The Weekly Weigh-In: Week 11

Nov 09, 2011

HW - 248
SW - 233.7
CW - 201.9

THISCLOSE to hitting 'onederland'...I never thought I would be excited to use that cheesy term!

I completely blew off my weekly weigh-in the week I went to Hawaii...and pretty much blew it off after Hawaii, too.

In fact, "Blew" should be the theme of this post.  Why?

Because I blew out my left knee while on vacation in paradise.  Yup, you read that correctly.  This girl ruptured her MCL and managed to tear her meniscus in multiple (tiny) places while in Hawaii.  And I don't even have a good story about how it happened.  Heaven forbid I do it while hiking the Diamond Head Crater, or the Likeke Falls...or climbing in or out of the doors-off helicopter  that we took to tour the island.  Did I do it while exploring the Sunken Island (sandbar) in Kaneohe bay?  Or romping in the surf in Waikiki?

Nope.  None of the above.  I did it while turning around.  Yes.  TURNING AROUND.  To talk to someone.  My knee just buckled and I hit the ground.  I felt (and heard) a loud "Pop" and knew I was in big trouble.  I tried to walk it off.  I was with friends - at a bar.  I didn't want to be a drag.  So, I had a couple of drinks to try to dull the pain. (Note - THAT mistake will never occur again.  Those drinks made me sooooo ill.)  

All of this occurred on a Saturday night.  Sunday, when I woke - I couldn't move the knee.  It took half an hour bombarding it with hot water before the joint loosened up enough to bend at all.  I thought, "Uh oh, I might be in trouble."  My mom said, "Maybe you should go to the ER."

Nah.  

I tried to go on, business as usual.  We went to the Swap Meet at the stadium.  I made it about 30yrds before deciding I was going back to the jeep to rest the leg.  We went to a late lunch at Dixie Grill.  I cried trying to go up and down the steps.  

My mom said, "Maybe you should go to the ER."  

I said, "Maybe I should go to the ER."  

And that, my friends, is how I found myself at The Queen's Medical Center on Punchbowl Drive in Honolulu.  While they are slow - -they are definitely slow in that charming Hawaiian way....and a nicer group of medical professionals you will not find on this earth.  They were FANTASTIC!!  So friendly, accomodating and totally caring.  Next time I get hurt, my butt is hopping a plane to Hawaii for treatment.  For sure.  

No breaks were detected via x-ray - but they didn't want to do an MRI that night because of the tons of swelling in the leg.  So, they immobilized it with a HUGE brace, gave me a set of crutches..some GOOOOOOD pain meds and sent me on my way with an admonition "NO WEIGHT BEARING ON THE LEG!" and "YOU MUST BE SEEN BY AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON IMMEDIATELY!"
In fact, they wanted me to see one on Tuesday - the day I left to return home - - I told them I couldn't because I was leaving. 
This girl was adamant.  I was getting BACK to Dallas Texas before ANY specialists touched this knee.  I wanted a conservative one - - you know, the kind who doesn't walk into the initial exam with a scalpel...ready to cut you open.  

And, I found a good one.  After an MRI (which diagnosed the ruptured MCL and minor meniscus tears)....he suggested that we try a non-surgical approach.  I am in a hinged brace - - and do range of motion twice per day.  I alternate ice and heat and have had to (sadly) retire all of my high heeled shoes for a while.

I go back for the third time on 11/29 to see the orthopedic surgeon...and, at that time, we will take a look at the stability of the knee, and what stability I have regained (or haven't regained) and either continue with the brace/range of motion, etc....or reconsider surgery.  I feel like I am doing pretty well - - but when I upped my physical activity this weekend, I started feeling a series of pops in the knee with some additional pain...so we have scaled it back again.

I really feel like this has put a damper on my weight loss - - I am not nearly as far along as I would like - -and I do blame the knee injury for it.  I had been trucking along - the treadmill and I were getting to be very well acquainted.  Then this happened.
And, I hit a bit of a depressive episode - upset about gaining 3.3lbs in Hawaii (although, heaven knows a lot of it was probably retained water because of increased sodium intake....not to mention the fluid retention in the knee!)...and I let my eating go to hell.  If I found Halloween candy, I ate Halloween candy.  

I think I have snapped out of the funk, though.  This morning was a protein shake.  My snack was some pistachios...and I am getting ready to have some healthy chili for lunch!

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