I had an "Arthritis Flare." It was my very first and it was awful, horrible, debilitating and sudden, like BAM! I have been dealing with knee pain for awhile now but nothing like this. This experience taught me a lot. Shit happens to the body and I can neither control it, nor will it away. I am getting old. And my weight does not help anything. I also learned that there are a lot of us knee pain sufferers out there. I was amazed at the number of folks offering their own story of knee pain …
The Knee Chronicles: A Shot In The Knee
It's two hours past my scheduled appointment time and I am finally sitting in the examination room. I've actually been in here for about 20 minutes. Not much to look at but at least it doesn't smell funny. You know what I mean! That doctor's office smell. As a child, I was always traumatized by a visit to the doctor's office. But today at age 49, I am just as unsure as I was at age five, only I don't have my mommy to accompany me. I don't know what to do with myself. …
The Knee Chronicles: Thoughts In the Waiting Room
It's morning and I am sitting in the doctor's waiting room. The doctor's office is located in an area hospital. It's not posh or fancy in any way. This comforts me for some reason. There are people of color here, working people - quite unlike the last time I was in an Ortho clinic (four years ago) which was located downtown off fancy Michigan Avenue with copies of the Wall Street Journal, Crain's Business and Chicago Social laying about. The next thing I notice is how sick I am not. …
The Knee Chronicles: The Day the Earth Stood Still On One Leg, Part 3.
I am stuck a half block from my house. I am unable to stand, or walk. I can't even bend my knee to get into a taxi because of the intense pain in my left knee. And a voice is screaming in my head: "If you weren't such a fat cow this wouldn't be happening!" I am about ten feet from the entrance to the corner store and so I bite the bullet and limp-hop my way to the store and go inside for some kind of respite. …
The Knee Chronicles: The Day the Earth Stood Still On One Leg, Pt. 2
I decided to go to my friend's birthday celebration. It is a relatively low key night in the realm of true party girlness. The plan is to attend a campy play at a nightclub's cabaret room which is located minutes from my house. One quick cab ride away. I hobble with my cane to the corner store and get cash from the ATM and then hobble to the corner to flag a taxi. That's when all Hell breaks loose. …