I asked about the anti-inflammatory situation. I said I'd heard that prolonged use can lead to a further disintegration over time. He said not quite, wrong info. He said that use of anti-inflammatory meds can lead to slower healing *if you break a bone*. It has no such effect on cartilage. So it's okay for long-term. Or so he says.
I still feel like I don't know anything, really. He said the reasons for these inflammations are "poorly understood". He told me about the injections: they are made of cocks' combs. Shit. And they are expensive, although nothing like knee surgery. Work for about a year, in his limited experience.
He gave me a 16-day supply of Vioxx. It's a different "family" from the naproxen, doesn't have the stomach side-effects, or, for that matter, much in the way of side-effects at all, he said. It's more expensive, though. I might check the price online just for laughs. If it works well, he said, he'd write me a prescription for them. I may have to come into money before I could fill it.
Just to see how I am, I walked around a block after leaving there. One block. That was enough to get the pain working pretty consistently. So I'm not ready to walk yet. Maybe swim, though. I should try that.
