Hope you get to feeling better, Vince.

I had my Doctors appointment, he showed and explained my X-Ray to me, it's really alarming what I saw. What I thought was a ligament poping was actually bone on bone rubbing. Once again I was told I have a knee of a 90 year old man. The only solution is to have a total knee replacement. So in the meantime he gave me a Cortisone shot right into my knee, (the needle was huge) right now my knee feels great! But he told me it would. That's the numbing agent he used. My original orthopedic surgeon has retired so I have a new Doctor, who I really hit it off with well.
Bone on bone! My knee cap is the size of a dime, this is not normal, at least I know it's not a tear or a fracture.
Thank you so much for your well wishes and prayers! I truly felt them.
Kerry

My son informs me he had a good shave this morning. I checked him, and he is still BBS 12 hours later (of course he is only 4, so that may be part of it).

Continued prayers your knee improves.

You just described my nightmare. I have been told for the last 18 years I need knee surgery, and am putting it off as long as I can. Sending good vibes your way!

Kerry, thanks for the update. I'm thankful that you're in no pain and have confidence in your new doc. I pray for you to have wisdom and peace as you consider your options. I pray for your doc and his medical team to have the discernment and skills they need to treat you.

Yes, please send me your Gillette Psycho's. Of course, I will need the key as well. I can provide the address via PM. Thank you for your support.

Hmmm... Maybe I should have washed that Old Spice coffee mug I found in the dumpster behind the Free Health Clinic before sending it to you.

But prices are high. An Arko stick cost me a pack of Kools. You don't want to know what Nancy Boy products go for.

I imagine Nancy Boys are quite popular in the big house.

Thank you. I am in Chicago for the week on business and appreciate all of the good travel wishes today. I have my blades with me to start my new focus and look forward to October.

Will you be hitting up Q Brothers while you're there?

Well one thing I do is always try to schedule three shaves with a setup. First impressions are ok, but by the third shave I usually have a much better idea. Now, there are those shaves that you know from the moment you start you're in trouble (usually involving Chinese blades or Russian razors), and in my case I know I'm in trouble just by deciding what to use. I'd say you've done quite well, though, in getting through that many setups in a month and obviously learning from it and gaining skill as well! Well done!

One plug to @GDCarrington. It has to be said that the reason you have come so far so fast is.........you know where I'm going.......the big T. Technique! Your first 30 days was all about nailing down the technique and it is that base that allows you to roam far and wide to find what works and what doesn't. Keep the technique solid and the sky's the limit!

If I can get some free time. We have a heavily scheduled week which could make it tough.

Ouch, ouch, and ouch. Best of luck and well wishes! I suspect once you get through the initial pain and frustration with the surgery you'll find you have the knee of a 20 year old! Just remember to lead with that leg from then on!

Nick Shaves latest video is a tour of the store and I had to keep cleaning drool off my screen.

Vince, I hope you feel better soon. And thank you very much for being on of the first to encourage me in the focus thread. It's been a great two months that have taught me a lot. Not to mention a lot of fun with some great guys. Queue the group hug comments.

They have come a long way with knee replacement technology and it's not as huge an ordeal as it used to be. I've had those cortisone shots in my knees and shoulders over the years and they do feel great for a few days and offer some relief for several weeks. Good luck and keep us posted.

This month has been a great focus for me as well. I had a pile of SE razors that I totally ignored until this month. In fact, I had to buy blades for some of them to do this focus.
Her's my recap:
Week one was the only disappointment of the month. I started out with my Valet Autostrop and Feather blades. I could not get a smooth shave with this razor and eventually gave up after three days. (Later on in the month, I found an old thread that might have explained the reason for my rough shaves. It turns out I bought Feather carbon steel blades on eBay, not realizing that there are two versions of this Feather blade. I need to find the stainless version and try again).
I split the next six days between my Schick Model G and my Model B Repeating Razor. I was able to get some very nice shaves using the Chinese Schick blades. By the end, I was getting two pass DFS with very little touch up.
The rest of the month was dedicated to a variety of SE razors. I did three days each with my Ever Ready 1912, Gem Micromatic Open Comb, G-Bar, Gem Push button and Ever Ready 1924. My first impression was not good as I had poor shaves with lots of irritation on the first two shaves. This thread helped me to figure out the correct angle on these razors and I started "riding the cap". Once I figured out the angle, I started getting consistent DFS performance here as well.
My take away for the month is that SE razors have a place in my rotation. I don't see them ever replacing my DE razors as I can get a much closer BBS with the right DE and a sharp blade.
This has been a fun learning experience and I look forward to October.
Thanks guys!

Kerry,
It is encouraging that you have a diagnosis. I have friends and relatives that have had the same diagnosis and knee replacement. They were all amazed by the improvement. I have hiked with a friend that used to not even be able to climb a few steps. It will get better. You will continue to be in my prayers.