Tendonitis of the...elbow?

Howdy sports fans!  Just so you know, I give equal coverage to other parts of the body as well.  In addition to dealing with another pelvic stress fracture, since mid-summer I have been dealing with a very painful tendonitis of the right elbow.  Technically called "tennis elbow," although I have no clue where the tennis comes from because I don't play (it hurt so bad, the doctor told me to cut back, so now I only play five-is - -get it?)

Anyhow, back in August, the ortho gave me a cortisone shot for the elbow.  That worked, for a couple of months, then the pain came back.  Hard to grip with the right hand, pain in the elbow when working or typing or using a mouse, etc.  So the ortho recommended a procedure called platelet rich infusion therapy or PRP.  They remove blood from the left arm, spin out the platelets, and inject the platelets directly into the tendon (apparently the elbow is not a very vascular area so it can be hard to heal from certain types of tendonitis).

Today was the first of two platelet injections.  Let me tell you friends, it hurt like hell!! The ortho has to inject the platelets directly into the heart of the tendon near where it connects to the bone.  Youch!  I can barely move my arm and, several hours later, can only just now start using my hand (it went a bit numb).  I go back in two weeks for the final set of injections.  Yippee!!

Anyhoo, for your viewing pleasure, some pictures:

Taking the blood from my left arm

spinning out the platelets in the centrifuge

X or rather "dots" mark the spots for injection

preparing the injection site

Platelets!!

Owwwww!

All done, for now