And the winner is..............

Well, the U Penn doctor who didn't scare off so easily was a nice fella. Unfortunately, he told me my options and I am not a fan of anything he has to offer. After an exam and x-rays, he reports to me that the reason I am hurting is that I have bone on bone arthritis. Greeeeaaaaaaaaaat! He seems to think that my best option is to fuse my arm........so it will never bend again. I will be able to use it because I can move my shoulder, but no elbow movement. Ummmmmmmmmmmm, no. That just isn't going to work with me. I can't imagine how I'd pick up my little guy and pull him toward me if I can't bend my elbow. And I wouldn't be able to turn my wrist to put my palm up either. I immediately start going through the things I won't be able to do. No feeding myself with that hand, how will I eat a burger; forget doing my hair in a simple ponytail, how will I even put on a bra? So, I tell him I'm not a fan of this idea. He begins to explain that eventually the arthritis will get so bad that my arm WON'T be able to move at the elbow eventually anyway, so my decision to fuse it will be made FOR me once it has deteriorated. He doesn't however, know how long that will take.
I then ask about a replacement. He says that is also an option, but I would be restricted for the rest of my life with the amount of weight I can pick up with me right arm so that the replacement doesn't wear out. That would mean I can not pick up my son. That is DEFINITELY OUT! I can't imagine NEVER picking up my little man ever again. I tell him I will start weighing my options. In the meantime, he wants me to get an EMG to check for ulnar neropathy (that may be why I get numbness and tingling in my fingers). He'll go over the results with me over the phone and we'll discuss what needs to or can be done for any problems there.
He will also discuss my situation with other doctors at U Penn and see if they can come up with any other ideas/suggestions. To see if I get any relief, he gives me a Cortizone shot. Only problem with that was when half of it leaked out because it hit some of the arthroplasty that is in my elbow and it couldn't get into the joint like it should. SIGH. Story of my life........
I got some pain relief a few days later, but nothing terribly significant. Maybe if I get another one I will see if I can get the shot on the inside of my arm. It will probably hurt because it is really sensitive there, but maybe it will get into the joint better and be able to do its job. I can get another shot in 6 months, so we'll see then I guess.