It should not have come as a surprise to have a few medical issues arise in my family this summer. This seems to be a theme that shadows my life intermittently.
Izzy can proudly add broken bones to her medical history list. While playing a pick up game of basketball at camp, she hyperextended her fingers and heard a pop. After swelling, bruising, and persistent pain, one of my orthopedic colleagues said he thought it was likely broken. He facilitated getting Izzy seen the following day. Luckily she only had to buddy tape the two fingers for several weeks which meant a much more limiting injury. Below is the x-ray of her two tiny fractures. One is were the curser is located. The other is in the same spot on the other finger.
Upon returning from the farm during fair week, my knee gave out in the 1st of two airplanes. I had to use the seats to hobble out. Once on the jetway, I walked without issues. The next flight though I could not find a comfortable position. The same issue occurred but plagued me getting out of Logan airport. By the time we got home in the taxi, Izzy had to help me walk as I could not bear weight. We dug out crutches from the basement (glad I held onto these things) and waited to see if there was quick improvement. Something similar happened a few years ago which panned out to be a sprain with me improving in a few days. Sadly, this did not seem to be the same story.
It is times like these that I'm grateful for my ortho colleagues in the Cerebral Palsy program. I picked their brains about what happened and where to go from here. They hooked me up with a brace which helped tremendously as my knee gave out anytime I tried to bear weight. One of them then started texting an ortho colleague in the adult medicine world about seeing me. I later learned the orthopedist he was text was, not only on vacation, but one of the orthopedists for the Boston Red Sox. They saw me the next day and had an MRI arranged that night. Diagnosis... torn medial meniscus.
Now I'm in frequent physical therapy with daily exercises to do at home. I'm happy to say I no longer need the crutches or brace to walk. I'm able to walk at home but not long distances which makes any sort of exercise challenging. I am meeting with orthopedics the week after Labor Day for a discussion of surgery or no. My fingers are crossed that I continue to improve but know there will be issues moving forward with whatever is the ultimate decision.
As always, I try to look at the humor/bright side in this experience. Coco has been an ever constant comforting companion. She seems to thrive in my limited mobility and often gets pet whenever she wants/needs it. I've gotten to use the complementary electric scooters at the grocery store. The kids have been disappointed in not being allowed to drive it. I was also given a temporary handicap placard. If I had to squeeze out of my car one more time after another person parked inches away from my door with crutches (that don't bend mind you), I was going to scream. Try doing that on one leg! I learned that with this, you do not have to pay for parking either. I might be sad to see this one disappear with time.
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