Adventures in Cooking

My shoulders are killing me. That's where I tend to carry my stress, so it doesn't surprise me, really, that I have huge knots in them. Whenever I try to massage them out (which is never very successful, I might add), I can't help but wince in pain. I'm getting a massage after Amy's wedding. I don't care what other obligations I might have...in the beginning of August, I'm getting one. I got through this past semester with very good grades and now I'm dealing with a knee that will never be 100% again, so after everything for Amy's wedding is over, I'm getting a massage. I think I've earned one. :)

After my doctor's appointment, my mom and I went to Sendik's grocery store. There was a sign on the door, advertising soft shell crab. I've only had soft shell crab one other time, and it was at a restaurant in D.C. (I can't remember the name of it). I loved it. I haven't had it since because I've never seen it on a menu and it's also never been in grocery stores (or maybe it has and I just didn't look that hard). Whatever the case, I was very excited about this.

I picked up two of them, and the guy behind the counter was awesome enough to clean them for me.

I didn't really have a recipe to use, which was fine. Life is more fun without a map anyway, right? I didn't use measurements because when I cook, I don't tend to measure things (baking is another story, because it's an exact science). I just adjust stuff until it tastes right. Anyway...I patted the crabs dry with paper towel, then seasoned them with kosher salt and black pepper on BOTH sides (you wouldn't think I'd need to point that out, but you'd be surprised how many people season things on one side and think it's properly seasoned...that is a rant best saved for another day...).

Then, I dredged the crabs in some flour which was also seasoned (I used Old Bay seasoning).

I heated some olive oil (a few tablespoons) in a pan and then sauteed the crabs for about two minutes on each side. I then removed them and added some minced garlic to the hot oil. I turned the heat down some and made sure to keep the garlic moving. You don't want garlic to burn, because it will turn bitter. I added some pinot grigio and brought it to a boil. I turned it down to a simmer until the wine reduced by half and added maybe a tablespoon of butter. I cut some chives from my herb garden, chopped them up finely, and added them to the sauce. 

I decided to roast some asparagus, which is my favorite way to eat it. I think it's the most flavorful and probably, the simplest. I removed the tough ends from the stalks, spread them out in a single layer on a cooking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and season them with kosher salt and black pepper. I then pop them in the oven for about 25-30 minutes at 350º.

After plating the crabs, I just drizzled the sauce over them. Voila!

Not bad for my first time ever making soft shell crab! It was very delicious!

I kneed more physical therapy.

I'm lame, I know.

So...I saw the sports medicine guy today. I'm going to call him B-dog, just for funsies. Really, his name is Dr. Patrick Birmingham, and you will find him to the left. He was a nice guy...he didn't talk down to me, which a lot of doctors have a tendency to do to their patients in general, so that was good.

When I arrived, I first had to have some x-rays taken. I saw the doctor shortly afterward. He translated my knee a bunch, which wasn't the most pleasant, but I survived (I was actually kind of afraid he was going to pop something out or hurt me...not in a fearful way...but just in the way he was contorting my leg around). He said my injury was, "pretty impressive." He thinks that when I was in my car accident almost nine years ago, I partially tore the PCL on the left and because the injuries on the right were so significant, it got overlooked. Then, when I tripped and fell on February 26th, it tore the rest of the way. So, for nine years, I've most likely been walking around with a torn PCL, apparently. The reason he thinks this is because the damage done to my knee was almost too significant for a simple fall of two feet and that PCL injuries are usually seen either in football injuries or from knees hitting the dashboard in car accidents. And, as much as I would've liked to have been tackling the boys out on the field...it wasn't so.

The Plan
Going into this appointment, I had done about four weeks of physical therapy. Overall, I don't feel like it's helping me. It's basically strength training, so I do feel like it's making me stronger, obviously, but that's about it. I don't feel pain relief at all. I feel as though the instability issues have gotten better, but I think that's largely due to the fact that I wear a huge black brace on my leg for the vast majority of the day, so my knee can't give out. Maybe it would give out if I wasn't wearing the brace. I mean, a few weeks ago, I rolled over in bed one morning and the entire joint just slid apart. It was disgusting (and very painful) and the first time that's ever happened when I wasn't bearing weight (also, I don't wear the brace when I sleep...coincidence?).

Dr. Birmingham wants me to do more PT. I wonder what the record is as far as length of time someone's been in PT. Let's see...I did PT from August '02-January '03 at home...and then January '03-May '03 in La Crosse...and now April '11-July '11...hmmm...not impressive. I thought I will have done it for way longer. It certainly feels that way.

Anyway...the reason he wants me to do more therapy is to strengthen not only the quad, but to engage the hip and ankle as well. And, I guess once you tear your PCL, unlike the ACL, it will (are you ready for it?) never be 100% again, even with surgery. Isn't that something? It's true. Your knee will never again be aligned properly.

As for my patella...once the patella dislocates, there's a 50/50 chance it will happen again. So...for the time being, he's not going to do anything about it. PT should help keep it from slipping out of place. If it dislocates a second time, he'll figure out a course of treatment.

I have to say, I wish I was having surgery. Not that I'm some kind of surgery-fiend or anything like that. I just wish there was a simple, surgical solution. Like...appendicitis. You have an appendectomy. Problem, solution. Not this. This is going to be a lifelong issue, now. I mean, I'm not going to be in PT for the rest of my life, but I'm definitely going to have to strength train for the rest of my life (which I should probably do anyway, so I guess this is as good an excuse as any), because once those muscles get weak, the joint will become unstable and that's when problems will start.

