Dear Regular Readers (and those not so regular),
I hope this edition of our newsletter finds you reasonably happy, relatively healthy and hopeful that the wheel will (eventually) turn in a direction that will allow us all get back to leading our lives free of some of the worry that has been constantly hanging heavily over us all for almost the last year.
Until next week keep safe and well and the next time it pours down with rain why don’t you throw caution to the wind, strip off and go for a job around your garden (if you have one, if not pop out to your nearest home center (before stripping off of course), buy half a dozen or so watering cans (the fine sprinkling type), fill them all full of water and deposit one in each of the rooms in your home, so when you jog from room to room you can pick one up and literally hold it over your head as you jog to simulate jogging outside in the rain). Holding a watering can above your head during jogging is not the easiest thing to do of course, but that’s what makes the whole experience that much more exciting. Whatever your scenario you should be completely nude, yes, not a stitch remaining on; it’s highly possible that you may raise more than a few eyebrows if you have a garden to run around in and you opt for that choice, but so bloody what. It’s about time we all did something that may be a little out of character for a change because the therapeutic value you get from doing something on the spur of the moment far outweighs the bit of embarrassment that you may suffer in the process. I hope you enjoy the next installment of my knee story, which is as follows:
My knee story continued………
In the week leading up to my next appointment at the hospital, I religiously did all the leg stretches with the rolled up towel and I also added some leg raises and knee bends into the mix just for good measure and I tried to get as much rest as possible; however it proved all to be in vane as my swollen knee problem did not improve, not in the slightest; if anything it looked worse than it had previously and I was concerned and also I felt very down.
Saturday came and off I went to the hospital, hoping along the way that this time around the doctor would work some magic and all would be well with my knee. I entered into the hospital, announced my arrival and went to sit in the main waiting area. I was quite early, so I sat and read a book I had with me. After about an hour, I was approached by a receptionist and asked to move to another area just in front of the doctor’s surgery door. I waited for a further 15/20 minutes and then I was called in to the doctor’s surgery by the doctor’s assistant nurse.
The doctor’s ability to speak English is not the best and my Japanese ability leaves a hell of a lot to be desired, but armed with pictures and one or two words that were specific to my condition we somehow communicated. The doctor checked the knee and told me that the fluid had returned (this was clear to see) and did I want him to perform another aspiration. This time I asked him whether or not he thought a hydrocortisone injection would solve the problem; he understood what I’d asked, but had difficulty explaining, so he invited another doctor, an elderly chap, in to his surgery explain how such an injection is administered. The elderly doctor’s English ability was, if anything, worse than the doctor I was seeing, so after an explanation that I could barely understand, I decided it made good sense to leave it alone this time around, even though I was desperate to resolve my bursitis problem.
I ended up opting again for another aspiration, but this time I asked if it would be possible to have a brace put on directly after the aspiration as I felt that it may help to prevent the fluid from building back up. I also mentioned that I had found the R.I.C.E method for reducing bursa inflammation on the internet and I enquired if the doctor thought it would be beneficial if I followed the same method. He told me it would not do any harm, but he didn’t seem very optimistic it would help in any way. I also mentioned that I had read on the internet that in some cases it was better to rest the knee after aspiration and or try to keep the knee from bending for a period of time as walking directly after an aspiration may cause the bursa to inflame and fill up with fluid immediately. The doctor didn’t seem convinced that the brace would do any good, but he arranged with his nurse to loan me a knee brace and after performing the aspiration and fitting the bandage he strapped me up in the knee brace. Having never worn a knee brace before it took a while to get used to walking in one, but after one or two practice runs in the doctor’s surgery I soon found my feet (pun intended). Before I left the doctor’s surgery, the doctor pointed out (he actually showed me the syringe) that the amount of fluid this time around was a little more than last time, but it was clear and hence was not infected.
It took me a while, but I managed to get home without much of a problem with the brace on; I felt somewhat relieved I had achieved the objective of having it put on because I’d managed to get home without bending my leg. I rang the doorbell and when my wife opened the front door she took one look at the brace and thought I’d broken my leg until I explained that I had asked the doctor to put it on so I could get home without bending my leg, which raised a bit of a smile from my wife as she asked how I’d gotten home and when I said I’d hobbled back with the brace on her smile turned into a laugh because it’s all up and down hills getting from my home to the nearest train station. Anyway, after getting through the door and downstairs I was tempted to take the brace off and have a look at my knee, but I was honestly quite daunted by the prospect of being faced with a knee that had filled back up with fluid. Because of my fear, I ended up keeping the brace on for more than 4 hours. When I finally removed it I was a bit surprised to see that the knee had not yet filled back up with fluid, so I felt that maybe the brace idea had worked and I was on the way to recovery. The real litmus test would be to have a look at the knee after a good night’s sleep.
The next morning I woke up and the first thing I did was feel down very slowly with my left hand to touch my left knee cap and low and behold the fluid had returned and to cap things off my right leg felt very sore and achy. The problem with my right leg stemmed from having to work extra hard to compensate for the fact that the left leg had been braced up; this made me feel even more miserable because I couldn’t actually walk without feeling pain. I was downhearted, but I was determined to get my knee sorted out no matter what. I had planned to take my son to the UK for a short holiday in August and as we were now in July I was very worried that I may well be taking my knee problem back to the UK with me which concerned me a lot.
I pondered my next move, I didn’t feel confident that the fluid would go away on its own or by taking medication (NSAIDS) and it now seemed that aspiration my not do the trick either, so what was left? To continue on with R.I.C.E and the rolled up towel knee stretches and leg raises? Yes, why not, it wouldn’t hurt anything. To have it aspirated again? Yes, I think so. To try the hydrocortisone injection next time? Maybe, because my trip to the UK was quickly coming up, but I would need to know more about the possible cons of having it. I decided to do a bit more reading up about my condition and then plan from there. To be continued next week.