Subtitled My Annus Horribilus.
In a blog post two days ago I hinted at some recent bad luck I’ve had but didn’t explain. That was a mistake because apparently some readers aren’t fond of “cliffhangers” so I figured providing the details was overdue. Thus today’s post.
A week ago yesterday while I was working in my kitchen I was facing the stove when I turned 90° to my right toward the kitchen sink – a simple maneuver I’ve probably performed hundreds of thousand times over the last 30 years. But this time apparently all of my body made the turn except for my right leg from the knee down, which somehow stayed in place. I felt a distinct pop in my right knee and immediately knew I was in deep shit. Suddenly I couldn’t put any weight on that leg without some pretty intense pain in my knee. I’ve mostly been walking with a cane since that moment.
The next day, Monday, a nonsurgical orthopedist told me that he suspected I’d torn or strained the medial collateral ligament in that knee and possibly did some damage to the meniscus, so he ordered an MRI which I had on Tuesday. He said that the ligament would likely heal on its own within two weeks but if there was damage to the meniscus, and if it was significant, surgery would likely be in the cards.
All of my doctors use MyChart for medical records and they’re available to patients online, so at 9:05 the next morning (Wednesday) I was able to read my MRI report in its entirety. The news wasn’t good.
Human knee anatomy – image in the Public Domain
Here’s the MRI summary without the details:
“Study Result
Impression
1. Complex tear of the peripheral body and posterior horn medial meniscus.
2. Grade 2 MCL sprain”
I now have an appointment this coming Monday with an orthopedic surgeon (not the orthopedic surgeon who performed my recent back fusion – he specializes in backs) to determine a course of action. But since the damage to my meniscus is a “complex tear” I suspect another surgery is in my near future. I’m still recovering from my 4 level back fusion, and will be for months, so recovery from two surgeries at the same time should be… interesting. I can hardly wait.
If I do have another surgery, that will be two back surgeries and one knee surgery in 2022, not counting another back surgery and a thyroid surgery the previous year. Surgeons say “ka-ching” whenever they see me coming.
Readers know that my Dudley family history includes multiple connections to English royalty and nobility, including the Barons Dudley of Dudley Castle, two of my g. grandfathers, Sir Edmond Dudley who was beheaded at the Tower of London in 1510 by King Henry VIII and Edmond’s son John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who was beheaded in 1553 by King Edward VI. Then of course there was Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, who very nearly married Queen Elizabeth I. Robert was the grandson of Sir Edmund.
So in some ways my 2022 reminds me of Queen Elizabeth II’s unfortunate 1992 when she gave her famous Annus Horribilus Speech, saying that “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure”.
2022 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.
Ron
Notes:
- You might wonder why I post about personal stuff like this. Part of my motivation is to inform readers that my posts may become even more intermittent in the near future than they’ve been in the recent past. I figure my readers deserve to know why.
- The only good thing to come out of all of this was that while I was at the imaging center for the MRI I was able to visit with Bobbi Jaramillo again. You might recall that Bobbi is the medical imaging technician that got me in immediately for an MRI prior to a previous surgery, when I’d otherwise have had to wait for weeks. (she follows my blog so she knew I was in dire straits and she reached out to me.) This was the fourth time I’ve seen Bobbi at the imaging center and she’s performed three of my MRI’s, so we’ve become good friends.
- My ex-wife and still good friend Diane Olson deserves credit for two things related to today’s post. I ‘inherited’ the cane I’m using from Diane. And it was Diane who came up with the idea of referring to 2022 as my annus horribilus.
Supposedly I go back to a certain king who “lost” his two nephews in the tower.
Ron, I found your genealogy very interesting, but was so sorry to hear about your recent injury and back surgeries. I have had hip replacement, but do not look forward to addressing problems with my lower back. My daughter and grandchildren still enjoy your beautiful photo of a hen and ducklings that was published in National Geographic, now framed and in a prominent position in the children’s bedroom. Sending healing thoughts your way. Elizabeth
Thanks for letting me know you and yours are enjoying that print, Elizabeth.
Ron, to you and all of your well spoken followers. What a great bunch of people you are! May God bless you all.
Much appreciated, Angela.
Well that is definitely a bummer….really sorry to hear about the knee. Your good humor, at least what we see here is very life affirming.
Catherine, my attempts at humor are therapeutic, whether they work for others or not.
OH! NO ! I am so sorry to hear about your need. Aging is not for sissies as Betty White said.
Good luck, all my best and hopefully you will still have a good Thanksgiving.
Thanks, Beatrice. I miss Betty White regularly. What a character!
