realexplodingcat: (Default)
explodingcat ([personal profile] realexplodingcat) wrote2007-12-18 06:30 pm

Physical Impairment of the Day

I have been diagnosed with a "not bad" case of patello femoral syndrome. Short explanation: my knee sometimes hurts. Longer explanation: of the two major muscles running the length of my thigh which are responsible for stabilizing the kneecap, one is stronger than the other, resulting in unbalanced tension on my knee that can cause it to slip out of place. Simple physical therapy will correct it. However, in a worst case scenario, if the strength of the outside muscle approaches infinity and the strength of the inside muscle approaches negative infinity (what you might call infinite atrophy), then flexing my leg will result in my kneecap firing into the sky like a clay pigeon, whereupon an intrepid sportsman will rise up from a previously unseen duck blind and blast it with a shotgun.

[identity profile] nothingoth.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
PULL!

[identity profile] pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 12:26 am (UTC)(link)
Roller derby led me to discover I also have this, mostly because of the awesome and unparalleled strength of my massive thigh muscles. I had not yet thought of that particular "feature" of this ailment, but firing projectiles from my knees might just become my signature move should it get that bad.


(And in all seriousness, physical therapy did wonders for me, so I wish you luck!)

[identity profile] absinthea.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
Um, [livejournal.com profile] krasota hasn't been sharpening her skeet shooting skills since hearing of this, has she??

[identity profile] flynnk.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
The mafia is developing very elaborate debt collection methods these days I see....

[identity profile] seeliespright.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
*pow*

I wish I could use my crappy joints as projectiles. It would make the pain worthwhile. I'd have to get a dog to retrieve the bits after I've shot them, but that wouldn't prove too difficult, I suppose.

[identity profile] explodingcat.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
OUCH!

[identity profile] explodingcat.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure how I developed it. Maybe caring the baby is affecting the way I use my legs. The Doc is pretty confident in the single exercise he told me to do at home to strengthen that weaker muscle. I plan on being dedicated about it, because I like my knees more than having a last-resort projectile weapon. Although, in your case, no doubt that could be an asset.

[identity profile] explodingcat.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
She's teaching the baby to shoot.

[identity profile] explodingcat.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
It may backfire on them if I can use my knees as projectile weapons.

[identity profile] explodingcat.livejournal.com 2007-12-19 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
You could shoot ducks with them. Have the dog retrieve both dinner and your joints.