Visited the orthopedic doc today.  Sat down with a doctor’s double…a
helper, something or other like clinician’s assistant, who reported that the
knee problem won’t require surgery.  You sure that’s my file? The
meniscus is intact.  Healthy.  The source of pain, which is quite real
I’d add, happens to be a 5mm "cartilage ulceration" on the end of the leg bone
(I can’t remember which one…femur?). Beats the heck out of a cartilage
uncertaination.  The asst. said it’s a condition resembling arthritis,
although "it’s not arthritis."  Good.  Good.

In short I’ve been cleared for low-impact stuff to be moderated only by the
pain (walking, naps, watching NCAAs).  And slighter (decreasing) pain
lingers, but it’s not as bad as it once was.  Swelling is the
explanation–the same cause of the electickle nerve-shocks I get on the bottom
of my foot when I stand up every now and then.  Long term outlook: four to
six weeks and it’ll be like nothing ever went wrong. Possible remainder: a tiny pock will
remain in the cartilage, the memory of this ulceration. 

And so I feel like
a jerk for crying
foul to blogspace, for wallowing in the many em/sym/anti/pathies of you
all.  But a relieved jerk, a delighted, grateful jerk, encouraged now that
I can get some more action out of my basketball sneakers, return to the
hardwoods before the end of the semester and not be forced to pass on the Native
Vision camp in early June. And I did get to try on some of the
wildest shorts
ever for the MRI.  If a team was decked out in these duds for the NCAAs,
I’d foresee them to the championship on style alone (reminds me of the bible
college I watched play in KC a few years ago that wore warm-up pants for the
game.  To the coach: You guys want to change off those warm-up pants?  Coach:
We play in them. To the coach: Oh.)

Enough.  Got D.’s birthday to celebrate.