I just reread my last post from November 28th... and I was an incredible optimist. Here I am well into March, four and half months after my surgery and things are not going well. The knee remains severely swollen and extremely painful.

The Radiologist who read my last set of X rays at the end of January noted as follows: Primary Diagnostic Code: "ABNORMALITY, ATTN. NEEDED" and yet I did not even get a phone call from my doc. Three unreturned calls later I finally managed to through and get an appointment.

Today I met with my surgeon and let him have it. He can find nothing wrong but looks at my knee and agrees there is something wrong. When we finished our little chat I left the VA with a full set of X rays (the large hard copies) and all of his patient notes. They are scheduling me with an orthopedic surgeon outside of the VA on the VA's dime. I should hear from them by the weekend.

My pain levels following a workout jump up to around 6 and though I've managed to get down to just one happy pill a day that usually means about 20 hours of miserable out of every 24. I have worked my *** off in rehab hitting the gym 7 days a week and up until a month ago was getting PT at the VA clinic 2 or 3 times a week. My Physical Therapist is afraid to touch me due to the "abnormality" so that source of therapy has disappeared like a virgin on prom night. I ride the bike 3 miles, hit the leg press aggressively and then lift weights for 30 to 45 minutes every day. I follow up every afternoon with a walk with my bride and da pooch. Every other day I swim 40 laps (1,000 meters) in under 30 minutes.

The good news is that other than the knee I'm in the best shape I've been in since basic training. Still down almost 15 pounds and feeling pretty good. Oh well time for a cold one, sigh.