Wheelchair van through NYC's appalling streets full of potholes and projecting manhole covers finally arrive at place. Get seen very quickly and he hears that my surgery is feeling fine.
Takes the usual BP measure, breathing, seems quite happy then puts hand on my shoulder feels the ball joint crunching, its audible, and I explain the whole story.
The appointment was only meant for him but after he realizes how bad my bones are he has me X-rayed and blood work drawn (lots, 5 cylinders full) and next stop the rheumatologist who draws 60cc of excess and blood tinted synovial fluid from my left knee and 30cc from the right knee. Then he gives me cortisone shots in each knee. Then he says:-
"Its a corrosive arthritis and theres no drug that I can recommend. You need major surgery its 95% successful, takes a full 18 hour operation which is quite dangerous because your joints are bone on bone, no cartilage, which means a full mechanical knee joint replacement.
It will take up to 3 months of constant care and daily rehab exercises to build up the atrophied leg muscles and you'll still be in pain until they can compensate.
Without proper facilities for your recuperation and attendant care givers, I can't recommend the procedure."
Oh great thinks me, so its piss bag and a powered wheelchair then is it?
However I felt better for having gone outside after weeks in bed. The cortisone helped or I wouldn't have written all this.
Tammy has been by my side almost every day except when she has her own medical needs to take care of, she skipped a diabetic appointment to be with me yesterday.
NYU hospital had sent out a long list of medical people I must see to fix my numerous problems and even better set the appointments up so this rehab facility can't pretend they didn't know. That means they provide me with escort and transport or at least till my Medicaid runs out which will be by 12 days from now.
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