The Magic Shot

My orthopedic surgeon says: "I have a magic injection for you"

I shouldn't call it a 'magic' injection, but it has success 70% of the people who get it. It involves injecting a replacement for synovial fluid in my knee.

My prescriptions are of the $3 variety normally. This time, however, my insurance company made me jump through paperwork hoops and they filled the prescription from a special pharmacy. The prescription costs a mortgage payment for a small house in a nice neighborhood in a big city, but I only had to pay the cost of a premium gas fill up for a Ford SUV. I had to wait for a month for the prescription to be delivered to my doctor's office. This thing was a "big deal".

The day finally came when it was obvious that physical therapy could only take me so far, so the doctor elected to inject the fluid.

Some advice: DON'T LOOK AT THE NEEDLE! AT ALL. TURN YOUR HEAD!

My doctor spritzed my knee with some painkiller, then told me this long story about taking his son to the DMV to distract me while he put in the needle.

Yeah, it still hurt. However, it wasn't the worst I've ever had. I've had rabies shots and those were worse.  It was the kind of pain that makes you yelp a swear word or  "Hail Mary!". Fortunately, it didn't take very long.

My doctor told me I should see results anywhere between 2 days to 4 weeks.

By the next day 50% of the pain had gone, and what was left was diffuse rather than of the ice pick ti the joint variety. So, doing good!

This is not a permanent cure. It lasts from a few months to a year. But this will give me enough time to up my exercise and get back in shape.

Looking forward to seeing how it affects my skating knee bend!

"Bend ze knees, five dollars pleeze."

(This is either Frick or Frack)