Saturday Dec. 5, 2009: H1N1 vaccinations & short knee update

Having seen a small article in the newspaper last weekend about the Danbury VNA opening up the H1N1 vaccination up to more people, I called on Monday to see if HEnry and I qualified now. Someone from my ITP group had said "blood disorder" was included in a form she saw for it. And indeed, it did. I was accepted immediately. The woman on the phone had to check about Henry as a cancer survivor. He was okayed so we got an appointment for both of us. It was painless but by afternoon, my/our arms were a bit sore. But nothing else.
As far as the knee goes, I haven't noticed much of a difference after having the 5 Supartz shots. The shots didn't hurt as much this time. My knee doesn't feel wonderfully better but it doesn't feel worse either. So who knows.....Going back for a follow up for the shots on Dec. 22, the same day as a dental cleaning in the morning and an energy audit of our house in the afternoon. Busy day!

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009: Turkey Day and last Supartz

Tuesday I had my last Supartz shot. I had a problem with the bandaid coming loose which had to be fixed before I left the office. All's well that ends well. I go back Dec. 22 for a 4 week follow up.
Wednesday morning was grocery shopping for Thanksgiving. I had a fender bender in the Trader JOe's parking lot:( Car will be getting an estimate tomorrow after I work 4:45AM -11AM!!!!
Thursday (today) we cooked and ate a lot. RIght knee hurt this evening so I iced it which helped a bit. It is kind of stiff-that's the problem. I rode the exercise bike in hopes it would loosen it up but it did only minimally. So I iced it.
Off to watch some TV, play a bit and go to bed early since I have to be up before 4AM!

Thursday Nov. 12, 2009: 3rd shot on Tuesday

I had my 3rd Supartz shot on Tuesday. Nothing very exciting. It was the PA who did it. She thought I'd be still on a Wednesday schedule this week which is why she told me she wouldn't be there to do the shot. My next shot will be Tuesday and I see the hematologist on Wednesday. When I requested those 2 days off, I had no idea they would be the days for a very big sale at work and I missing it. Oh well!
Yesterday at work, there was a customer who had to stop several times because of knee pain and she said she had knee replacement. She and I chatted briefly. Then another customer asked me about mine and was I happy with it (among the questions she asked).

Right replaced knee has been a little stiff the last couple of days. I really must get myself back in the saddle again, I mean the exercise bike. Hip has also been achy. I think it's the cloudy weather, with some expected rain in the forecast for later this week. I also have figured out that my shoulders do not like being cold, which they are in this room where I am. So I am sitting here with a blanket over my shoulders.

Monday October 5, 2009: Supartz shots okayed!

Technically insurance wasn't required but the company did tell the nurse from the rheumy office that it would be covered 80% until I get to my out of pocket max (I am about $135 from there) and then they'll be covered 100%. So for now, I am set. I have appointments made already for the 1st, 2nd and 4th shots (the 4th one was an appointment I had made in August for a check in there) and will make the other appointments the next time I'm there, which will be on Oct. 28 for the first shot.
I also saw my primary care doctor today, having a BP recheck again to see if the new pills were working okay. I told her about the hip MRI results and she wanted to know if I was going to do anything about the problem yet (other than the hip cortisone shot I already had) and I told her at this point, I wasn't, but I was pretty sure something will be done in the future, mentioning the hip resurfacing possibility.

Thursday Oct. 1, 2009: Rheumy appointment

Rheumy appointment today. I got a cortisone shot in my left knee and made plans to get Supartz shots in it as well, to be started in a month. I also found out the results of my hip MRI (never got the details from the ortho). I have mild arthritis in my right hip and mild to moderate (probably closer to moderate) in the left one (the one that was bothering me) has 50% of the cartilage gone, with a defect in the cartilage. Not so great news but manageable at this point still.

Thursday Sept. 24, 2009: The other knee

My non-replaced knee has been acting up. I am getting the same pouffy spot on that knee that I used to get on my replaced knee. The medial bottom corner is aching off and on and the whole knee doesn't feel so great lately. So today, after Henry told me that if I want to get anything done to the knee, to get it done before the end of the year while we have reached our out-of-pocket max. It obviously is not at the point of needing any kind of replacement but is in need of some kind of medical intervention. I am thinking either a cortisone or maybe even a round of Supartz. I would hope that the latter might work this time because the knee isn't as bad as it could be. So I made an appointment for a week from today with the rheumy PA to discuss what to do. I'll be leaving work early (with permission) and might be able to run home first to change clothes before heading over there. We shall see.