FINALLY got my knee brace!

After almost two months of BITCHING at the insurance and arguing the need for the brace, between the Doctor and me, we were able to finally convince Blue Cross that there was no way around this. They were more in favor of performing the surgery on the spot than approving this, but the Dr. had to convince them that my knee is 'not ready for prime time' yet.

This thing is NOT exactly comfortable, but it DOES relieve the pain a lot, I guess how it works is because it straps on above and below the knee (and had a super-structure that surrounds the knee) it essentially pulls the knee apart and holds it there while you walk, with the structure supporting the weight. And it's light... cast aluminum, carbon fiber, nylon construction.

Only bad thing is I have to wear M.C. Hammer parachute pants to fit over the brace. I can barely get a pair of Dockers over it, and that's if I buy them a size too large in the waist to get a larger leg size. Looks like I'm in shorts for awhile, glad I live on the West as opposed to the East Coast!!

Ouch... well, can't keep ignoring it

So here we are a few days away from Xmas and I've finally got to admit it, I need a knee replacement. Pain has been pretty constant since April, much worse than ever before. Seems the bad ligament tear I got from slipping on the exterior concrete stairs at work in January that injured my RIGHT ankle caused a serious 'altered gait' which put undue pressure on my left knee. Now, the x-rays indicate I've got severe osteoarthritis, coupled with the joint being bone-on-bone and with the cartilage having been removed (in 1975) there's no alternatives.



Getting fitted for an "unloading brace" in a month or so, which is supposed to relieve the stress and also help re-align the bones in my leg to help make replacement surgery have a greater chance of success.... but truth be known, it's what they call "15 year surgery", because even if it's 100% successful, in another 15 years, it will likely need to be done again =(



Wish me luck