David's knee

So we were in the ER again this month.  Seems like we are there too often, and yet, we still think we'll walk in, get seen, get meds, and go home so quickly!  And while we did finally get into the ER (after 4 hours of waiting) we didn't get the issue resolved and are still in-the-process.  We've decided that maybe one of our scrapbooks will be a medical/health scrapbook with all our ER or sick pictures, oh yeah :)

Since Oct 1 our lives have been MESSED with a bit because David's hurt knee.  Besides the ER, we've been to doctors, MRI's, therapy, and then with him immobile, that just created more of a weird month.  Honestly, he didn't do anything to his knee!!!  But, after kneeling on our carpeted floor for like 2 minutes while setting up some of our Halloween decor, he stood up, his knees hurt, and then as the hours went by, his left knee got WORSE instead of better.  His knee was inflamed a bit and getting stiff so he couldn't bend it very well.  Well Oct 2 passed and then Oct 3, he didn't sleep well at all, so I scheduled a Dr's appointment for him that morning.  So, usually David has this 2 week rule, which I'm against, but he won't see a Dr unless something has hurt for 2 weeks - except kidney stones - but he was in enough pain that he went to the doctor on day 3, that told me it was bad!  Well, our doctor was out so he saw the PA there and she thought it may be infected so he went and got prescriptions but the pain didn't go down.  She also said if it got much more swollen and also he had a fever, that we should head to the ER.  Well it's still Oct 3, I was home and we were enjoying pizza (thanks Jon & Annie!) and we were debating the ER visit.  We finally went, silly us, we should have gone as soon as we had thought about it because our time debating could have been spent at least waiting it out in the ER.

David got a nice wheelchair since his knee could no longer bend at all at this point.  He also has spent A LOT more time in the backseat of our car as I chauffeured him around - since he couldn't get his leg straight in the front.  At the ER they drained fluid from inside his knee to test for infections.  That was so bad for me to watch, and poor David said it was worse than a kidney stone - so anyone who is offered this treatment, don't do it!!  They gave him a knee immobilizer and sent us off with Percocet and told him not to bend it as they had diagnosed it as not an infection but Bursitis, in inflammation in a fluid filled sac in your knee (we have these "Bursa's" all over our joints to lubricate).  They said it would get better or to see an Orthopedic Surgeon.

David's pain was high all that week and the Percocet was just causing sickness (and throw-up trauma for me) so that meant we were headed to the surgeon's office Oct 9.  Finally!  David had been sleeping, or really just laying on the couch through each night so I could get some sleep, poor guy.  And I was trying to still work or work from home as needed so I could drive him where he needed.  The Ortho surgeon said this was RARE!  He'd never seen Bursitis not allow knee movement!  So he sent us to an MRI, and a few days later went over it with us, yep, inflamed bursa.  He suggested surgery because not being able to bend a knee and so much pain just meant we needed to get in and remove it and let the body grow it back properly.  The inflammation should have gone down by now.  AHHHH.  So, actually this meant 1) we had to cancel a few dental interviews David was planning in October (and we had just booked the flights and hotels the week before!!!) and 2) David would be DOWN and OUT for a good 4 weeks before the stitches would be out and he could start therapy and 3) that would be long and hard for me (sorry, I shouldn't complain).

We got all ready for surgery, but decided we needed a second opinion and thank goodness!  Our next doctor (he is the surgeon for the Real soccer team here) suggested a more laborious process.  THERAPY immediately with more meds, icing, and elevation to get David's knee bending.  He thought the bursitis had actually gone down and most of the problem now was that the muscles have deteriorated and David should be trying to bend his knee (stupid ER and immobilizer!)  Well, we went with option B as cutting his knee open and all that jazz should be a last resort.  YAY.  Physical Therapy isn't for wimps though, I can't go watch because I don't like how it hurts him and they just think the pain is good sometimes!

So for these last 2 weeks David has gone to therapy 3x a week and can now bend his knee 90 degrees, with pain!  A lot of progress, and still a lot to go.  He has bruises from therapy and gets stiff when we walk a lot, so we take it slower, and we've watched a lot of TV/movies the last few weeks.  We've also napped more since both of us haven't slept through the night as well (me having a cold last week)...  We are just hoping this knee issue goes away soon and we can get back to normal life.  Sad that it came in October, one of David's favorite months.  Our Halloween festivities were lessened or cancelled, which has been quite a bummer.  But we've pressed on through some of it still... post to come next.

Please keep David's knee in your prayers, that he'll heal fully and we'll get back to a semi-normal life soon.  And also - be sure not to KNEEL too long, even when praying, I'm paranoid about that now :)