Well, for crying out loud! A person hopes for better luck than that after major back surgery.
I was very curious about the injury you detailed so i went web-searching. Found a great article at: https://www.howardluksmd.com/posterior-horn-medial-meniscus-tears/ Apparently any of us well-over-the-hill folks could suffer a similar meniscus tear.
Sorry it happened to you, Ron.
On the bright side, now you get to read even more of the books we all suggested. (I just finished one that was suggested by one of your readers and enjoyed it thoroughly. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett.)
Take good care and keep getting better.
Thanks for the link, Nina. And for the good wishes.
Sorry to hear about your recent misadventure. I hope you bounce back quickly from yet another medical intervention and get back to those beloved birds!
Thanks, Joanne.
Oh my, Ron! Save your money and don’t buy any lottery tickets, because you clearly don’t have good luck! I’ve torn the same meniscus TWICE-who knew you could do that?- but both surgeries were relatively quick recoveries. And knees are better designed than shoulders, IMHO. Maybe this is the universe’s way of getting you to slow down and read a few more books this winter. Thinking good thought for an uneventful recovery, my friend. There will be plenty of Magpies waiting for your return in the New Year! 😉
I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life, Diane. Well, I did once but that was for someone else.
So sorry to hear of more body failures! Been there with knees twice. At least I was having fun when originally injured, not doing chores. I am out of meniscus on one knee, pretty much bone on bone and the other knee is missing half the patella tendon, causing me to wear out the patella being pulled out of alignment. Not much can be done for mine but knee replacement. In no rush for that!
I don’t blame you for not being in a rush, April.
So sorry Ron! It’s always good to see you but I sure wish the MRI would have showed better news. Hang in there. This knee surgery will be a walk in the park compared to the fusion. Here’s to 2023 being a whole lot smoother for you!
“This knee surgery will be a walk in the park compared to the fusion”
Coming from you that’s very good to hear, Bobbi. I’ve had about enough of this stuff, as you could probably tell from my attitude while I was at your imaging center.
I hope you don’t retire anytime soon. I really enjoy visiting with you, although I’d rather do it under different circumstances.
You have my complete sympathy. This is cringe worthy as I have felt and heard my meniscus pop and had surgery for it. Recovery from that should be a cake walk after your back surgery. The good news is that when all is said and done and you have recovered from the fusion and the knee repair you should be almost completely pain free. Does this winter cold bother your back? Let us know when surgery is scheduled so that we can send you healing thoughts and prayers.
Melanie, I can’t really tell for sure if the cold bothers my back. It still gives me fits pretty much all of the time, whether it’s cold or not.
Well, that is distressing news! I guess it is still too soon to expect your back nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments to relax after the trauma of injury and surgery. I cannot imagine how exhausting the pain must be or how the after effects of the spasms must leave your back tense.
Oh good grief, how much more can a body take?? Well, I suppose the good news is that you can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’ — which is why you said the other day it’s “not dire.” An optimistic outlook as you potentially face yet another surgery will go a very long way to ensuring a successful outcome. Wishing you all the best, Sir Dudley! ♥️
Chris, I don’t know how optimistic I am but I’m really trying.
I would have commented earlier, but I got lost in all the links. You’re line of succession reads like the first book of the bible and is almost as gory.
If it wasn’t the queen one might think her annus horribilus remark was meant as a sort of double entendre, if you know what I mean, 2021-2022 being both for you. There appear to be a boatload of remedies for meniscal tears. Hope yours involves the quickest route to recovery.
“You’re line of succession reads like the first book of the bible and is almost as gory”
It does, doesn’t it Lyle. I find it fascinating. I’m glad you checked out the links.
And yes, I know what you mean about double entendre, which is why I was very careful to spell it correctly
I did go back to double-check how you spelled it. I originally had a very different malady in mind.
😁
Sounds like you’re having an “Alexander Year” (as in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day — but in long form). I’m firmly convinced that the human knee and appendix both evolved so that doctors could buy Porsches.
I’ll try to put a good spin on your injury: it’s not the full “unhappy triad” — you didn’t fully rupture your MCL and your ACL is fine. I managed to get the trifecta during the height of COVID and it was no fun. The easiest part of the recovery was the meniscectomy, though. 🙂 My orthopedic surgeon did it with a local and sedation. (Apparently, I was pretty chatty during the procedure — what a shock! 😂)
“I’m firmly convinced that the human knee and appendix both evolved so that doctors could buy Porsches”
You may be right Marty, although I might add the human back to the list.
