No Good Deed...

They say that no good deed goes unpunished, and I'm a prime example of that. After months of arduous physical therapy post spinal surgery, my bionic left knee started "giving" painfully, so continuing PT was out of the question. An X-ray showed a spot where the cement had come loose from my knee prosthesis and the doctor gave me the unsettling news that I might need to replace my knee replacement, a very complex surgery. Yikes. But first, he ordered a nuclear bone scan. By the time insurance approved and the hospital called to schedule the test , my symptoms disappeared completely. I spoke with my physical therapist and we agreed that the exercises I was doing may have set off the problem. 

Whew, problem resolved. However, my 72-year-old body wasn't quite through acting up. Decades ago, I had a painful bone spur removed from my right shoulder. Fast forward to 2014 when it again became bothersome. I had an injection and an MRI and for the next few years, it was fine. But now I couldn't sleep on that side and by evening, my shoulder was quite painful. Back to the doctor, who injected it with steroids that didn't bring relief. Another MRI was negative for a rotator cuff tear, but showed a bone "denting" the area. So...exercises I was doing for my spine may have aggravated my old shoulder problem. So it's back to PT for some exercises to make this misery go away. Am I on a merry-go-round? Getting old is not for sissies, but it sure beats the alternative.