THe best day of the year, so far, Tuesday, August 24th.
As many of you know I struggle with health issues and have been disabled for almost 2 years now, and it was different ailments, injuries, infections, you name it, one right after another after another after another.
But my biggest health problem, which affects my entire life, day in day out, my mental health, my physical health, my moods, my attitudes, everything boils down to the fact that I NEED my knees replaced, at age 49.
Covid put a hold on these types of operations unless deemed emergencies, but I started back in November 2020, after getting out of the hospital in October 2020 (20 days in critical care) with Necrotizing Faciitis (Flesh Eating Virus), where first they had to save my life, then save my leg, and I was sick with severe side efffects for 3-4 months or longer.
But
I started finding an Orthopedic surgeon, referrals thru my Primary Dr and insurance., then getting new MRI’s so they can see how bad my knees are (I will tell you how bad at the end^^), and start the process of going to Physical training (which helps, but does not come close to fixing things), and getting injections, and trying knee braces, and doing all the hoop jumping thru, so when Covid is not hitting so hard, and they start doing more of these types of surgeries in the hospitals, I already got thru all the hoops.
So, after the first injection, back in Janurary (and after them seeing my MRI and saying, Urg, yeah, ummm….), I went to a follow up in early March.
She asked how the first injection did, and was Physical Therapy (PT) helping, and I answered, the shot helped about 10% for about 4 or 5 days, and yes, any PT helps, but its not fixing it, and my bone on bone knees with multip;le tears and fractures and more, are not gonna un tear, and un fracture and grow new cartilage.
Ok, moving on, she said, “Ok, no point in another injection today, lets set you up with an appointment with the surgeon”. Best was 3 weeks away, end of march.
They cancelled that appointment and pushed it into mid April.
Dr #1 was a total prick. Seriously he was rude, and pretty much walked in and said, “yes, you need new knees, but it is a high risk surgery and because of your health problems, it is not safe to do the surgery”
I said what health problems, he said, you are diabetic. No, I am not, where did you get that from? He then said, well you have heart problems that puts you at risk? No, I don’t have any heart problems, where are you getting this from?
So he then said, welll, your BMI is too high, you are going to have to lose like 80lbs then come back and see me…
I explained to him, how do you think I put on 80lbs? Because I can’t do anything physical, I can barely walk up or down a curb, I can’t walk on uneven ground, Stairs, yeah, one at a time, only with a hand rail, two if they are there.
I told him I am an active person, I love to surf, and snowboard, and ride bicycles around the beach, and skateboard, and play sports like softball and what not, and that my knee got so bad I can’t do any of that, the best I could do wa go to the gym and ride an exercycle, and walk on a treadmill, and do isolated exercises cycled thru the week, and before Covid, I was in the gym, 5-6 days a week, and was about 50lbs lighter then I was now. I put on weight after my first hospital / disability in Jan of 2019, and then again in October of the same year to the present, but from Jan thru March 15th of 2020, I was in the gym, and was losing a little weight, and walking better, but sorry to say, my knees still are what they are .
This prick told me.
Surgery is too risky for you. But if you were to have one pass, there is one operation you could have, but its about the only operation you can have, you can get a lap band”
I am not making this up, this is the actual conversation I had with this guy
I told him eating is not the problem, it is inactivity, I actually eat really healthy, always preparing food at home, hardly EVER eating out, no fast food. It is because I can’t do physical activity at a level that works my muscles and metabolism right.
So he said, well, you can take medications.
I said for pain or for weight loss?
He said both.
I said, NO, I am an addict, I can’t take pills (or I can take them all at once and call it a party, and start on a brand new run), but that is not a fix, it is treating a symptom, not the problem.
So then I asked, and weight loss pills? You would prescribe somebody you are saying it too big to have surgery can safely take pharmaceutical METH? And that is not High Risk for a Heart Attack?
He said, no, I do’t prescribe that, your primary will.
OMFG, Really
Ok, then I asked if he had any other doctors he could refer me to., and he said no other doctors in his group practice would do it.
I said, no, do you have anybody you can refer me to outside your practice.
He said, hold on, I will see.
again, I am being dead serious, this is exactly how this happened next
One minute later, one of the girls from the front walked in, and said “Ok sir, I am going to see you out now” and walked me to the exit. And that was the last I ever dealt with that place.
ANd I was CRUSHED at that point, I thought, I thought it was hopeless.
