Dr. Weir speaks...

Ray had an appointment with Dr. Weir yesterday. He has been having some aches and pains in his right hip--the one that he had replaced in 2006, I think. The x-rays show that Ray has heterotopic bone formation in the replaced hip area. It is bone growth somewhere that it does not belong. It was brought on by the replacement and due to a collection of calcium forming bone. Many people have this, but are not symptomatic. Ray is supposed to take anti-inflammatory medication and back off from his activities to determine what brought on the symptom. His case is advancing quite rapidly. If it becomes unmanageable in regards to the pain, then the only recourse is surgery to remove it. It is not that simple, though. He will need to have a radiation treatment just hours before the surgery to remove the bone growth in order to hopefully prevent it from growing back again. And--if he ever needs to have his left hip replaced or any other replacement, he will need to have the radiation prior to the surgery because they now know he has a predisposition to heterotopic bone formation.

I asked Dr. Weir if he had time for one question from me, and, of course, he did. I asked him whether he had ever had an occasion where someone who had knee replacement had torn their calf muscle (gastrocnemius) because of the knee replacement. After several moments of thought, he said yes. He said that when you make your knee go flat (which is one of his two requirements), you can tear your gastroc. Well, isn't that just too sweet!!! How is a person ever supposed to get better??? Grrrrr

Ray then took me to Jake's Old City Grill for dinner. Stella Artois and spinach and artichoke dip and prime rib sliders. Then we came home to celebrate today's good news from Rae Ann with some spumante and had some special brownies that I had made. (Jaime--I did the peanut butter thing instead of the mint thing. Good!!!)

Yuck--four inches of snow yesterday a.m., still on the ground today. Who said it was spring??? Let's act it!!!

Yesterday was a good day, all things considered.