(Note: I’m not a medical professional; these are simply my choices.)

I guess the good news is that the bad news isn’t as bad as the bad news could’ve been. Is that a rationalization, reality, or a bit of both? I have had knee problems. So what? Everyone has problems. At my age (66 going on 67), the word from the doctor is rarely not to worry, but instead is more like, worry about this, but not that long list of other things. I finally had my knee x-rayed. Two weeks (?) later, I finally got to hear the results. Yes, there is bone-to-bone contact. (Eep! Ugh!) But there’s no need for surgery. (Whew.) But there’s going to be pain. Hey, considering the rest of the world, that’s manageable.

I post this, not because I am self-centered, but because more than a few people have asked to know how it goes. Some friends have known me for decades and are familiar with my feet-based feats like walking across Scotland (Walking Thinking Drinking Across Scotland), as well as books about bicycling, hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing. More recent friends know me because of dancing. (I wonder if I can find that old graphic where I was on the dance poster.) And, of course, I am curious because it’s my body and it’s been hurting. 

What made the pain arrive? How bad is it? How much is it going to cost?

The pain showed up because I used my joints. OK, maybe I used them more than most, but as I type this, I recall a semi-motto I used decades ago. “I’d rather have achy joints and a healthy heart, than an achy heart and unused joints.” Picking priorities. 

The medical legalese was confusing enough that I gave up and trusted my doctor’s interpretation. I know some folks who enjoy diving into medical research. I’m more likely to misread, overreact, and misinterpret the reams of data and analyses, and spend hours doing it. My doctor summarized the situation and my options in thirty minutes. Yes, the issue is wear, but it isn’t the issues I worried about more, like damage or frailty. Age happens. Congratulations, I’m living a life. This isn’t a surgery thing, but some other exercises and maybe some injections may make the joints work better. Arthritis happens, too.

No surgery means the big ticket item is off the list. (Yay!) Injections aren’t always cheap, but they’re outpatient, with quicker recoveries, though may require regular updates. And yet, surgery costs money and time, and lately I have become more aware of the preciousness of time. 

I haven’t had the injections. I haven’t restarted the exercises. And I am more likely to continue and advance the course I set that was working. It was working slowly, and I worried about being limited to some ceiling, but now I know that total recovery is unlikely, but because it has been getting better for the last four years, it will probably continue to get better.

What’s the point? Why post this? 

Personal finance is more than a person’s net worth. ‘Worth’ is more than money. A painful knee seems singular, as if it is an isolated issue, but knee pain affects almost every activity. It’s obvious when I dance, for folks who notice the lead instead of the follow. It isn’t as obvious in my karate training, which I do in private. Bicycling doesn’t reveal it to be an issue, as I semi-regularly ride twenty miles without an incident. It is most obvious to me when I stumble around the house. But hey, I’m walking faster than some of the window-shopping tourists.

A knee can affect a long list of medical issues: cardio-, pulmonary, aerobic, stretching, strengthening, metabolism, etc. I haven’t been able to hike or snowshoe or ski as much as I’d like. I apologize and decline offers to go for a walk. Fortunately, when I dance, the follow does most of the work. I simply have to be there to help. For a few years, I’ve wondered if something like a muscle had disconnected or some membrane had torn, so I was tender with it. The worst worries are gone, and the prognosis is encouraging, or at least not discouraging.

Medicine in America is expensive. I can afford the price of more sophisticated procedures, but arranging health care costs time, money, and months of patience. I can see why many fall into jumping to surgery because it can be easier to understand and visualize. I’m relying on my body and its chemistry to reduce inflammation and hopefully recover as it can. Surgery can take months to recover, but the end might be a fully-functional knee – or not. Injections, exercise, and massage have less recovery time, but may never eradicate the fundamental issue. Bone-on-bone may not grow back, especially when what has to grow back is supporting tissue. It is a personal trade-off, which means that one answer does not work for everyone.

My apologies to those who expected a more concise description. If we meet and you’re still curious, we can talk and share your insight, too. 

Life is providing options that may cost less time and less money, but with a lower likelihood of complete success. I’m aiming to take that route because I am less worried about damaging a damaged knee and more encouraged about strengthening a knee that’s been strong and that can be made at least somewhat stronger than it is now.

Your choices might be different. I’d be surprised if they weren’t. But if it feels like an overwhelming situation, know that a good doctor, some good doctoring, and some good self-care can create a good foundation to build from. 

OK. Enough about all of that. I’m not a medical professional; these are simply my choices.

I certainly look forward to being able to dance those dance moves, hike those trails, practice those katas, and not stumble around the house. Now, stand up and walk around you silly human. Move it! And publish it a bit later.

Now, about my teeth and such…