I got there early – highly unusual for me. I've always joked church should start at 11:03. I knew what was going to happen and I could hardly wait.
The nurse practitioner knew her job. She came in and immediately started checking about how I felt and asked if I had any questions. She started to explain the procedure and got my attention when she said that she would be injecting two different kinds of stem cells. I didn't know that there were different kinds other than those from umbilical cords and analogous, ones drawn from oneself.
She explained that the cord provided two kinds. The blood itself had one type and the cord had another kind called Wharton's jelly. Each replicates and helps create the type of cell that the recipient needs. In my case, it is meniscus. I have very little cushion in my knee so my knees hurt most of the time and keep me from doing a lot of things – like walking an incline or decline or using stairs. Those are the everyday things. More than that, it keeps me from doing other things that are important to me – crawling around on the floor with my granddaughter, sitting in a circle with my students and more active things like snow skiing.
She and April used a sonogram to identify exactly where she wanted to do the injection on each knee. She cleaned my knee, used betadine and then numbed the knee for the injection. On the left knee, she chose the outside front and the injection was pretty easy. The other knee would be done after I was no longer wearing the brace on the left knee.
They brought in the braces and adjusted them to fit although she said I would have to make adjustments as well. Before I left, Dr. Kirwan came in to talk about how to adjust the braces in a way different rather than just adjusting the main strap. Adjustments would have to be made from the inside for the best fit. I also discovered that putting them on while standing worked better than while sitting. They stay up better.
I knew better than to expect anything immediate but I left in high spirits with instructions to take it easy, not to lift anything heavy, stay off of pain meds and a few other supplements. Staying off of medications would increase the inflammation so the stem cells would answer the 911 and go to help there.
In two weeks, I would go back to Integrated Medical NT to start rehab. I know I need it. Pain had changed the way I move. I would have to rebuild muscles and learn to move correctly again.
The braces work best for me over leggings. I tried them over jeans one day and had trouble keeping them up. I was reminded about how to adjust them from the inside and it made a world of difference.
I'm so excited!
Friday, April 19, 2019
Friday, April 12, 2019
Meeting the nurse practioner
After I had decided that I would much rather have a chance at a full life without a double knee replacement, it was time to meet the nurse practitioner who would inject the life-giving stem cells
I consider myself friends with all the people at Integrated Medical NT.
Melissa put me in the front room and started the usual procedures – weight, blood pressure (it was up – I was guessing because of the excitement). A few minutes the nurse practioner knocked gently at the door and then came in.
She started with a few questions about my general health and then said she really liked my goals. It had been several weeks since I'd filled out the forms so I couldn't remember exactly what I'd written. I had said, "To be able to do the same things I could in my 20s and 30s."
I asked if that was a possibility. She smiled and said it certainly was.
Wow. Really?
We discussed the procedure. She asked frequently if she was being too basic and I always said no and the journalist in me had me asking lots of questions. She said she actually appreciated someone who wanted to know all of the details.
I told her I had had many injections in my knees. She nodded and said that it would be similar: They would clean the knee, use betadine and then spray it with a numbing agent before the injection. It would only take a few minutes each leg.
She said it would probably be easier because the needle is smaller than those used to inject cortisone. She also said I would have to wear braces for a month to hold my knee in the proper position. I won't have to sleep in them. I'd do it if I had to.
I'll have the injection on a Friday. They pick that day so you can plan to be relatively still for the weekend. Knowing me, they said to take it easy – really.
Next the injection. I'm SOOO excited.
I consider myself friends with all the people at Integrated Medical NT.
Melissa put me in the front room and started the usual procedures – weight, blood pressure (it was up – I was guessing because of the excitement). A few minutes the nurse practioner knocked gently at the door and then came in.
She started with a few questions about my general health and then said she really liked my goals. It had been several weeks since I'd filled out the forms so I couldn't remember exactly what I'd written. I had said, "To be able to do the same things I could in my 20s and 30s."
I asked if that was a possibility. She smiled and said it certainly was.
Wow. Really?
We discussed the procedure. She asked frequently if she was being too basic and I always said no and the journalist in me had me asking lots of questions. She said she actually appreciated someone who wanted to know all of the details.
I told her I had had many injections in my knees. She nodded and said that it would be similar: They would clean the knee, use betadine and then spray it with a numbing agent before the injection. It would only take a few minutes each leg.
She said it would probably be easier because the needle is smaller than those used to inject cortisone. She also said I would have to wear braces for a month to hold my knee in the proper position. I won't have to sleep in them. I'd do it if I had to.
I'll have the injection on a Friday. They pick that day so you can plan to be relatively still for the weekend. Knowing me, they said to take it easy – really.
Next the injection. I'm SOOO excited.
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