Monday, October 14, 2019

NO, IT WASN'T A TEST FALL!



OCTOBER 14, 2019      

                          
 NO, it wasn’t a test fall!

I fell last week a few minutes after my lovely pedi and calf massage.

RESULT– Both knees banged; the knee that had already been X-rayed for buckling is now on my mind every few minutes.  The cost – at least two doctor visits so far 
And of course making me feel dumb. (Lately I’d been worried about some lumpy places in the street at the doctor’s office.)   Then a second of not watching the floor in a shopping center, and down I went!

 Treatment:  SO, back to the doctor.  I’m able to do my walks around here.  And I still do my little
exercises for my gluts. (Ask me about them.)  But I’m so aware of the knee that had buckled before….so is the Doctor.
And awareness of my body weight and what I lift or carry..   Just in time:  

Some math from Mayo Clinic reminded me to concentrate more on what I have already been doing:     Lose weight. If you're overweight, each additional pound you carry translates to another 4 pounds of pressure on the joints.” (bold mine)  I had never realized that included knees.
Dr. Lars Richardson, an orthopedic surgeon with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital says, "Getting your body mass index [BMI] to a healthy range will make your knees feel better,"    Have you ever looked up your bmi (body mass index)? It’s easy; instructions on line.

I still get those three vegies plus salad every day.  I even refused to eat cheese for two weeks. Weight and water are looking better.  Hope it’s helping the knees.

 Forecast: I need to return something to the store where I fell, but much later.  Scared!
    Tomorrow if the left knee isn’t feeling perfect, Dr. wants me back for cortisone shot.

I wish you health and days of paying close attention!












Thursday, October 3, 2019

FALLING: NOT THE LAST WORD ON KNEES


True, I do want my knee to get better.  And maybe the almost important reason is:


I want that knee and all it includes to help

keep me from falling!


KNEE BUCKLE UPDATE The Hard Stuff:


The doctor sent me to get a knee X-ray the other day.   Perhaps because I was still carrying the cane and seemed a little slow and discouraged.  They let me know the next day:  the meniscus was not torn.  Great news.  So I don't have to have anything radical done.

The other news:  I still need to be cautious instead of careless. There is good news, though.

 Yesterday was a madhouse, and I didn't exercise much.  There are a lot of simple exercises to protect that knee, and some of them I can do easily.  Some even in bed as they taught me years ago in rehab.
I picked some easy ones from Harvard Health "Age Proof your knees"article on line
Standing on hard floors is discouraged, so found some soft shoes for kitchen duties, etc.

Amazing news is:  the effect of weight on the knee.  Two articles I value on the web say:  If you need to lose weight, lose it.
I have been working on that, but not enough.  I still worried last week when I had to carry my three-liter water to the apartment.   Harvard Health articles told me

 how much pressure each pound I carry puts on a knee cap.

SO NO 3-liter water for coffee for a while. Star-Bucks when I want good coffee .

BIGGEST DECISION: also gave up cheese! to see if that keeps the weight loss going.


I wish you health.