The Worst Walk Ever

This morning, I met "the gals" for b'fast, which meant I didn't walk the dogs as the sun was rising in the east. I brought them home 1/2 of my cheese omelet, which they devoured as I changed into my walking gear. As we headed up the street, the traffic coming down was in a steady stream; as we turned the corner at the top of the block, it was a speedway; when I cut the walk short by turning down the street with sidewalks, we were almost run over by kids on their bikes racing down the sidewalk on their way to school.

To top if off, Mia stopped at every bush she could find, not to potty, but to sniff. When she stops, Daisy stops, and getting both of them headed in the same direction again takes almost more energy than I have these days. Needless to say, I cut the walk shorter still and we had not just the shortest walk ever, but the worst walk.

My mind is filled with a great big huge WHAT???? I had the second injection this week and asked a couple of questions about what we're doing and why we're doing it. Last week, with no explanation, my request for a copy of the previous surgery report was firmly denied, perhaps because the first item on the new MRI report says "Surgery was unsuccessful," referring to the procedure I had April 21, 2010. No way does the new team want to be involved in anything I may consider involving the previous surgeon, so they washed their hands of prior agreement to fax the request to the surgeon for his formal surgery report.

It also doesn't state that there is arthritis in my kneecap, but, suddenly, this week there is "severe arthritis," where last week it was "severe erosion" in the kneecap that may require a partial knee replacement. This week it was okay to talk about a meniscus repair, while last week it was a "wait and see" process involving the injection of the lubricant before making a meniscus decision because if the lubrication process does not work, a partial knee replacement is warranted. This week, no mention of the knee replacement possibility.

I'm confused. This week I was told that "many people" choose to live with the torn meniscus, adapting to the condition. When I again mentioned the excruciating pain associated with that decision, suddenly it was okay to talk to the doctor about the surgery. WHAT? Should I have the tear repaired; wait to see if the damage to the knee evidenced by the "severe erosion" is going to be a factor; or should I seek yet another orthopedic surgeon's opinion? If I wanted this same run-around, I probably could have stayed with the surgeon who ignored the fractures in my knee and performed the unsuccessful surgery. I think this team went into "keep us out of it" mode and is deliberately side-stepping any comment that could be construed as negative toward the other doctor. They do cover each other's backs, even when they know that the doctor is mediocre on his best day.

So, here I sit. I cannot walk without the brace, but I'm so not going to wear this for the rest of my life! I'm not very steady on my feet because the torn meniscus contributes to my leg giving way suddenly and/or locking up, and that causes me to fall, but I'm not going to use crutches/walkers for the rest of my life. If I need to have a partial knee replacement, why would I first have the torn meniscus repaired in a separate surgery, and why would I consent to injections to treat the "severe erosion" in my kneecap if I planned to open it up to fix the meniscus?

I'm going to try to have this conversation again next week when the final injection is given. The effectiveness of the series of injections won't be fully realized for another 4 weeks, but they don't address the pain from the torn meniscus, so why did I have them?

Oh, and that's right: all of the changes resulting from the new health care legislation went into effect yesterday! Hurrah??