Or is it just how life is?

After waiting for 3 years to see a specialists about my worsening knees, the public health system transferred me to a private hospital waiting list. In less than 3 months I was in seeing them just before Christmas.

After a bunch of tests the answer is all bad. My knees are totally stuffed. They should have been replaced 5 or more years ago. He reckoned I should have bitched more, back when they first started to hurt.

Then he looked at my skin, a few minor scratches & history, including my use of steroids to control polly myalgia rheumatic for the last 12 years. Apparently this also disguised how bad the knees were, by reducing the inflammation.

While it would have been simple to replace the knees 5 years ago, to day the surgeon reckoned I am a walking time bomb for a surgeon. The steroid use has caused a number of side effects, & seriously reduced my healing of wounds. He would not want to do a job on me.

He called in his boss, who said exactly the same thing. The risk of serious infection was too great for them to want to operate on me, except in an emergency.

Their advice, get off the steroids, & come back for another assessment in 6 months. The ultimate catch 22. I can't get off the steroids & still walk, or sleep at night, & the wandering pains from the polly myalgia are really bad. They tried everything 10 years ago to get me off them, & nothing else worked.

They said they would have lasted longer, if I hadn't worked them so hard. But hell, I had 10 times more fun than most people ever have, working them that hard, so you could say I've earned this pain today.

At least I can still drive my cars at the moment, so it's not all bad.

Just watch out folks, if they start prescribing steroids for you. It is worth putting up with a bit of pain, to avoid the ultimate side effect.

How old are you?

Dear Hasbeen,

I'm so sorry to learn about your knees and
trust that you'll get some good news in 6 months.

My health is taking its time. I have physio
people come to my home once a week - and I do
my exercises. But it's not easy. I'm able to
walk with a four-wheeled pusher - so that's
something. My shoulder is in dreadfully pain
as is my right leg - but I'm not giving up.

All the best to you and fingers-crossed things
will improve.

Starting to sound like the two of you should be in a nursing home.

Dear Mr Opinion,

Nursing Home?

No. I've been in hospitals for over 13 weeks
and as a result I'm now in re-hab and doing
much better. The elderly people that I met
in my physio sessions were awesome and
inspired my to change my attitude.
Not to give up.

Dear Foxy,

Hmmm, that doesn't sound good. Sounds like you and Hasbeen drew the short straws on the gene pool.