Well. Went to the doc for a blood pressure check last week, and the upshot is that I start four weeks of physical therapy in Friday for a bum back, hip, and knee. Life just gets funner and funner here in the land of Over Sixty!
My primary care doc is a chatty person, and after telling me my blood pressure "looks real good, lose 20 pounds," we trade stories about our devious cats, our allergies, and various aches and pains.
I mentioned that hip and knee pain were keeping me up at night, and that walking, even in good shoes, was getting difficult. After a lot of poking and prodding of the "Does it hurt here? How about if I do this?" variety, she decided my scoliosis (congenital spinal curvature) was making my sciatica worse, and that my knee pain sounded like osteoarthritis. I asked about PT, and she said that would be a good idea.
I am actually looking forward to PT. I went about 10 years ago, and it helped a lot. I had a great therapist who moved me into things slowly. At the end of four weeks, I felt great.
But, while I have kept up with a combined exercise yoga routine to stay limber, new problems have cropped up.
I'm especially eager to get these new aches and pains addressed and to gain some strength for two reasons:
1. We have planned a couple of trips this summer, and I am tired of my hip and knee giving out whenever I walk more than a few hundred yards, even if I have a cane.
2. I do not want to fiddle around with surgery, which can pose higher risks for those of us who are clot-prone. That doesn't mean ET patients can't do just fine with surgery--most do--but typically doctors try to reduce platelet counts with chemo before major surgery to avoid complications. So looking at nonsurgical solutions seems like a good idea.
3. Some specialists consider all of us MPN patients immuno-compromised, which means we can get sicker quicker than the general population. Fortunately, I have no antibiotic allergies, but I'd still like to avoid unnecessary hospital stays. There are nicer places to enjoy room service.
So, Friday I am off to the rehab center. Hope to be enjoying some pain-free days soon!
Remember that exercise is also one of the best ways to fight fatigue, as posted on this blog several times. Like here.
Be well!
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ET is a serious disease that requires specialist care. Discuss anything you read here with your doctor. No comments promoting "alternative" or "natural" cures (yes, this includes Rick Simpson's Oil) will be published.