The Imperfect Community

[TheBean]

NO....NOT me...

But PP is bed ridden and will have to be on crutches. She can't get to the basement to post, so I'm posting this latest tidbit for her.

I must admit - though I am distressed at the poor woman for having to be on crutches...the mental imagery of a woman in her final weeks of pregnancy, off-balance to begin with... balancing precariously on two sticks of wood. Well- it has me giggling.

Seriously though - the dr.thinks she ripped some ligament in her knee, and it requires cortisone, a MRI and surgery. Though they can't tell because they can't do the MRI. It happened sometime on Wednesday - probaby from squatting at school with the kids.

I suggested she stick her leg in the MRI room and keep her pregnant belly in the hallway. Perhaps wrap her belly in bubble wrap and soem tinfoil for them to just MRI the knee. I wonder if they could use ultrasound on the knee???

The dr needs to talk with the OB person yet to see what they might do. But clearly something has to be done. She can't carry the baby around on crutches..and recovering from the c-section will be compromised I imagine if she is on crutches.

So...that is PP's latest news.

[Jessica]

OMG!

You have got to be kidding!

Send her our best and cyber ((((HUGS)))). She has to be freaking out. Poor thing. That's the last thing a very-pregnant woman needs.

Keep us posted.

[Rebecca_R]

THAT SUCKS!!! Please tell her I said hi when you talk to her, and that I'll be thinking about her.

Geez, you'd think they'd give a pg woman a wheelchair and not crutches!

[honeybee]

OMGoodness!! How awful!

[mommy2three]

Holy Crap! How much does that suck?!

[Petulant Pixie]

Yes, I have hobbled downstairs to the basement to post. Maneuvering the stairs isn't that bad actually, but I don't think I'll be doing it often. Actually, I needed to look up stuff about this damn knee.

I helped out in Katie's kindergarten class Wednesday morning and it was fun, but there was a LOT of bending, stooping, squatting and stuff with the kids and thier projects. All was fine until middle of Wednesday night to Thursday morning. I woke up at about 3 am with a shooting pain that went from my hip down to my toes and I couldn't put a lot of pressure on that leg. But, I could still walk, with a big limp, so I still drove the kids to school Thursday morning and went to the school mass. Then later that day, the limp was worse, but still, I picked up Katie from kindergarten and took her to her urologist appointment. After that, I came home, parked myself on the easy chair with a heating pad.

When Alex got home at 4, I could NOT walk. I couldn't straighten my knee at all or put ANY weight on it. I had to hobble, holding on to furniture, to get to the bathroom. By this time the OB and my regular doctor had left for the day.

Mike helped me by half-carrying me to the bathroom the rest of the evening. I talked to the OB on call who gave me permission to take 3 tablets of 200mg ibuprofin just this one time to get me through the night, with a vow I would see my regular doctor in the morning.

The kids had off of school Friday because of a teacher's training day (I had an appointment to get the oil changed, oh well) and Mike had to take off work. I saw my doctor, who ran an X-ray to rule out a fracture and when it came back negative, she didn't know what to do, so she sent me to an orthopedic (who was right down the hall in the same hospital).

I went to him and he knew right where to touch to make me scream. He said it's a torn meniscus, which is a piece of cartilage behind your knee cap. He said that squatting is the culprit and showed me with a handy plastic knee model how if you squat and add a little turn to it, the meniscus just tears.

Treatment for this involves theraputic doses of anti-inflamatories and a shot of cortisone for the pain, both of which are contradicted in pregnancy. Then an MRI to confirm the diagnosis and finally, surgery to correct it.

I talked to my OB yesterday and she said the pain medication and cortisone are not all right (aside from some systemic absorption of the cortisone, which could get to the baby, it would make my sugars skyrocket). I can have the MRI however (she said they do MRI's on babies in utero all the time) and then figure out what to do from there.

The orthopedic gave me a huge brace (goes from my thigh to my ankle) to immobilize my leg. It does help, it was feeling much better last night, but I can't wear it in the car because I can't swing my leg into the car with it on! And the crutches.

My plan right now is to have the MRI as soon as I can. I am hoping that the knee will improve enough for me to bear weight on it and walk without the crutches before the baby is born. Just to limp along would be great. I don't need to run marathons or anything, lol, just walk without crutches before the c-section! After that, I will do the cortisone shot and the anti-inflamatory and maybe see if I can squeeze through this without knee surgery. I've known two people who have recovered from torn menisci without the surgery--they never got to the point where they could like jog, or do anything with high impact on the knee, but they could live their daily lives all right. I really hope I can do that too!

Katie's urologist appointment was thankfully uneventful. He just recommended keeping up with the current treatment (laxative, bladder spasm medication and antibiotic) for 3-4 months and then take her off the antibiotic to see if the colony of bacteria is gone.

And, in other news, I discovered an awesome consignment store. I got a two-speed, open-top, battery-operated swing for the baby for $15! Katie and I brought it home Monday and immediately, she claimed it as her own, putting her baby doll in it. I was afraid she'd break it before the baby comes, so I put together the old wind-up one my cousin gave me for her to use for her doll. She loves it, that doll swings all afternoon and all evening, lol. I also got some cute summer clothes for Katie and the baby there. And picked up a bunch more Carter's sleep-n-plays at Sam's Club (they had them for $7-something each!), and more diapers, the sleep bra and two nursing nightgowns for myself.

Honestly, I did push it too far this week and I should feel maybe a little grateful for this injury for making me rest. I can't do ANYTHING. But, really, it just makes me feel helpless. I don't like people waiting on me, I don't like being able to take care of myself.

Being in the wheel chair at the doctor's office was totally humbling. Alex got a big kick out of it. He enjoyed wheeling me around, taking me to the big window to look out of, etc., but you feel so weak and exposed in the wheel chair, totally dependent on other people. I really hope I can be back on both feet again soon.

[DietCokeHead]

Oh my!! I hope you don't need surgery. Have you ever had a cortisone shot? I have had a couple and while they sting going in, they have provided such awesome relief for my pain! I wish you could get one now. Keep yourself comfortable and enjoy being waited on!

[Jessica]

All I can say is OUCH!

I was on cruches when I was pregnant with Graham, because of the car accident. It was such a pain. I remember getting deeply depressed.

...but I'm sure you won't. LOL. Wow, I'm really not trying to be a downer - really! Hope you feel better soon!

[Petulant Pixie]

It is a pain, and people gawk at you like you're a circus freak.

But, the knee is getting better. I think the orthopedic might have been a little pessimistic--since he is a surgeon afterall. I've been able to get around the house more and more without the crutches, and it seems to be loosening up a lot. I still can't straighten it all the way, but it's getting closer.

Outside, I still use them. I went to church yesterday and in the middle of the parking lot, I realized just how big the world is. I don't think I could have made it without the crutches, so I will keep using them to go to the doctor and pick up Katie and such, probably for the rest of the week. I know from my mom who had two hip replacements, that when shopping, you can use the cart kind of like a walker.

I really think I'm going to be able to get through this. My plan now is to NOT have the MRI (I just don't want to introduce anything else, if I can avoid it) until after I have the baby. It really, really looks like I won't be facing recovering from a c-section and caring for a newborn on crutches and right now, that's all I care about.

[MainstreamMom]

Good luck with everything! I hope you won't need surgery.