I told my primary about the incident, and he reported that Dr to whoever he reports them to, and said he was not being real, and there are ways to get it around, and he would look for another Dr.
so, Dr. #2
He was really cool. In the end, same result, he couldn’t do the surgery, but he explained exactly, AND said, he could recommend me to another Dr that could possibly do it.
He explained that when you are a certain weight / size (tall and / or fat), that the knee replacements can end up not being successful long term, and fail as soon as even a year, UNLESS it is done by certain type of orthopedic surgeon called a Joint Replacement Surgeon that could do the job correctly, and if he says I need knee replacement, the insurance wouldn’t push back, but if a normal ortho surgeon pushed it to insurance, it would probably get denied.
So, HE, Himself, got me a referral to Dr #3, sent over all my information, and gave me a phone number to call and schedule an appointment.
I saw Dr #2 in mid June, so it took a while from the first Dr to the next, and it kept feeling more and more hopeless, and figured that Dr #3 was gonna say the same thing”
So, Today, I went to this appointment, not knowing what to expect, it was a 50/50 shot, he says yes or no.
Going In, I was hoping for the best, and expecting the worst. My best hope was that he would say, YES, I will do the surgery, and he will submit it to insurance, then get back to me, have me in for another appointments, and discuss the surgery, and possibly pick a date to do it, and go over all the pre surgery tests and bloodwork, other doctors I have to see, chest x-rays, pre surgery covid test, all that stuff.
My best hope was to get a 2nd visit with him, and my biggest fear was to be told, no, and at that point, I would be feeling hopeless.
NOT ONLY DID HE SAY YES, I WALKED OUT OF HIS OFFICE TODAY WITH A SURGERY SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 8TH TO DO THE FIRST KNEE, MY RIGHT ONE
So, YES, Today was the BEST day of 2021.
I have needed this for probably 5 years, but have been working towards this since November of 2019. My goal since going into treatment and getting sober, other then getting sober, was to surf again.
I will surf again, but I would never be able to do that without new knees, so my ultimate goal is only possible by first reaching this goal, and getting my knees replaced, and finally, after all my hardships that have happened after, one after another in the past two years, but I kept putting my next foot forward, and putting in the work necessary, and it has finally paid off.
ANd it is so much more then Surfing, it is my life. Back. Work, Play, surfing, snowboarding, bike riding, cliff diving, whatever I want. It has been so very difficult, and over the past 6 or so years, as my knees haver really started going down hill, my. Mental health has suffered, and no to minimal depression has turned into Major depression.
In all honesty, My Bass, My Bass Buzz Family, My Trusty bass instructor @JoshFossgreen, some members I have gotten closer too (not naming names, you know who you are), @Gio , Mark Smith, Talkingbass courses, YouTube in general, music theory, and everything to do with what this forum is about, BASS BUZZING, AND MIUSIC, MUSIC IN GENERAL, has been my saving grace.
When I get my life back, I am not gonna give up this, this is going to add to the richness of my life from that day forward.
Now, to wrap it up, sorry if some of that started running on and if it was hard to follow. I tend to do that, BUT, I do it worse with NO COMPUTER, and only IOs devices, PLUS, My Friend has been talking my ear off the whole time I have typed this, which has taken about an hour and a half, when it should have taken no more then 20 minutes.
*Lastly, I said at the end I would say what my MRI’s and Xrays look like.
X-Rays show nothing but Bone on Bone, and about an inch or inch plus shorter because of the loss of any and all cushion / padding between my knee bones
THe MRI.
Have you ever seen the movie “Armageddon” , when the general is describing the environment the oil drillers will be in when they land on the asteroid.
“400 degrees in the sun, -350 degrees in the dark, highly unstable, brittle, sharp rocks, with ground that can break or crack at any time, etc……”
And Luke Wilson says “Like the scariest place imaginable?”
General “Yes”
Wilson “so why didn’t you just say the scariest place imaginable”
Thats what the MRI’s of my knees show.
And the first tech that read the report to me, said “Wow, this is scary”, so I thought of that movie when I was looking at the images on the screen.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading.
I live alone, it is mid week, I got the news at the end of the day, I have not had a chance to tell alot of my NON Bass Buzz friends and family, and I had to get it out.
I am so happy today, I am crying tears of joy.
The 2nd best day of August, possibly September will be when I get my new Imac (new to me, late 2015 16.2 21.5” )
Then October 8th will take over as the best day of 2021.
If I can still get my left knee done before the end of the year, that will be equal tie with October 8th as best days of 2021.
AND
If I am surfing in early 2022, that will be the best day in the past decade.
), but this has a very uplifting melody and a very appropriate title:
