Making Choices That Matter

Considering that I am running on two hours of sleep and keep shouting "WHAT!?" at my math homework (and it's not even due until Wednesday!) writing the blog entry about the big step I took today seemed like a good idea.

I've had a knee brace since my senior year of high school, so fall of 2005. I don't wear it nearly as often as I should because I'm horribly self conscious about it. Here's a picture of when I wore it in 2009:

It's rather obvious it's there. And even though I wore it under jeans, the bulge is obvious and yes, I got asked about it. I kept having to fix it after classes. Yes, awesome = sitting on a table in the math building fixing your knee brace as the other students are leaving. Yep. That's the awesome person you're talking to! ^_^

Thing is, it helps somewhat. And another thing is, I may need a new, more intrusive brace so I figure I might as well get re-used to the knee brace. It is hard, though.

I don't like drawing attention to myself. I sometimes feel that people see the crutches and not me, or that people see me as a cripple or a gimp (I hate those words T_T), and not a person. And I feel that adding a knee brace to that compounds it greatly. But it helps. My knee cracked far less today (my ankle made up for it) and the pain has lessened, although still intense.

I guess you're likely wondering what I have a knee brace to begin with. I played volleyball (I sucked. The one time I served the ball over the net the other team, who had played us before, was so shocked they didn't even move for the ball when it soared over the net. And I, being the ninth grade genius I was, didn't even realize it went over and I'd scored a point. Nevermind the insane cheering from our team.. I just thought they took pity on me and gave me another shot!) my ninth and tenth grade years. In ninth grade, I did a dive for the ball during a practice. Only upon my knee impacting the ground did I realize a critical detail: I'd forgotten to pull up my knee pads after the last bathroom break. Oops. Better yet, I played the rest of that season and the entire next season, plus two seasons of cheerleading on that knee. Even better I didn't see the doctor for it until my senior year. Not really my finest moment when I told him when I'd injured it. Ahem.

Nice Doctor Dude sent me to Other Doctor Guy as he was a sports medicine guy, fresh out of his fellowship (mmm, fresh blood! Seriously, I love doctors fresh out of their fellowships. They're on the up and up, and don't yet have the callous, cynical attitude some of the older doctors get. And plus, it's fun to be a medical mystery with them and baffle their young brains.). Ahem. I became a frequent customer between ODG and the clinic, because, well, to put it nicely, I'm a klutz. He wanted to get me a bubble suit and put me in a white, padded room (when I left in 2008 he told he to keep him updated on stuff. I forgot to. How weird would it be, almost 4 years later, to write him one?) and whatnot. I still remember the time when I was on underarm crutches, hyperextended in front of the clinic doors, and completely wiped out. Doctors, nurses, and patients: *panic panic panic* ODG; "Oh, it's only Angelique. Somehow I figured it would be you." GEE THANKS ODG.

Now that was a tangent if I ever saw one! Ahem. I was dx'ed with Patellofemoral pain syndrome . See how it says "malalignment of kneecap"? Means my kneecap snaps in and out of socket. And it hurts like hell. There's not a lot that can be done for my case, as the doctor's aren't big on doing surgery but they may look at it in the future if this keeps up. In fact, when I saw a doctor for a surgical consult in 2009, that's how I wound up finding out I needed back surgery because they realized "Oh hey, chica hasn't had back xrays in awhile. OH SNAP HER BACK LOOKS BAD THIS ISN'T GOOD." Yeah, that's pretty normal in my life.

I always hated the brace because it's big and clunky. And it's not fun to wear.. But I sucked it up and ponied up and wore it, like a big girl. I should do this about more things that are good for me. :)