43. get my knee checked out

so i decided (not really, but i digress) to get started on my 52in52 list by getting my knee checked out. i went to the ER yesterday--by force, not by choice--because i *ahem* mis-stepped and felt a crack in my knee. immediately following, my knee felt like it had exploded into flames. phoenix-esque, if you will. of course, i ignored this at first because i had to go to work, and i'm still within the confines of my probationary period.

let's rewind a bit. the reason why #43 is even on my list to begin with, is because i have been procrastinating--something i am really good at doing--about getting it looked at. about a month ago, i fell down 2 concrete stairs outside of jesse's parents' house in DC. it was so much fun that i sat there, on the concrete sidewalk, to soak in some sun. i looked to my left and the top of my foot was scratched up.

sidenote: how do you scratch up the top of your foot? how does that work? although i did this, i don't know how.

to my right, my knee was sore but there were no visible love marks from the stairs. jesse looks down and says, "what are you doing? what just happened?" i forgot to mention, i was in mid sentence when this fall occurred. so he's hovering over me, looking extremely puzzled--he's lucky he's cute.

so jesse helps me up, i brush myself off a bit and  walk limp to the car.

about a week later, this limp is going nowhere and i'm like mayyyybe i should go to the doctor.

this is the fun part. i called the medical insurance company to make sure my coverage was going to pay for the visit and when it would expire (i started a new job, but i still had coverage from the old one, lasting until the end of the month). they confirmed that it would expire at the end of the day on 7/31.

awesome. i will just go to the doctor on 7/31, then, and get everything taken care of. i didn't want to be in the doctor's office on my 25th birthday, or laid up in the bed as doctor's orders on my birthday, either.

i get to the urgent care facility on sunday (7/31), and their online system is showing that my benefits are inactive. i about lost it. i specifically called to verify the date and time they'd expire.

soon after, i found out that the urgent care facility was the culprit--they verify insurance online, and if they'd been able to call and verify, the coverage would've taken care of this visit. so at this point, i have no insurance. my new job's limited coverage hadn't kicked in yet, and so...i was screwed.

i tried the holistic approach--well, kind of. i took ibuprofen to help with swelling and inflammation, and i did a lot of icing and elevation. for the most part, it worked. i still couldn't bend my knee very well, but i didn't limp anymore on flat surfaces; i just struggled going up and down the stairs and walking on inclines and declines. no biggie, right?

wrong. yesterday morning i messed everything up again. i mis-stepped and felt the whole burning sensation and pop. i told jesse what happened and he was like, you're going to the doctor after work.

now typically with jesse, i can wiggle my way out of things like this by convincing him that everything is cool and i'm fine and it will get better--like i did the last time. but this time he didn't budge. smh.

so i go to the ER, just because i know they have all the equipment necessary to properly diagnose the problem. it didn't take too long...less than 3 hours. i found out that i may have a bone cyst. it's not an effect of the fall, but it could be the reason my knee is so weak and gave way to the fall. the doctor also thinks i may need an mri to see if maybe i tore the miniscus.

i now have this war-ready knee brace that spans from my middle upper thigh to my lower calf. and crutches. and best of all, i'm at work today.

my life rocks.

but! that is one week down of things to knock off on my 52in52. by default :)