WHEE (Weight, Health, Eating and Exercise) is a community support diary for Kossacks who are currently or planning to start losing, gaining or maintaining their weight through diet and exercise or fitness. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are working on your weight or fitness, please -- join us! You can also click the WHEE tag to view all diary posts.
If there was ever a test of a type A personality, it's injuries. You WHEE regulars know, or you can look back at the Turtle Diary titled entries, to see what happened to me in November in the midst of a passionate pursuit of regaining my health. I feel fortunate that when that Honda slammed into my Bonneville that I was strapped in, that I had been exercising four times a week, walking two to three miles and strengthening my body as well as getting rehab on my already-injured left knee, but my ribs and chest are still severely hurt, and last Friday, after bitter complaints to my orthopedic surgeon, he grew alarmed, wrote me another big prescription for pain medicine (the strong stuff) and ordered an MRI on my lumbar spine which confirmed what we both already knew: I have multiple pinched nerves due to the accident. The good news is that steroid injections are very effective, and he does not recommend back surgery. (Surgery is problematic due to my adrenal disorder in any case, but if it's necessary, it's necessary.)
With a medication plan back in place, and a waiting game for the physiatrist to perform the epidurals on my spine to deal with the shooting pains and the inability to lie flat or go without pain medication, I have gotten the second injection of three of hyalorunan (trade name Orthovisc) in my left knee. Made literally from chicken fat, it replaces the broken-down cartilage which serves as a cushion for the patella and bone sockets to make the knee function without inflammation and irritation - and works so well that most insurance companies pay for it. Mine of course, WILL - since both Worker's Compensation AND the auto insurer(s) are on the hook for my left knee now. My major medical picked up the lion's share of the tab, which leaves more money in the auto insurance policy for my three-times-weekly knee rehab.
The good news is: it's working. Yesterday I looked out at the bright, glorious spring weather, and had a mission to pick up a foot spa half a mile away. And due to non-payments for replacement cost checks by my auto insurer (they're daring me to sue them, and I will!) I have $1.87 rattling around in my pocket and $5 on my bus card till tomorrow. so it was either walk to get the thing, or not get it. .57 miles.
Could I do it?
Yup.
I wasn't fast, and I didn't look pretty. But the butcher-knife that has been making a living hell out of every step I took to the Metro station, to the doctor, to the physical therapist - went down to steak-knife size last week, and is down to penknife size by this weekend. My orthopedist says I shouldn't expect real results until after the third injection, which is Wednesday morning. But I already have results good enough to make me mobile within a one-mile range, and the turtle is out on the race course again, toddling along at a turtle's pace! Okay. Maybe a LEETLE faster.
Wearing a size I haven't fit into since the mid 1990's this time, due to appropriate treatment for my adrenal disorder: I am hoping to get my thyroid tested more thoroughly as well, because I already know my thyroid is impaired - probably secondary to celiac enteropathy, which is secondary to or part of the syndrome of adrenal hyperplasia. Suffer from malnutrition for 40 years or so and certain things are simply going to stop working.
I got the foot spa from Freecycle (for those who don't know, Freecycle is a citizen's yahoo network organized by zipcode to reduce waste and share resources without cost, to slow down the filling of our landfills with items that are useful and reusable - see
http://www.freecycle.org
And I got a few nice pictures of the first blooming blushes of spring beginning to beautify Alexandria, my new home.
Sun PM - WHEE Open
March 22
Mon AM - NC Dem
Mon PM - WHEE Open
March 23
Tues AM - WHEE Open
Tues PM - WHEE Open
March 24
Weds AM - WHEE Open
Weds PM - Edward Spurlock
March 25
Thur AM - WHEE Open
Thur PM - WHEE Open
March 26
Friday AM - WHEE Open
Friday PM - Wee mama back from hiatus?
March 27
Sat AM - bloomin (weekly diary)
Sat PM - WHEE open
March 28
Sun AM - louisev (Turtle Diary)
Sun PM - WHEE Open