Hi ASAers!

I'm finally hanging around again since the school year has finally
ended and I have some free time!  : )  I have tried to read posts
whenever I could and always keep this group in my thoughts and
prayers.
I have some news on the job front.  Some of you may remember that I
had applied for another teaching job.  I finally gave in and decided
that handling a first grade classroom was just too much with the RA
and two nasty joints, my knee and ankle.  So after 19 years in the
same classroom (the last 6 with my buddy, RA) and 24 in the same
school, I'm going to be moving to a new school for a new position,
which will make it possible to stay off my feet more often.  It's a
Title One Reading job and I'll be working with small groups of first
and second grade children, instead of managing a whole classroom.  My
administrators were wonderful about this job change.  I couldn't have
asked for them to be more supportive...except, of course, if they
would have cleaned and packed my classroom for me!!  LOL  I'm sad to
leave my classroom and the place I've worked for so long, but happy
that I will not have as much stress.  As my principal told me, I've
paid my dues and deserve a break.  I won't go into all the details,
but it appears to be a very good move for me.  And maybe I'll have a
life outside of work, along with a more energy, for the first time in
a long while!

Also, I will be having a knee arthroscopy next Friday, July 2nd.  My
surgeon said that my knee is not in very good shape, but he will try
to repair what he can...the rest, I'm stuck with.  According to an MRI
that I had at the beginning of May, the medial collateral ligament has
a partial tear.  There is also indication of a tear within the
posterior horn of the medial meniscus approaching the inferior
articular surface.  Also, there was "increased signal intensity"
involving the lateral collateral ligament and the anterior horn of the
medial meniscus.  (And other mumble jumble!!)  The doc didn't sound
very enthusiastic about giving me much hope in regard to the extent of
damage, but thinks that I can probably get some relief of the pain for
awhile....possibly 6 months....maybe a year at the most.

The surgery will consist of a possible partial meniscectomy,
chrondroplasty and a synovectomy.  He gave me a lecture about how I
have a "rheumatoid condition and an arthritic knee" and this surgery
will not mean that I will no longer have pain the knee.  (I think he
was trying to cover his butt, in case I didn't realize this crap is
forever!) He also said that much of the damage is already done and not
repairable.   I've been more worried about my ankle, which continues
to be a big pain in the butt, and didn't think my knee was too bad.
(although, I'm still hopeful that it won't look so bad when he goes
in.)  He seemed surprised at what the MRI showed and he appeared to
hesitate to even bother with an arthroscopy.  I told him that I'm okay
with the surgery and hope that with even some improvement, along with
the new job, I'll do better than expected.  My foot/ankle surgeon had
told me a couple of months ago that if I had a job where I wasn't on
my feet so much, he thought we could keep the inflamation better
controlled than it's been.

The last 6 months have been difficult and frustrating, to say the
least.  I don't know what I would have done without friends who have
supported me all along.  Thankfully, I feel like I'm finally on an
upswing.  If you can spare any prayers, good thoughts and/or advice on
the MRI, surgery, knee, etc...I'd really appreciate it!
If you read this far...I'm sorry this is so long.
Carol

Ca