If you follow me on Facebook, you may know that last summer I started going to physical therapy again, because I was thinking that I would have my left knee replaced. In order to do so, I was going to lost a few more pounds. In addition, the orthopedic surgeon would not replace the left knee unless I got my A1c down below 7.0.
I achieved both of those goals finally in the spring of 2023. Well, I lost a few pounds and my December checkup with the endocrinologist had my A1c under 7.0. Unfortunately, it did go back up a little by the spring to slightly over 7.1. The endocrinologist is OK with that and said that he would approve a knee reaplacement with the orhopedist.
However, at my spring appointment with the orthopedist, the doctor was pleased that I was having no pain - really with my knee. He had previously injected my left knee with a steroid (or wherever at my previous appointment to alleviate any pain before replacing it.
I had gone to that appointment thinking that I would either schedule knee replacement surgery or at least to have another injection.
NOPE!!
Since I was having no adverse symptoms, the orthopedist decided that at least at this time, a knee replacement was unnecessary. Furthermore, since I was having no pain, an injection would not be necessary.
It's funny how when you build up expectations, that good news doesn't seem like good news until it really sinks in . . . and I've had all summer to think about it and it has finally sunk in that not having to have any medical procedure is indeed good news.
Again, if you follow me on FB you may have noticed that I have re-started physical therapy after a recess of about ten months. This time, I am building up the strength in my left kneek so that I won't feel like am limping all the time with unequal leg strength. I have found out that my calves, the left one in particular, are very weak. While I am not a ballet dancer, I find it almost impossible to stand on the balls of my feet. I guess I knew that because I need a step stool to get up to the cabinet above my sink, but I guess I didn't realize just how weak my calves were. Through physical therapy exercises, I have eventually been able to raise my heels an inch or so off the ground, which is much better than the zero when I first started.
On the diabetes front, the endocrinologist said I didn't need to check my blood sugar as often since it seemed to be remaining steady. However, I continued to check it nearly as often as I had before and I'm glad that I did.
When I went for my yearly physical with my primary care physician, a UTI was discovered, so we had to adjust my meds until that cleared up. As I reintroduced the offending medications to my system, I started having some very low blood sugar readings . . . even after I had eaten meals with high carb counts. So . . . in the last week, I have been taking that offending medication at a lower dose, and blood sugars seem to be calibrating. I'm monitoring it for another week and will call the endocrinologist again to let him know what my blood sugar readings have been so he can adjust that medication again, if necessary.
Meanwhile, I did have another steroid injection at the base of my right hand middle finger because it has been locking up. It was somewhat painful to try to hold my bow to play. Thankfully, that injection has cleared that up. I suppose it is reassuring to know that should I need to give someone the bird, my middle finger won't lock up now. Then again, since I no longer drive, I don't find myself in traffic jams where I feel the necessity for that action as I did when I had to deal with bad drivers. The injection that I had in my left hand over a year ago is still doing its job, and that's a good thing. The left hand fingers are the ones that do more work than the right hand ones in viola playing!
About a month ago, I received an email that read:
Hi David,This was from the alumni office at William Jewell College. There are three main alumni awards presented each year. The Distinguished Alum Award is presented to someone who graduated at least fifteen years ago. Those of you who know me, know that I am well beyond that. Then there is the Truex Award which is presented someone who graduated fifty or more years ago. (I missed that by three years.) And there is also the Honorary Alumni Award presented to someone who did not graduate from Jewell, but who has served the Jewell community witn ongoing meaningful engagement.
I hope you are doing well! On behalf of the Alumni Board of Governors, I am excited to let you know that you have been selected as the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. This award is given out to an alum who has had ongoing, meaningful engagement with Jewell. You are a very deserving recipient. We will present the award during our Celebration of Golden Classes and Alumni Awards on the evening of Friday, September 29. I hope you will accept the award and that you are able to join us. If so, please let me know and I will share additional information.
Congratulations!
I am proud to accept this award, but did not want to publish anything until it was officially announced by the college. And I noticed at the end of last week that my name was published on the William Jewell College as the honoree for the award this year. So if you didn't know before, here it is! I am proud to to be accepting this award the same night that Susan Tideman is receiving the Honorary Alum Award. I know Susan from my days serving on the Jewell Alumni Board of Governors.
So . . . with all my medical accomplishments - that is to say, weight loss of about eighty pounds - my suit was just way too big for me. So, I am having a new suit made so that I can be all spiffy for Homecoming 2023 at Jewell. The dinner will be on the evening of September 29 and tickets for the festivities can ordered from the Homecoming 2023 page of the William Jewell College website. Just maybe getting a new custom-tailored suit will inspire me to post again before an entire year has passed!
So . . . that's the exciting news for now and cross you fingers that you will see a new blog before August 2024!
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