Category Archives: knee saga

tipped off

12 Monday Jan 2026

Posted by in health, knee saga, sevilla

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About six or more months ago I bought new rubber tips for my crutches because I saw they were wearing out. I mean, I’ve had these guys for years. I started off with just one, for when I had bouts of sciatia, but then graduated to two the first time I sprained my left ankle (found out years later when I sprained both and got them x-rayed that the original “sprain” had actually been a fracture). 

Anyhow, I’d been putting off replacing them since the first time I tried removing the tips months ago. Those fuckers were welded on! I looked on YouTube… “just bend and twist them”… yeah right. But finally I couldn’t keep putting it off after I was suddenly walking on metal when the crutch shaft broke through the worn out rubber tip. But I mean, there was no way any twisting or turning was going to get the old ones off. And then I thought… exacto knife?

The surgery was carefully performed on the office table with the crutch shaft safely secured while I very slowly sliced and sliced and sliced my way through the rubber until I hit metal. Then I was able to peel the two sides apart and THEN twist it off. Phew. Hopefully that’s it now for another 15 years… 

rainy wednesday

10 Wednesday Dec 2025

Posted by in cats, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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So damn… woke up at 6 am (actually a welcome change from the usual 4 am) listening to THE RAIN. And then had a look at the forecast. I mean, I already know that on rainy days I am basically stuck inside, especially since the Polka Dot Poncho let me down. Hobbling on crutches means no umbrella is possible and so these days I am more or less resigned to being, well, resigned. BUT today Luna had her appointment to get a cyst removed. which we’d made in November. Dammit.

At 7 am I texted vet Sonia and asked her if I could reschedule because the thought of Peter and I trying to get there and back again in the ALL-DAY RAIN without umbrellas (Peter carrying cat, me on crutches) and trying to find a taxi (we’d already gone through that hell recently) was just… no. And hey, no problem, Luna is rescheduled for next Wednesday morning. But it was another reminder about how my world is shrinking because I can’t fucking walk. So far the forecast for next Wednesday is sunny.

churros therapy…

17 Monday Nov 2025

Posted by in health, hospitals, knee saga, knees, sevilla, spain

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Nope, I’m not in Jerez. This is that other only time I eat churros – after an early-morning doctor’s appointment. Remember back when I showed you this video and was concerned because it said that to evaluate the progression of knee arthrosis the surgeon needs to see a weight-bearing x-ray, and for the ones taken in August I was lying on a metal table-bed thing.

So I got in touch with my GP (phone appt) and asked if she could request a weight-bearing knee x-ray for me before my next (ha!) surgeon’s appointment. She had a look at the x-rays on her computer and said that the report said they were weight-bearing (con carga), but I told her I distinctly remembered lying down because when they turned my legs to the side it hurt. She said that was for the lateral ones, the front ones were done standing up according to the chart. Which I don’t remember at all. These were done in a mobile unit x-ray station outside the hospital and I was sure I got up on the table and they did both x-rays that way. Or was I? Fuck. Thinking back, there didn’t even seem to be enough room in there to do a standing up x-ray. Anyhow, I convinced her to make another x-ray appointment for me which was today. At 9.00 in the morning at a health centre way the fuck far away.

Last week I tried to change the appointment to a later time (sometimes you can do this online) but couldn’t find a way, nor could I find a number to call. So whatever. It would have to be today at 9.00. I already knew I would spend a mostly sleepless night (and I was right!) but the other thing was that Storm Claudia still wasn’t done with us, though according to the weather office she’d be clearing out by noon today. Damn. Well, maybe I’d have some luck? Spoiler alert – nope.

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polka dot poncho

07 Friday Nov 2025

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees, sevilla, weather, welcome

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Enough already. I cannot walk (in the streets) without crutches (since August 2024). And I cannot use an umbrella whilst hobbling along on crutches, for obvious reasons. Last winter (rainy af – yes, much needed but still) made me realise how much this limits me. So… hello polka dot poncho! Not quite a famous blue raincoat but let’s see if this helps.