Pandemics and Pain

As if a pandemic weren’t bad enough, my left knee has completely gone to shit.

Back Story: I tore my meniscus in 2009 walking–not running–a 5K. Takes talent, huh? It required arthroscopic surgery and I was mostly fine for five years. Six years ago, however, I had to do extensive physical therapy because it started flaring up again. I’ve mostly been living with sporadic pain for the past six years, thanks to Plan A: Mostly-annual Cortisone injections. My last injection, though, was this past December, but it didn’t last more than a few weeks. Plan A: Done.

I’ve been grateful to be working from home during the pandemic because I haven’t had to walk from my large parking lot into my large office building and all the way to my seating area. However, there have been days it’s been painful to even walk from my new office (dining room table) to the bathroom. Time for Plan B.

After fighting with my insurance company, this week I had an injection of synovial fluid from a rooster comb. Seriously. You can’t have it if you’re allergic to chicken! The doctor explained it’s more of a gel and is supposed to help to cushion the bone-on-bone scenario I have going on. He further advised that some people feel the effects right away, while for others it can cake 2-6 weeks. I seem to be in the second category. I’ve so far felt no difference. I mean, I’m hopefully in the second category because there are also others for whom it doesn’t work at all. Here’s hoping I’m not in that category.

Side Note: My orthopedist, his assistant, and an intern shadowing him were all in the room with me. I blurted out, “This is the most people I’ve been in a room with in months!” They apologized. I said, “No. It’s kind of nice.” And it was. I’m an extrovert and miss people.

Fast Forward to the Weekend: I’ve sort of been moping around in a funk because the injection hasn’t started working yet, but today I woke up with new resolve. I refuse to succumb to this and to the extra weight that the pandemic and pain are creating in and on my body. It starts now. It’s not going to be easy, but what in life is?