Tag Archives: knees

rainy wednesday

10 Wednesday Dec 2025

Posted by in cats, knee saga, knees, sevilla

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

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

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , ,

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.

Continue reading →

e-trike time?

21 Tuesday Oct 2025

Posted by in health, health & happiness, knee saga, knees

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Went to see the GP last week to get the results of last blood test (all good apparently!). I also mentioned my disappointment with the surgeon’s report, that she had only prescribed pain killers, including a fucking opioid, with a revision supposedly in three months time. I explained to my doctor that this WASN’T TREATMENT it was avoiding proper treatment and then I asked how I could ask to get a second opinion.

To my surprise she actually took the time to explain to me that with arthrosis and other knee problems the first line treatment is painkillers until such time that the surgeon agrees that surgery is necessary. She said that for the moment I was not going to get anything else… BUT (and apparently it’s a big but?) she said the fact that they asked for new x-rays and a follow-up in 3 months means that they haven’t ruled out surgery. Yet.

So okay… I’ve heard stories of people waiting four years for knee surgery. And yes, if I had private insurance – and paid whatever add-on – I could have had this done a year ago like my pal Charo. Meanwhile, she had to get hers done over and even now walks with a noticeable limp. 

Anyhow, got me thinking that I may well be stuck in this loop for longer than I even want to imagine… so what can I do? The other day I saw a woman pedalling down the street on a trike with a comfy basket to hold stuff and I thought… maybe? A bit of quick research shows me that most e-trikes are super heavy and expensive so not really for me, because I would also like to use this not only for getting around but also for daily exercise. Meaning I’d also want to be able to pedal the thing, not just use it as a get-around vehicle. So if anyone has any experience with trikes, would love to hear from you. 

jfc ffs

01 Wednesday Oct 2025

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

Remember my disappointment with the “nothing burger” visit to the knee surgeon in August? Aside from being given a cortisone shot (which did absolutely nothing) I was also sent down for updated x-rays so they could see the state of things now, and I was reassured that my next appointment wouldn’t take so long as I was now “in the system” as priority. Then I was sent home with a new set of pain killer prescriptions and was told to lose weight, go to the pool, ride a bike, etc. BUT at least I thought I’d be seeing the surgeon again as soon as the new x-rays were ready.

A month later there was still no news, and for some reason the doctor’s report was not on the Clic-Salud website, so I went down to my health centre to request a copy. This is what I got… 

History: 68 years old. Referred for right knee pain lasting approximately two years. Reports mechanical pain, with limited ability to walk long distances and work (tour guide). Does not take pain medication.

Examination: Overweight. Right knee with negative brush test. Pain in medial compartment, BA 0°-120°. Stable. Additional tests: Last x-ray 2023: incipient gonarthrosis.
MRI of right knee: Grade II femoropatellar and internal femorotibial compartment gonarthrosis with internal meniscus tear and chronic overload of the internal collateral ligament. Joint effusion.

Action plan: After signing the informed consent form, I performed infiltration of the right knee with mepi + trigon. No incidents.

Treatment: paracetamol 1 g every 8 hours, tramadol 50 mg every 12 hours, arcoxia 60 mg every 24 hours during periods of increased pain. Weight control and exercises. Follow-up in 3 months with X-ray.

FOLLOW-UP IN 3 MONTHS. There was never any intention of seeing me sooner. And according to the Defensor del Puebo, for follow-up appts to specialists, 3 months is the maximum wait time allowed. So they went for that. 

Also… limited ability to walk long distances?? How about ANY distances, like I told her, and not without extreme pain. I mean, she saw me hobble in there on my crutches. Well I guess this is how it feels to be “just a number” in the system. I am not being treated as a whole person but as a jumble of symptoms and they are simply following protocol without, well, caring. Just get me in and out asap, fill out the report showing they followed protocol, and push the next appt to the maximum time limit. It’s very hard for me to accept that this is my life now and to feel so helpless. 

supplements are go!

09 Tuesday Sep 2025

Posted by in health, knees, sevilla

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Not sure why I didn’t do this sooner, or even if I should be doing it now, but no way I’m going to take a fucking opioid (Tramadol) twice a day for three months in case it makes me feel better. And who knows when I’ll hear back from the knee surgeon to discuss the the results of the new x-rays they took that very same day. Then I remembered that when I saw the other, nicer, kinder traumatologist in June (about my shoulder) she had suggested taking this collagen supplement (two months on, one month off). Around the same time my GP had suggested something called Nubit for my neuropathy, which began during chemo and frankly ain’t getting any better. So decided to go for it, ordered both of these today and let’s see what happens.