Again . . .

This was Monday's sunrise here in Chicagoland - the view from my deck.  It was a stunner.  I just thought you might like to see it  :-)

 

Onward.

My visit to to my primary care doctor on Monday was informative - as it always is - except that it left me facing the same problem I've had in some form or another all along.  My knee is not loose, although he did have me go for an x-ray to be sure.  And the x-rays came back with two perfectly normal knees.  No issues.  And even more important, no arthritis.

However, if you've been keeping score at home, I'm sure you already know what I'm going to say next.

Yes.  Yes indeed.  It's inflammation.

Again.

It's disheartening.  I've been off added sugar for weeks again, and I'm down more than 15 pounds since mid-September.

And it's F-ing INFLAMMATION.

AGAIN.

Linda the Chicken Lady suggested acupuncture as a possible treatment, but I haven't had much success with acupuncture in the past.  In my heart, I'm reasonably sure that gaining weight again this year has been a significant contributing factor in my having joint pain again.

I declined another course of prednisone even though I know that I would not hurt for awhile if I took it.  But, having just taken the P-Bomb in August, I was not anxious to take it again even at a lesser dose.  Besides which, it really only masks the symptoms, which would come quickly back once the course was done.  I was advised that daily use of the Dreaded Foam Roller would be just as good as massage and much cheaper, since I already have one of my own at home.  I don't use it on my upper body or on my shins, but I do use it on my hammies, calves, IT band, quads, and glutes.  I don't do it very well - it's difficult to do and it hurts like hell, but I do the best I can, and I know it will eventually get easier the smaller I get.

I started last night.  I couldn't bring myself to start on Monday.  The Dreaded Foam Roller is extremely painful to use, but it does offer some relief, which is one of the clues that this is inflammation related rather than a loose joint problem.

And so, I've decided that I will continue with my anti-inflammatory twice a day, I'm using the Dreaded Foam Roller to the best of my ability, and I will look at getting more stretching in.  Yoga for the Rest of Us, here I come.

Again.