Wonky, But Walking

Went to work today (still here, in fact). By the time I made it to San Antonio Road (less than half a mile from Al's house), I was wishing fervently that I had an automatic. The other option -- taking the train and then walking a mile to work -- wasn't very appealing either, so I toughed it out. Once I cleared all the traffic lights on San Antonio, I stayed in 4th gear all the way to the Macromedia parking lot. I still can't believe I made the turn onto Twin Dolphin Drive without stalling the car...

Once I got here, just how much the clutch work had cost me became evident. My knee has been stiff and burn-y all day. I'm trying not to limp, though, because I know that only makes it worse: the muscles around the knee atrophy, and next thing you know the kneecap is sliding all over the place. Walking itself isn't too bad, actually -- it's only slightly painful. It's planting and pivoting that make me scream. Literally. Good god, how am I going to skate on Friday, much less tomorrow night? I keep stretching the knee in a slow-motion pivot in hopes that it will help.

The good news is that I don't have to drive home. Al is going to pick me up in about 10 minutes, and he'll bring me to work tomorrow. Hopefully I can drive myself to hockey; if I can't, I'll have no business getting on the ice. I do plan to get to the rink somehow, though, because I need to get my tournament jerseys from Karen, who was kind enough to pick them up tonight.

PLEASE, PLEASE, KNEE: GET BETTER FAST!

Home Again

Still in bed today, though I'm now able to walk around a bit. The bruise on my knee has evolved from a red, dime-sized circle to a dark purple, quarter-sized blob. The whole knee still burns if I make a sudden move, but it generally supports my weight pretty well. There will be no hockey tonight, I'm afraid, though I feel like I'm on track to be skating by Friday.

The bummer is that while I can now walk to the kitchen and back (yay!), I still can't walk to the store or work the clutch in my car, and Al is at work, so I'm limited to eating what's in the house. Not good when your nickname is the Craving Queen. I'm also trying to give up sweets (in an effort to lose some weight and feel better in general), so I need more sweet-substitutes (like fruit) around to help me through the withdrawal period. I want to save the Chocolate Odwalla Milk for emergencies only.

Stuck in Bed

Last night I severely injured my knee. Walking into a bench, if you must know, but that's not the point. The point is that it burns. It won't support my weight properly. There's a red circle about the size of a dime where the corner of the bench drove into the top of my kneecap. Did I mention that it *burns*?

I haven't gone to the hospital, mainly because I'm not convinced there's anything they can do for me, and also partly out of denial, I'm sure. I've got hockey games on Monday and Wednesday, and a tournament in L.A. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The fact that I can barely hobble to the bathroom right now makes me worry a little. I'm hoping that staying in bed today with ice packs and Advil will help, and that I'll be able to skate again by Friday, if not by tomorrow.

On the bright side, I've been trying to find some time to update my website, and this may just be my opportunity. Might also be a good time to get ahead on work-related stuff, especially if I can't walk tomorrow, either, and have to stay home. I want to use my down time productively, not just moping.

I AM GOING TO PLAY HOCKEY IN L.A. ON FRIDAY, DAMMIT!