"How's the Knee?"

Sometimes I'm not really sure what people want to hear...

I've tried the truth -
"It hurts today."
"Swollen... throbbing... giving me some pain."
"Sore... hurts when I walk..."

I've tried the chipper angle -
"Each day is a new adventure."
"A little better today."
"I'm movin'... that's a good thing."

I've even tried humor -
"You mean my achey-brakey knee?"
"Mechanical and Bionical!"
"Let's just say it's rubbin' me the wrong way."

But no matter what I say, I think it just makes people uncomfortable. Everyone knows what happened... most have seen some sort of an X-Ray or picture... and you know how people embelish the stories they hear/pass along. Of course, some of it is true.

"I heard your kneecap was in your thigh? Is that true?" I've been asked. "What, you think I'm making that up? You can't write crap like that!"

Now that the brace is off, I've been showing the scar. I'm actually a little shocked that people want to see it. While it is a little rough to look at, to me the biggest shocker is to compare my left knee with my right. The left is much larger - it's just really round (swollen). You don't really see any bones compared to the other one.

The other day, as I was walking to the train, I was stopped on the street by a fellow coworker who works on another floor. She said, "I almost threw up when I heard your story. What was that pain like? I would think I would pass out because it hurt so much."

In all honesty, it hurts a lot more these days than when it actually happened. I've said it before - it really just felt like an electrical shock. Now, I'm dealing with two different pains...

First, when I walk, you gotta know that I'm putting pressure on a bone that was split in two. Not only that, it was reduced by 30%. So, when I walk, it just feels like the two pieces are grinding. Definitely not a lot of fun...

The other part is the wires. Plain and simple, they rub. They actually cause pain in two different ways. For one, when I'm moving, they're going with the bone... so the skin gets a nice "motion of commotion" during my steps. The other part is a little more subtle.

Have you ever thought of what your legs do when you're not paying attention to them... like sitting at a desk, or watching TV, or simply trying to bend? I can't tell you how many times I get a burst of pain when I'm at work - I have no idea that my leg isn't stretched out. So, that "bend" just builds up enough pressure to let me know, "Hey Turkey! Move your dang leg!"

I'm still not able to bend that much, and stairs are still a challenge. I get nervous walking on slopes, and I don't like people walking behind me because I'm still a little unsteady.

But, I can't complain. I'm mostly living life in the "normal" world... at least in "my" world. I can shower, get dressed without sitting on the floor, and maneuver around without the aid of crutches or a walker. I can drive... I can even park my truck in my garage and get into/out of it without too much effort (Note: My garage has a trailer in it, so I have to enter/leave the truck through the passenger door).

So overall, not bad. Pick your response above on any day, and that's pretty much my answer.

Oh yeah...

"It's the bee's knees, baby!"