My Little Chocaholic

As she sat behind the counter at Brewed Awakenings, Anna looked somewhat bewildered and amused by my daughter, Gabriella. The conversation went something like this.

"Good morning young lady, what would you like for breakfast?"

"Chocolate gelato, please"

"Was that a chocolate muffin?"

"No, chocolate gelato please. You know, ice cream. Two small scoops please"

Anna looked glaringly at me. I shrugged my shoulders and reluctantly nodded yes. I explained that Gabriella was an unrelenting and untreated chocaholic. I got away with it because Bonnie was at home. What are fathers for if they are not here to spoil their children from time to summertime?

While I am a big fan of chains such as Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for their consistency and numerous locations, there is nothing like visiting an old-world, mom & pop coffee shop. Brewed Awakenings in Grand Rapids is a remarkable experience.

This is long and boring so you may want to sign off here.

I tend not to talk about my maladies here for there are always people with far worse problems than I may experience. But I will tell you about one thing that has been going on in my life because I think there is a valuable lesson to be remembered. And I want my daughters to have a record of this advice.

For the last six-plus weeks, I have been living through debilitating pain in my left knee. My threshold for pain is extraordinarily high but this bout of it has rendered me mindless and often left me in tears. On June 10, I visited the most respected orthopedic clinic in the Midwest and was diagnosed with acute arthritis and was given oral and injected steroids. I was sent on my way and told to use ice and compression at home but to use it as "arthritic joints respond well to movement."

I did as they asked. I walked, exercised, trail walked the dogs and rode my bike, each of these when I could tolerate such. But the pain got progressively worse and the steroids and movement did nothing. Not even codeine allowed me to sleep at night. So on June 24, I returned to the wonder clinic, was prescribed another dose of steroids and was told to keep it moving but give it time. I trusted this clinic because of their stellar reputation and the pictures of "umpteen" pro-athletes on the wall. But, by Tuesday of this week I wanted to take a gun to my head so I went to a different clinic and they gave me a series of scans. Why I waited so long is beyond me but I trusted the advice I had received to date.

Today, I received the results of my scans and I have a medial fracture in my femur just above my knee. For the entire time, I have been walking on and exercising a fractured leg.

Here is the point of my story: If your health is not improving a few weeks after the first diagnosis, get a second opinion. Do not wait too long.

PS...If my photographs become incredibly boring (which they already probably are), I apologize. Crutches and street photography might be a bit difficult. So prepare for mundane coffee house shots and the like.

PPS...I am leaving my comments off until I start to mend a bit. And, please, do not worry about back commenting. I will be fine and I know you are a compassionate lot.