Posts from — November 2009

It’s been a little over a week and a half since I posted about the state of my knees. There’s a reason for that. (Hint: It’s not because they’re doing so amazingly awesome I have nothing left to write about.) Nope, I just don’t feel like dealing with them. I’m sick of having bad knees. I’m sick of sitting around all weekend instead of going for a hike or shopping or cleaning my entire apartment from top to bottom. I’m sick of sitting on the counter to make dinner instead of standing over the stove like one of those normal humans. I’m also sick of making The Man—and my mother, who flew down from New England yesterday—box the entire place up in preparation for our move. Oh, and on Saturday, I’m going to be tired of sitting around while our volunteer movers cart away heavy loads my junk. Sigh.

But, alas, this is a blog about my knee pain and (cross your fingers, will ya?) recovery. Plus, I don’t want to kick myself next time I get PRP and start getting all neurotic about my recovery and whether I’m on schedule or whether I’m behind and thus doomed to gimpdome. I need these entries to look back on, which is why, without further stalling hesitation, I’m giving an update:

As of this Friday, it’s been five weeks since I got my latest round of PRP. I’m impressed that this time I haven’t been counting off the weeks like a six-year-old anticipating Christmas. The good news is that the leftover pain from the injections went away a couple weeks ago. The bad news is that my knee doesn’t feel any different than it did pre-PRP. Oh, and it doesn’t feel any better than my PRP-free knee.

[Read more →]

photo by Geoff604

Mac ’n’ cheese is calling my name. It’s yelling for me to scrap my ideas of eating a big, healthy salad tonight. It wants me to tuck into a huge bowl and scarf down the creamy, cheesy noodles. It probably prefers I throw in a handful of chopped-up bacon and a heavy pour of cream. And I’m sure—yes, positive—it really hopes I end my meal with a fudgy brownie. Or three.

I’m doing my darndest to avoid its siren call. I’m pretending crunchy lettuce with slivers of radishes and strings of carrots is just as inviting. But it’s not. Not when you’re stressed. And I fall right into that verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown category thanks to my good-for-nothing knees and my impending move. Cue ominous music.

The good news: I’m not alone. Researchers at the Obesity Society’s annual meeting presented findings that suggest women with chronic stress—think ongoing troubles like being out of work, going through a divorce, or caring for someone sick, not fleeting things like, ahem, a move—are more likely to eat high-fat foods. The women were also more likely than their peers to lack the self-control needed to keep their eating habits in check.

[Read more →]

I’m itching for a workout. It’s been, oh, forever since I last went to the gym, and my knees are starting to feel it. First there was the PRP that sidelined me for a couple weeks. Then there was the cold and cough that left me feeling sick for another week. Then I had that 10-day headache. Then I spent the weekend in Philadelphia. Then there’s my big move this weekend. And then there was that treadmill revolution at the gym, so it was closed for six days.

OK, I was lying about the last one. The point is, I have a lot of excuses. So until I actually get this butt off the couch and into a gym, I figure I’ll just blog about exercises I should be doing. The one I’m writing about tonight strengthens the hips and butt—and if you do it right, you should feel a burn tomorrow even if you don’t have knee pain.

Here’s why I picked a hip- and butt-strengthening move instead of something that targets the quads: Most doctors and knee recovery Web sites remind the injured that strengthening the quads is the key to keeping the knee in line. I knew that way, way back when. But it wasn’t until my third go at PT that I learned how important total body strengthening was for giving my muscles balance. (Read more about that here.)

[Read more →]

photo by Hans S

Hi, my name is Tracey. And I’m a slow eater.

It all started in elementary school when I’d eat dinner with the family. I’d blabber on and on about what I learned in school, why cerulean was my favorite Crayola crayon color, and how Diana with the bushy bushy brown hair was one of the most evil girls I’d ever met. While I was busy playing Chatty Cathy, my mom, dad, and sister would be munching away on their meals. So it’s only natural that by the time they started clearing the dishes, I was only halfway done with my dinner.

(I know, I know: You’re shocked and amazed that my family would leave me all alone at the dinner table. I think I’m scarred from it. Sure, they came back down to eat their desserts with me. But it’s not the same. Not at all. Some psychologist is going to benefit from this big time one day. It’s cool—it’s not like I’m holding a grudge. It’s not like I purposefully eat slow with them nowadays just to make them suffer with their guilt for a full meal. Really.)

Anyhow, I recently read a study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, that said eating fast—family, are you listening?—is linked to overeating. Ha! That’s right.

[Read more →]

photo by Todd Ehlers

If you’ve ever dealt with pain for any extended amount of time, you know how alluring alternative treatments become. By the time I had been in and out of physical therapy twice, I was willing to try just about anything to cure my knee pain.

It’s true. One day, The Man came home from work with a brand spankin’ new energy necklace that was supposed to zap bad ions and rearrange your energy or something crazy. According to the package, it was supposed to make you as strong, fit, and healthy as the baseball player whose cutout capped off the aisle. (The Man’s a sucker for anything baseball related.) At first, I scoffed at the magic necklace. Ha! This can’t shuffle your ions. You got scammed!

Pretty soon, though, I started wrapping the necklace around my thigh. Just in case, you know? And guess what: It didn’t do a thing. But I was so desperate to heal that I figured I’d give it a try.

I was reminded of this when I read a recent study that said copper bracelets and magnetic wristlets don’t relieve arthritis pain. Researchers at the University of York tested the devices on 45 people age 50 or older who had osteoarthritis in a randomized, controlled trial. The participants wore four different bracelets—two magnetic bands, a copper bracelet, and a demagnetized strap—for 16 weeks each. They found no difference in pain and stiffness reduction or improvements in physical function among the four devices.

“It appears that any perceived benefit obtained from wearing a magnetic or copper bracelet can be attributed to psychological placebo effects,” says lead author Stewart Richmond of the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. “People tend to buy them when they are in a lot of pain, then when the pain eases off over time they attribute this to the device. However, our findings suggest that such devices have no real advantage over placebo wrist straps that are not magnetic and do not contain copper.

The bottom line: The bracelets won’t cure you, but they won’t hurt you either. Well, maybe your wallet.

So, what alternative therapy have you tried? Has it worked?

Another day, another headache. Since I’m going on day six of splitting pain, and since too much thinking might cause my head to explode, here’s some news from around the Web.

Despite my headache, I was able to scarf down some mini candy bars this Halloween. And since not a single kid came knocking at our door, I’ve been picking from the pot all weekend. I think my sweet tooth’s had enough. Now I’m craving something savory, like Double Broccoli Quinoa (minus the garlic, of course).

The treadmill is not my friend. But I’d love to test out one of these anti-gravity treadmills that lessen the impact on joints like banged up knees.

Note to self: Next time you feel like quitting a workout before you’re really done, remember the mind-over-matter technique elite athletes use. Feel bad you’re such a wuss. Get on with your regularly scheduled exercise.

Happy reading. I’ll be back tomorrow with a (hopefully) renewed mind.