I use the human knee as my prime argument against “intelligent design.” 😂
Oh Ron. My (lying father) had a phrase he used in public which fits the bill. ‘Naughty words if I knew any’.
I’m pretty sure I’m well acquainted with all those naughty words, EC.
OMG, Ron!! I’m sure you will go strait to Heaven(if you believe in heaven) since you are getting more than your HELL on earth!!
Thanks, Jo Ann.
Well Ron, as long as we show up here, we are all a part of your online community. Over time, we get to know you through your photos and narratives. And as much as it is possible in this medium, we care.
Though this may mean you will be spending less time in the truck for a while, I for one (as a relatively new follower) like it when you go back into your archives to bring back an old favorite, in particular when you find a new or revised insightful narrative to go with it.
Wishing you all the best, and a full and quick recovery,
Thanks, Michael. A rerun may be in the works in the near future.
Oh Jeez, Ron. I can tell you that recovery from surgery for torn meniscus is straightforward and doesn’t have a long recovery period. I was moving about fairly well after a couple of days and improvement seemed rapid. Nothing like knee replacement surgery! Recovery from the MCL sprain will likely take longer than recovery from the surgery. But still. Hang in there —- 2022 is almost over.
That’s good news, Kathryn. Thanks.
LIVING LONG ENOUGH to have the old bod start to break down–piece
by piece– ( believe me I understand this phenomenon first- hand ) can be
compensated– to a degree– by the time and wisdom it takes to develop
REALLY GOOD FRIENDS who are willing to help you thru it. the fact that
you have a former spouse in this category tells me you’ve scored significant
points in the past, and have a relatively new acquaintance willing to go to
bat for you says good things about you, too……hang in there, Ron !
I like the way you said all of that, Kris. Thanks.
Love that beheading comment by shoreacres. That aside, it sounds exactly like the scenario I had with my hip/leg joint. Hurt like a “you know what”. Couldn’t put any weight on it at all for 24 hours and then about 3 more days of pain. I have not had any cartilage in either of my knees for some years now and now wonder if my hip/leg joint is going the same way. Here’s hoping yours will heal without another surgery.
Granny Pat, I still have pretty good cartilage in there but in this case it didn’t help.
Annus Horribilus 2022 for Sir Ronald Dudley of SLC. Only thing that didn’t hit you this year was Covid. A tough time mixed in with some outstanding photo gathering days, but no matter how tough you are doing much better than Sir Edmund Dudley and Sir John Dudley, Will have to put you back onto my prayer list. Stay tough and get all these surgeries done and you will be today’s Six Million Dollar Man. Wow – that goes back a ways – thinking most of your followers remember that?
Yup, Lee Majors in Six Million Dollar Man. I don’t think I ever watched it but I remember it.
“Take care.”
CJ
I will.
All I can say is “Oy vey”——let me know if you need a translation from Yiddish.
Diane must watch The Crown. Maybe you do too??
Hoping for some improvement in 2023. . .
Yes, she’s been watching it, Sue. And raving about it. I’m not much of a TV guy.
A “horrible year” indeed! May 2023 be an improvement.
Thanks, Brett.
Well, HELL! (Not what I said but fit for publication). “Annus horribilus” indeed! 🙁 Not at all helpful on top of the back…. Knees DO take time to heal as I’ve observed from those having knee replacements. 🙁 . The older we get things like that “just happen” with no good reason we can discern – Joe can tell you all about that… 😉
Glad you got to see Bobbie tho probably wish it was under other circumstances and that Diane was once again helpful….. 🙂
Appreciate you sharing what’s going on with you as I/we are always concerned about you and not just your pictures! Please keep us posted as you can.
Much appreciated, Judy. Both Diane and Bobbi are good eggs.
You still HAVE meniscus? Lucky you!
(sorry OLD friend)…
There goes your professional soccer career….
Andy, the orthopedist X-rayed my knees and he actually told me that both of my knees still look pretty good. He didn’t say” for my age” but I know that’s what he meant.
Knee problem or not, what a great teacher you are! I started ripping up my knees with gymnastics as a teenager. The schematic included in your post is the clearest image I have ever seen of how all the parts of our knees should go together. Whatever they choose for your treatment, I hope it goes well.
Thank you, Pam.
Oh, my Lord. All I could think as I read this was, “Well, at least there’s not a beheading in his future.” Sending my best, and hopes for safe (if not entirely speedy) recovery on all fronts.
“Well, at least there’s not a beheading in his future”
There’s always a bright side!
So sorry to hear about your misfortune. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery. Knees are a bitch.
“Knees are a bitch”
Yup.