January 2017 Newsletter Edition
For me the new year started with medical appointments with my family doctor and physiotherapist. As has been the case with me throughout the past decade their opinions are in contrast with each other. My physiotherapist was wanting to discharge me with an instruction to my family doctor to consider other treatment methods. My family doctor urged me to persevere with physiotherapy with a caveat that I would be unlikely to find medical evidence to support knee surgery. To continue with the physiotherapist I was required to agree to charting the # of each exercise I was able to do each day.
The physiotherapy quickly became futile and I was easily able to find proof that supported offering me knee surgery several months ago. Then on January 19th 2017 an incident of knee popping - clicking followed by pain caused the same set of symptoms as what my surgeon diagnosed as a probable partial ACL tear in my right knee joint a year ago. The bottom line is that I am unable to do the physiotherapy exercises. Severe stiffness and pain is preventing me. I'm only able to do very basic exercises for my hip joints. Anything more advanced requires healthy knee joints.
At this point I am expecting to be discharged by my physiotherapist on February 3rd 2017. I have an appointment with my family doctor lined up for February 13th 2017. However for the time being I've decided to take control of my care instead of letting my family doctor direct it. I've started writing a letter to the sports injury doctor who was instrumental in getting the treatment for my hip joints on track in 2007. I am going to be asking that I be assessed by him. I've also mail ordered an adult leg traction kit for bowed knees. It is obvious my knee joints are misaligned by my childhood treatment for Legg Perthes Disease. If my lower leg bones could be persuaded to straighten by wearing a traction kit 2 hours a day for 6 months it may improve my knee joint function. It is worth $20 and a 6 week wait for the traction kit to arrive from China if this will bring any results.
The other major project I have on the go right now is overhauling two laptop computers for the continued growth of my youTube channel. I have the skills to do this. It is going much slower than usual because the effects of my chronic pain on me. But I am trying my hardest to make my life work. Later this year I plan to re-organize the furniture in my home so it improves my quality of life.