RICE

RICE. No, not the rice you eat, but the injury treatment method. I'm using it right now while waiting for the ortho doc to call me. The same knee I had repaired several months back, is banged up again. It feels worse this time. Very swollen and hard to put weight on, much less going up stairs. Now, I wish I had a cool story to tell, you know, some dramatic, heroic, sports related tale of triumph while playing hurt. It was a bowling injury. There, I said it. A bowling knee injury. How stupid does that sound?

Let's start by saying I don't bowl much these days. Once in the last 21 years to be exact. I used to carry a 170 or so average back in the day when I bowled leagues twice a week. Not bad, but not in the same rank of the better guys in this area. So when I was asked to be a designated driver for the camp ground bowling party, I obliged and hauled the soon to be intoxicated people from said campground to the bowling alley a few miles away. I don't drink much, being diabetic and all, so it was no big sacrifice. I actually like some of the group, anyway, and wouldn't want to see a car accident or a DUI ruin the fun.

Back to the mishap. I can't really even call it that, since I didn't slip, trip, fall, or bleed. One minute I was trying to recreate my old form, find the mark and groove. The next, my knee was tender. A few frames later, it was throbbing. The only thing I figure is the slide and twist motion must have popped something loose that shouldn't be loose. I couldn't throw stroke the ball without severe pain. My wife made the pointed comment on how she thought I was a bowler and now why am I not putting up big numbers. Well, you try rolling a 16 lb ball on one leg, see how it works for you, I replied.

The next morning, it felt better, I took some Aleves and went to work on my latest drywall project. i put in about 6 hours, doing mostly vertical seems and screws. It was a bit tender, but held up. Not so today. Any pressure, such as stairs, is very painful. RICE is the order of the day. Hopefully, the doctor will get me in later to check it out so I know what damage has been done. The swelling isn't going down, and that's what worries me. I just hope I won't need more surgery, knock on wood.