The Bees Knees

When I was younger (a LOT younger), I did some figure skating. I fell. A lot. My skating days ended when my knees starting acting up, which I attribute to all of the falling. Skating is hard you know. I ended up having both knees scoped in high school, cartilage shaved and debris removed.

During my second marathon, my left knee started hurting - enough to slow us down quite a bit starting around mile 21 or 22. I finished, and continued to run. I have not gotten very high in mileage since then, not beyond a 1/2 marathon. This was mostly due to getting sick in 07, not because of the knee.

Over the past year or so I have had trouble with the knee locking up and hurting under the kneecap. This affects running, but it also affects simply things like walking, stairs, giving the boys a bath, sitting for long periods of time. I am sure when I screwed my quad playing soccer that the increased stress on the left leg didn't help...but I think it is simply over-use and poor alignment of the knee.

We have tried steroid shots, steroid patches, physical therapy, rest, ice, heat, elevation, voodoo magic and have come up empty. I am now scheduled for surgery - lateral release and hoffa pad removal - next week. I am a little skeptical at this point - wondering if this is the right thing to do. My doctor put it pretty simply - if I don't have the surgery, it will get worse. If I get the surgery, it might get better. This surgery is really the only option at this point. Dilemma.

Walking Stick

Our dinner entertainment at The Oasis tonight.

More Conversations from the Road

As we passed a place called Chainsaw Sculptures:

Todd: I want a sculpture

Me: They are opened. You could stop and order one. So do they chop up people or what?

Todd: Ummm...

Me: Exactly HOW WOULD that conversation go?

Todd: I want a sculpture. Use one arm, two legs and half a head. Obviously you are the artsist - so I will leave the rest up to you.