The Knee Post · 6:45pm Mar 23rd, 2018
Yeah, this one’s actually newsworthy enough it’s getting it’s own post.
First of all, don’t worry about this affecting my writing. That’s one thing I can say is that the news I got back after my MRI this week isn’t going to affect my writing life. Other facets, however …
Turns out, the doctor was wrong. Even he was surprised by that … though looking at the actual result, I can’t quite blame him. It’s a little unexpected. Especially at my age.
The initial knee injury? Long since healed. The pain and swelling now? That’s my cartilage. That’s right, I, at the ripe age of 31, have light arthritis in my right knee. And it’s only going to get worse from here.
Yeah. The MRI showed a big old ball of nasty (I’m guessing scar tissue and the like). Apparently, in my 31 years of life on this ball of rock, I’ve done a good 50-60+ years of living on my knees … and now I’m reaping the reward of living that way.
Granted, it’s not too bad yet. There are definitely some jobs, hobbies, and workouts that I have to give up if I don’t want my knees to explode and need a total replacement before I’m 40. Of that list, the hobbies and workouts one, especially where they cross over, hurts the most. A couple of those just got wiped out. I can still go hiking and level running (I think), and biking is fine as long as I’m not pounding my knees or taking big jumps … though the doc was unsure on mountain biking. Jobs that involve lots of squat-lifting are out too, since that’s going to explode my knees very quickly.
On the plus side, none of these things involve writing. So I can at least keep writing and selling books. And it’s a good thing I’ve got an income stream I’ve been working on there, too, because I hate to think what kind of mess I’d be in right now if I’d been banking on a physical job, because that’d be it for me in that career.
On a side note, Colony‘s new advertising seems to be doing a decent job of getting eyeballs on it, and maybe even a few sales. It’s a little early to tell yet, so I’m not quite uncorking the celebratory Martinelli’s (though that would be nice, as this week hasn’t given me much to celebrate with the core of this post, though I must say that the Alpha Reader reactions toShadow of an Empirecontinue to be encouraging), but as of the beginning of the experiment, it’s at least paying for itself, so there is that.
Anyway, the good news is that the knee injury isn’t going to affect my writing that I know of. But it’s definitely making me reconsider some things I’d taken for granted.
Ugh. You and your knee have all my sympathy. Being only a little older than you, I'm just waiting for that doctor's visit that informs me of exactly what physical ailments will be following me into the latter half of my existence. I'm betting on diabetes and carpal tunnel.
But hey, writing is safe, right? That's good, at least.
4823346
As long as that one doesn't catch up with me!
Thank you for the well-wishes. I'm glad I wasn't banking on my physicality supporting the latter half of my life, because that isn't an option now!
Oofta.
Ouch, that really sucks. Those restrictions sound really irritating, and given how early it's started you're basically guaranteed a long string of surgeries throughout your life to keep it relatively in line and quite possibly replace the joint more than once. The good news is that tissue growth is starting to become a thing so it's possible you could hold out long enough to get new real cartilage to replace the screwed up stuff, but that'll probably come with its own complications you'll need to stay on top of even if it is better than the alternatives.
Yowch. I've seen what arthritic knees can mean, having spent a lot of time and effort taking care of my stepmother (who had led a very active early life, and a rather heavy one afterward).
Good to hear that Colony has more eyes on it (and that the advertising appears to be working). It deserves them.
4823351
Yup.
4823358
Perhaps stem cell treatments, someday.
4823399
Eh, I refuse to let it derail everything. If I take good care of it, while I will have to give up some loves, I should have time for others.
And yes, getting a lot more eyes on Colony is a good thing, I agree! Come on sales, flood me with money!
That really sucks. I had my own brush with the fragility of the human body a couple of years back, so I know what it's like worrying about being permanently hurt. I'm not even a very active guy, but it seriously rattled me and I'm still very thankful that I was lucky enough to make a full recovery (though I am 3 mm shorter on my left leg now). I wish you the best of luck with your writing then and I hope you will still be able to do most of the activities you like.
Good thoughts. Can't wait for the shiny posthuman future (where, among other things, we just order new spare body parts if something blows out).