I go back to see the good doctor in two months.

A Change of Heart

I know that I said I won't be pursuing a graduate degree any time soon. Or...maybe I didn't say it in my blog, but I said it to people in my life. BUT, after writing a research paper last week, I've decided that after working in medical records for a year or two, I would like to pursue a doctorate in medical informatics. 

Medical informatics is a field that is concerned with the cognitive, information processing and communication aspects of medicine and healthcare, including the information sciences and technology to support these tasks. The field covers the application of information technology in clinical medicine, medical record keeping, medical instrumentation and healthcare management. Medical informatics uses computers and information science to the advancement of life sciences research, health professions education, public health and patient care. From clinical care and research to health policy, informaticians help in the design, implementation and use of systems that manage the complex information in health care delivery.

The reason I didn't want to pursue a graduate degree originally is because I was feeling a bit burned out; however, I think that after working for a few years, I'll be ready to do school again, especially since it's something I'm so excited about. I really think that this is where medicine is headed. Electronic health records are, as prior Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael O. Leavitt, stated, "an economic imperative designed to maintain health and at the same time, maintain the momentum of our economy."

Forgot to Mention...
Totally unrelated...I forgot to include my favorite snack as of late in my last post...

Pu Pu Platter Post

I haven't blogged in what feels like years. Oops. Needless to say, this blog post is going to be an amalgam of sorts...

Love
I was with a gentleman the other day when I discovered what I feel about love: it's fluid. We were talking and suddenly, it kind of just came to me. I've always kind of held that I haven't ever been in love because I've never felt that "thing"...that hopeless, can't-live-without-you, need-you-to-breathe kind of qualification in a relationship. I've had boyfriends, sure. And after their conclusion, I'm always a bit salty and think, "Oh, it wasn't love because it didn't stick." But, I think love changes as we change; our definition of love is ever-evolving. Love means something different in each relationship we have and that's part of what makes that relationship special and unique. Sure, the underpinnings are similar. But, what love meant to me at 20 is certainly not what love means to me at nearly 28 (Sidebar: When did I get so old and how do I make it stop?).

Joint Predicament
I am breakable. I write that because apparently, I need a reminder.

On February 26, I was in my friend's kitchen when I tripped over my own two feet and fell, landing on my left knee. I knew immediately that I had seriously done something wrong. I could tell that it wasn't broken; it felt like there was something wrong muscularly. I couldn't move it and could barely bear weight.

I went to the emergency room at Froedtert the next day, on my way home from said friend's house. The PA had my knee x-rayed (which I thought was a waste of time, but whatever), told me nothing was broken and that I just had a bad sprain. She said I should see my primary care physician in two weeks if things didn't return to normal.

I waited 10 days because I couldn't take it much longer. My doctor ordered an MRI. Keep in mind that at this point, I had just had the neurostimulator implanted (a procedure that was "technically" a surgery) in my back for the 1-week trial and in a few days, it would be removed (this is a crucial fact). When radiology called me to schedule the MRI, they asked if I had any surgeries or implants. I stated that I had two plates and 18 screws in my right leg, as well as a surgery to implant the neurostimulator, but that it would be removed in the office in the next few days. The radiologist then informs me that because I had surgery, I could not come in for my MRI for six weeks. I asked what the reasoning was and the only answer I could get out of anyone was, "It was the doctor's orders." So, I schedule my MRI for exactly six weeks from my surgery date. During this six-week waiting period, my knee is constantly dislocating and I even fell and landed on it two more times. 


The MRI date finally comes around and everything goes smoothly, until that afternoon. I get a phone call from my doctor literally one hour after I leave the hospital. She says that the radiologist called her immediately because my MRI was so bad. As it turns out, I dislocated my patella and my PCL is no where to be found. When my patella dislocated, it shaved quite a bit of cartilage off the femoral condyle. I have bone marrow edema and a lot of fluid in the joint. Awesome. Then, my doctor asks why I waited so long to have the MRI done. I explained the runaround I had with radiology and my doctor was none-too-pleased (with radiology, not with me). The next day, I met with an orthopedic surgeon who put me in a long-leg stabilizer for three weeks, as well as assigned me to PT. She performed the posterior drawer test on my knee and was able to push my tibia behind my femur. Pretty gross.


Well, after three weeks of PT, I can tell it really isn't helping with the pain (it wakes me up at night). Don't get me wrong though, I can tell my quads are getting stronger (makes sense, since I'm basically just strength training). The orthopedic surgeon wants me to get a second opinion on having reconstructive surgery. So, on May 19th, I'm meeting with an orthopedic surgeon at Froedtert who specializes in sports medicine. The reason she wants me to see him is because PCL tears are rare, but when they do occur, it's most often in sports (usually, football). She said the rehab for ligament reconstructive surgery is long, so she doesn't want to do it without a second opinion. Also, not really how I planned to spend my summer.


Wow...that was a mouthful (Or...a handful? Since I'm typing? Whatever...)!


At the Moment
What I'm loving right now...

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

The Voice on NBC.

Smucker's Simply Fruit Red Raspberry.

I know I said it was one of my goals to blog more often and I definitely have been on a decline. Sorry about that. In my defense, school has been crazy (but, next week is my last of the semester!). And, this knee-business has not been much fun, either. But, I will try harder. I know, I just need to make an effort to do it.