So much to report on....and it's all good. Grab some coffee or soda or a glass of wine, and settle in, friends. I have stories to tell.
First....I had my one year check up for my second hip today. Since I've been concerned about pain that suggests both trochanteric bursitis and iliotibial band syndrome, I had a lot of questions. The session started with me reporting to the nurse, and we quickly agreed that I should have knee xrays in addition to the usual hip xrays. I've never had any major concerns about my knees until now, and so I've never had a baseline set of xrays done. Highlights of the visit:
1. My knees are OUTSTANDING SPECIMENS OF HEALTHY BONE. Not a smidgen of arthritis to be found. Everything just the way they should be. In other words, the knees are now ruled out as any source of referred pain. And there is no need to anticipate that they may give me problems in the future. I had convinced myself that my knees must be arthritic like a lot of the rest of me, so I did occasionally worry over what might be happening inside them. Nothing. Nothing is happening. Hurray!! I am ridiculously happy about this.
2. So happy that the fact that my doctor confirmed my suspicions (actually
alexthecat 's suspicions) of trochanteric bursitis aggravated by the terribly tight illiotibial bands on both legs didn't bother me at all. He wrote a prescription for PT and he feels the appropriate stretches will be enormously helpful. He thinks that the bursitis will back right off once the IT band tightness is addressed.
3. This was interesting. When I told him that all the pain started when I tried to discontinue Celebrex back in January, he was incredulous. WHY? is what he wanted to know. Why did I discontinue Celebrex if it helps me so much? I mentioned...oh maybe the possibility of internal bleeding after long-term use was a deterrent. What about my liver, my kidneys, heart health, etc? He pooh-poohed all the risks. He considers Celebrex to be a far superior drug to all the other nsaids on the market, and says as long as I have no risk factors (prior ulcers, high blood pressure, stomach distress caused by the celebrex) not to worry about it. He applauded my determination to remain drug-free....he says he sees people all day who just want more vicodin, more narcotics. He says I probably have the cleanest liver of all his patients.
Well, I certainly hope so, and he does relieve some of my concern about still relying on Celebrex when I have to function at high level for traveling and grandchildren. But I still think no drugs are far preferable, so that's still my goal.
4. Along with all this, I did just have all my routine blood work done through my family doctor, and everything is coming back with no problems. Kidney and liver panels are fine; cholesterol is fine enough; glucose levels are fine. I'm healthy. More hurray!
So enough yammering about any pain issues I've been having. I'll start PT very soon. I'll take the silly Celebrex when I need it. Moving on....
Almost a year ago, I posted my six-year plan here. I will copy it in to update you all:
Fall 2012 Finish Paralegal program
Jan - June 2013 - Begin LSAT prep course (involving 4 hours a day of study).
Summer 2013 - Take the LSAT in June. (I've already taken it once. My score will get me a 25% scholarship at the law school I hope to attend. That is a pittance. I need a much better score to get the 75% scholarship that will realistically allow me to go to law school.)
After the LSAT, do some significant travel.....thinking of a trip to Alaska with my SO, and/or a knitting cruise somewhere really interesting.
Fall 2013 - hoping to take my oldest granddaughter to Disneyworld. Hoping this will be a tradition for each granddaughter when she turns 7. By the time I've taken all of them, the oldest will be a teen, and I hope to establish a tradition of taking each of them somewhere exciting when they are teens. Hoping I am healthy and mobile enough to do this for the next umpteen years.
Jan 2014 Begin law school. Will go part-time for five years, so I can still have a life. Do not ask what I will do with a law degree once I have it. The education is the whole point. Figuring out how to make it useful is the NEXT long-term plan. However, if called upon to serve my country, I am interested in being on the Supreme Court.
Finish paralegal program....check.
Begin LSAT prep course....check
Take the LSAT in June....check
Hope to get a better score that will get me the scholarship I need.....CHECK CHECK CHECK!!!!!!
Trip to Alaska.....check....see below
Take granddaughter to DW......in the works. Reservations and plane tickets purchased for October.
Begin law school......YES! STARTING IN JANUARY. Long-held dream WILL come to fruition!
I am beyond excited. Anyone who is reading this.....there is life after THR. It may take a while to get there....but it's there. I know many have suffered for far more years than I did, and I know many have had or are having far more difficult recoveries. Doesn't matter....keep your eyes on the prize....even if you don't get all the way to what you want, you will get closer. This isn't meant to be cheerleader philosophy; just the act of getting older is daunting even without health issues. But set a plan, have a couple back-up plans just in case, and start moving forward. Even baby steps get you somewhere. If you get knocked down, take a little while to rest and then get up and get going again.
(Why do I have so much difficulty applying my philosophy to my goal of weight loss? Hmm...it's not in my six-year plan....maybe that's the problem!!)
Moving on......
My trip to Alaska was amazing and wonderful and lived up to all my expectations. But this post is already too long...I see you sneaking out for another glass of wine..... So I will get a new post up next week to tell all about the amazing 49th state of Alaska, complete with some photos. Promise.
Sharon
Australia
