Recovery?

Prednisone

Not knowing exactly what the problem is, it's hard to know exactly what's helping me feel better but feel better I do, no doubt. Most of the pain is gone; anything residual is almost phantom pain, a nagging tug, a reminder that "ouch! this used to hurt," though it doesn't anymore.

Maybe it's the Predisone that Dr. Hoary Ears prescribed. Today is day four of 2 tablets a day. Tomorrow I take the last two. Or maybe it's a combination with the Indomethacin, little green gel caps of which I have a whole bottle still.

Or maybe it was Master Yang. At my last treatment (four days ago) he suggested that by my next treatment, tomorrow, the pain would mostly be gone. He was right - but did he bring it about?

Or perhaps it's simply that an "episode" has run its course, whatever the episode was.

Then I think, if it was the Prednisone responsible for my current state - pain receded, swelling basically gone, 80-90% mobility recovered - does that embody real healing or just a mask the symptoms?

This shit gets psychically taxing!

The thing is, I almost tried to ride today. I was sorely tempted, that's how good I felt. But then later in the afternoon, about the time I would have gone, I felt some tightness and quasi-discomfort in the knee and I thought, No, probably not a good idea to try riding yet. Tomorrow, another session with Yang. Friday, the feedback from the blood work and X-rays.

If by Saturday I am still pain free and the various test results didn't raise any red flags and if Master Yang has given me his blessing, then perhaps I'll try riding for the first time since June 19th.

Gad. The better part of July, my favorite month, spent hobbled. All these beautiful long hot summer days. I think back to February and the many harsh cold weather rides and recall how I dreamed then of the long balmy days of summer and how I'd be riding four and five times a week in nothing but shorts and a jersey and I how I longed for that. Sigh. Hopefully, there will be some of that fine summer riding to come but I've missed out on a good chunk of the Niceness so far.

Desk of Dubstoevsky