German Dr.'s are funny...

Who knew?

SO. After a summer of ignoring the injuries pretty successfully, I finally gave in to the ever increasing pain in my knee and went to the clinic. The clinic gave me something to help deal with the pain and referred me to a German Ortho/Trauma surgeon at a local hospital.

Very nice guy - for an Orthopod/Trauma God. Personable, friendly - doesn't spend much time with his American counterparts, apparently. Anyway... He sent me for tests to see what was causing me all this trouble, before we schedule me for surgery.

Yeah, right! Like I have time for that. I told him right away surgery wasn't happening until at least January because my schedule between now and then was just too busy. I think he thought I was being funny! No...

So the tests came in - bony debris and necrosis behind the patella and small tears along the ACL and inner meniscus. The ACL , if given a chance, can heal on it's own. The meniscus can't be fixed and won't heal, and the debris and necrosis could only be "washed out" with saline. The surgery would probably put me in more pain for awhile.

No thanks! So this Dr. has agreed to let me try and heal on my own. I now have referrals for pain management, physical therapy, and a brace. Which the U.S. Dr.'s will get around to getting for me...sometime.
The funny part? Herr Doktor says." And so - you must REST to heal. This you can do. You must do no running, no walking, no stairs. Just stay down for a few weeks - maybe by Christmas".

HA! Ha,ha,ha,ha,......Yeah. Let's see....between the 2 steep, narrow stair cases in my HOUSE, and the fact that, on-post, even HANDICAP parking is nowhere near the entrance to ANYWHERE - that's just NOT gonna happen! Even if my well-meaning husband DID say he would take care of everything, so I could stay in bed....Someday....IF and WHEN he ever gets home.....
BUT - it was a good idea, anyway.