Saw my new orthopedics doctor yesterday.  She x-rayed my hip, right
shoulder, and knees, since those were the worst areas.  She gave me a shot
in one knee and my hip.  They both feel much better now.  I like her a lot.
She explains things.  I had finished my visit and she was in with my Mom and
I asked the nurse if she had said that a knee replacement wouldn't help me.
The doctor came back in and sat down and explained it to me.  Since most of
the arthritis in my knees are behind the knee cap, and they re-use the knee
cap in a replacement, a replacement probably wouldn't help me now.  Of
course, they may come up with something to fix that in the future.  Then she
went back into my Mom.  She told Mom that any time she needed a shot, just
call and she could come in that day.  That is great because Mom gets one
shoulder in very bad shape and lots of pain.

Also saw a new urologist yesterday morning, as I had had three UTIs in three
months.  He put me on a trace antibiotic to take once a day at bedtime for
six months.  Says he has had very good luck with that treatment.  He said it
caught the little bugs that weren't completely caught by the normal
antibiotic treatments.

Has anybody come across either of these explanations?  I sure feel a lot
better today.  Of course, the orthopedics doctor/surgeon did say that all my
joints have arthritis in them.  Oh, my shoulder has felt fine when I do my
range of motion exercises with my arms, but when I reach across my body to
reach something, or to pick up something, I would get a twinge in my
shoulder.  She said there was a spur there and showed it to me in the x-ray.
She said since I didn't have problems with normal range of motion movements,
she didn't recommend any surgery at this time.  She seems to avoid surgery
unless that is the solution.  I don't want to give the impression that she
AVOIDS it, just that she doesn't rush into it.

Knowledge is power, they say.  Knowing what my condition is, and knowing
that I can get a shot, if things get unbearable help immensely.