#tal17

I'm not exactly sure when he was born. Two former co-workers rescued him on I-5 at the end of July 2006, and the vet figured he was six to eight weeks old. So, I've just considered June 1st his birthday. And, with the exception of my parents, I've lived with him longer than anyone else.

OK, 2005 just came back to haunt me.

And if the weirdo really stopped speaking to me because I favorited the video for Harry Nilsson's "You're Breaking My Heart" on YouTube, then I was not the immature one in that 'situationship'.

I've had knee problems since age 7. My left knee started 'popping' at random times, like it was catching. It was extremely painful. When I was 10, my left knee dislocated during P.E., and I had my first ambulance ride. More dislocations followed. Just over a year later, both knees dislocated simultaneously. I landed on my left side, knees bent, and my right knee cap was on top. I was able to force it back in place, and my parents drove me to emerg. I was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon, who took one look at my knees and referred me to a colleague who specialized in sports medicine. A year later, at 13, I had my first knee surgery, though the doctor warned me it may need to be repeated on that knee (right), because my growth plate hadn't closed. My first left realignment happened the next year, with a staple removal (it bent when they put it in) a year later.

About two years later, I had popping sensations in my right knee, and I had my fourth surgery to remove a cyst. Not quite a year later, my left knee dislocated at school. My GP at the time was livid that I still had problems, so she referred me to another ortho, Dr. Wood. He realigned the left that summer, warning me it might have to be repeated, as he said I have elastic tendons, and they may need to be stretched further, since my left knee doesn't have a groove.

Just before the following Spring break, my left knee dislocated at my cousin's house, then again at home a week later, then when I was working the following evening. I'd stepped backward, knee went out, and I landed on my butt, though my right hand hit the floor first. Broke my wrist, and no one in emerg set it, just referred me to Dr. Wood again. He put pins in my wrist two days later, and I had to take my finals writing left-handed. That summer, during my best friend's wedding in Pasadena, my left knee went out as I was walking down steps, the fall causing my right knee to dislocate, which I then had to force back into place. I had my sixth knee surgery and third realignment on my left knee that winter.

Things were good for a few years (6), till I felt popping sensations in my right knee. MRI confirmed I had another cyst, and I told Dr. Wood that if he had to cut, he might as well realign it. So, he did. Then again, fine for a couple more years, till my right knee started hurting when going upstairs. Dr. Wood said I had bursitis and that the patella and partial groove where bone on bone. So, that spring, I had my eighth knee surgery to drill holes in the patella to grow scar tissue.

This has been my phone background since he drew it for me. We taped the original to a photo frame for our wedding.