that I am currently at the so-called moderate level of progress, so I believe that I get to wait a while longer as I keep an eye on the symptoms and determine a proper time for further action. I found online an orthopedic surgeon close to me that takes my current health insurance plan and I hope that we'll both be much older before I ever have to contact him. My motorcycle accident injuries have really caused some damage, and time seems to be proving itself to be a challe...

  Years ago I was told by my original orthopedic surgeon that I should call him when my knee hurt. A year later a different surgeon told me that what the other surgeon meant was that I would eventually develop arthritis in my knee and would require a knee replacement. I have no frame of reference to know what arthritis actually feels like, but I don't believe that I have developed it yet. Eleven or twelve years later I really don't think that I have any issues with arthritic pain. Instead, I'm feeling sharp pains and instability. My knee gets around well enough most of the time, but there are moments when it feels as though my knee is being stabbed while at other times it feels as though my leg is going to separate into two pieces at the knee. Also, there are times as though it's too weak to hold me up when I'm standing, and too weak to lift me up when I'm sitting. It's nothing that I can describe as arthritic pain, but rather pain and weakness that feels as...

I've griped before on this blog about recurring pains and hinderances that come and go with my motorcycle accident injuries. It has all become a part of my "regular" life over the past years. I've been very much active physically these past several months and the things that I do are not hindered in such a big way by the things that my body has been making me feel. However, I do clearly notice that the pains and the soreness are becoming more consistent and pronounced with time. As much as I despise the thought of going to see a surgeon about it, there's a persistently nagging feeling in the back of my mind that tells me that a visit to a surgeon within the future is possible. My knee is getting worse and I'm not quite sure as to when it'll be bad enough to finally see someone concerning the need for a full replacement. There are negatives and positives in doing so, you know? It's sometimes difficult enough to deal with life's regular and recurring...

One of the things about dealing with all of the injuries that were caused by the motorcycle accident involves the constant assessment that I have to make concerning the pains and limitations that I endure. I have had to experience an evolution physically throughout the past years as my body has continued to change in how it hurts and how it functions. This past Sunday I hit my (bad) knee on a piano bench at the church as I walked past it while cleaning a few things. It was a very light and trivial thump with the bench, but the wood-to-leg contact centered just where the end of the screws that hold together my tibia at the side of my knee are located, and it hurt in a big way. After a few seconds I grew accustomed to what I was feeling and I continued to get things ready to leave the building, but the pain uncharacteristically remained throughout the day. It’s Monday evening as I type this entry and the pain remains still, but I’m certain that it will go away within another day or two...

I’m kind of vacillating lately in dealing with what I expect to do with my leg in the future. There is an enormous part of me that does not want to have surgery to help with what ails me…ever. I can’t stand the thought of subjecting myself to the whole surgeon/hospital/nurse thing again. The prospect of surgery and the ensuing physical rehab that will be necessary to recover properly is something that keeps me saying that I’ll live with the progressive decline of my leg over the rest of my life. However, I’m growing tired of dealing with the constant discomfort and hindrance, along with the inability to stand up after sitting for a while and just walking away normally. Simple activities are always hindered by my damaged leg and it would be nice to revive the common freedoms associated with a pain-free leg. So, is surgery some type of panacea, or is it just a way to feel somewhat “better”? And what would all of that mean after enduring the hassles of going through the whole medical ...

I have had so much medical “stuff” done to me within this calendar year that I will no longer have a deductible on any major medical procedures throughout the remainder of 2020. Hooray for me, right? I guess. Anyway, this recent development set me to thinking about surgery again. My knee has been hurting in new and inventive ways the past several weeks without any provocation, and I started thinking about the fact that I could save a bunch of money on the insurance deductible for a surgery that will inevitably have to happen if I just go ahead and get the knee replaced within this calendar year. The Mr. Krabs in me loves to save money. Still, the more rational side of me says that the pain is not even close to being a quality of life issue, and I should just mellow out on the whole topic of saving money. My leg is unpleasant at times and has been getting worse over the past six months or so, but I plan to live well past my mid-seventies and personal longevity means that I would in all ...

The pain in my body continues, but I still feel that it’s not worth any medical effort. It’s not the type of pain that hinders me from functioning. It’s rather the type of pain that serves to annoy me throughout the day without any great consequences. I googled the topic of knee replacements yesterday and every website continues to confirm that I really should wait for anything like that until my issue with pain and physical hindrances become unbearable. I’m not even close to that level yet. The rest of my body (emphasis on my hand) hurts to a certain degree at any given point in a day, but life moves on. The thing about all of this is that the pain remains subtle at most times, but always progresses throughout the day regardless of my level of activity. My hand, wrist, knee, thigh, and hip always serve to remind me to some extent of the damage done to my body, but none of it warrants the attention of a surgeon. Well, not yet anyway. Today I spent some time cleaning things up after a s...

I’ve been busy lately between work, babysitting, and stuff around the house. I keep noticing that my leg hurts all of the time now in ways that it didn’t hurt just months ago. The pain is far less frequent in my hip and thigh areas, but it’s consistent and annoying in my knee and shin. I have a lot of metal in all of those areas and walking is becoming a little more difficult as time roles on. I know in the back of my mind that I’ll eventually have to go back to an orthopedic surgeon. The original doctor that did all of the work is very skilled, but the location of his practice requires an hour-long journey round trip. Part of that time even involves higher speed highway driving. Yeah, the distance thing is unfavorable. Unfortunately, he is also a very poor communicator. I’ve been to a second doctor that is located just a few minutes drive from my house, has a great reputation, and was an excellent communicator when speaking to me about every aspect of my needs. I like the communicator...

I’ve been having a more difficult time with my leg the past few weeks. I’m not sure if it’s just the way that things are, or if I’ve been doing something to aggravate it. I’ve been forced to limp at times, and the pain focuses on my knee and shin. Pain has had the tendency to come and go throughout various points in my body over the years since the accident, so I’m not really going to think that much about it just yet. The problem is that I always harbor the thought of knee replacement surgery in the back of my mind. There’s a real contrast within my mind regarding this issue. Part of me doesn’t ever want to be a patient in a hospital again. That part of me would much rather endure the inconvenience of a bad leg and just move on with life. No more surgery, no more thin robes that open in the back when you stand, no more gross food, no more being bothered in the middle of the night, and no more nurses in charge of touching and measuring and dispensing. The other part of me would like to...

The last time that I saw my original orthopedic surgeon his last words to me were, “come see me when your knee hurts”.  I didn’t know what to say in response because my knee hurt as he spoke those words. He was a very skilled surgeon and a nice man, but he really wasn’t a good communicator in any sense of the term. A year later I wondered about the condition of my knee and thought that perhaps I needed knee replacement surgery so I set up an appointment with a reputable orthopedic surgeon who had an office about a half an hour closer to my home than my original surgeon. This doctor explained everything to me in detail concerning my various injuries. When I asked him about the parting statement made by my original surgeon he explained to me that he was referring to the inevitable onset of arthritis in my knee. He told me that the work done by my original surgeon was very good, but the damage was too extensive for a “full” recovery. He said that arthritis would eventually cause me so...