all hail vic

knees for granted

so, my life's become something tiring in the past few weeks.

i started working out in early-mid-february. a few weeks into my routine, my knees started tweaking. little hurt by little hurt.

as my knees began to hurt more and more, i moved more and more into using only the fully-seated stationary bicycle available at the gym i belong to.

about three weeks ago, i decided that, with the first ultimate tournament in a week's time and my knees not feeling any better, i ought to let up on working out for awhile.

a week without exercise was difficult for me. i find that when i work out regularly, my mind is clearer and my energy levels are naturally higher. my life seems easier and more fulfilling. i stop drinking coffee and eating sugary foods. things begin to click into place.

but when i stop the routine, those things fall out of place and get filled in with their requisite replacements - back to coffee and sugary foods, more beer, etc.

i played two of the 40 minute games in Vienna in said first outdoor tournament before my right knee was hurting too much and too sore to continue.

so from that weekend i let up for another week, which brings us up to the beginning of this week. i decided to go swimming yesterday, despite my knees continued pain. it felt nice to get some exercise, but my knees came out of the workout (despite no impact) with the same, if not more, amount of pain.

the thing is, for days now, i've found it hard to remain standing for long periods of time. i get tired. i feel like the weight of my body will ultimately cause my legs to collapse from under me.

sitting upright in this chair, or any chair for that matter, inevitably causes my knees (my right knee in particular) to hurt. it's not a sharp or stabbing pain. it's just a dull, throbbing pain of constant soreness and weakness. i feel like i'm standing, even when i'm sitting.

i went to the doctor this morning, despite not having insurance yet. (it's a long story, but i'm opting for an alternative form of insurance to be started momentarily - tourist insurance, which my friend has. a friend who definitely had worse knee problems than i do now.

anyway, the doctor consulted for all of five minutes. he wants to do an x-ray and an MRI and possibly orthoscopic surgery. he thinks it might be some form of a torn miniscus. and he didn't charge me for the consultation, which is a huge benefit for a country with generous social welfare like the Czech Republic.

so... walking normally is not easy. i have to walk uphill from the metro to my apartment building.

there are times when i'm on a tram or metro, which is often since i live outside the center city, when i'm standing, weak-kneed and wishing to sit. i'm used to standing up and offering my seat to elderly passengers who enter the train, i just wish people would notice me, with my pronounced limp, and offer me their seat. i know if i had a big, obvious cast on, they'd get up. or if i had crutches, somebody'd get up. but a pronounced limp doesn't cut it, apparently. i also had an elderly man chastize me for sitting down today across from him when there was a 50 year old lady who could have the seat. i stood up but told him bluntly that i have a bad knee. he was a jerk later too, as he cut me off on my way out the door of the tram. and he was elderly.

suffice it to say, apart from my hurting knees, i'm also getting annoyed by a general disregard for others here. it's disrespectful, rude and sometimes painful, like for me. now.

Posted by iain at April 5, 2006 04:43 PM