Yay Linds and shadehawk!!!

[fed_up_in_freddy]

I am so grateful to you guys, not to mention everybody else who offered all of their helpful advice!! I went to PT today, and they saw how messed up and bloody my knees were from the taping, and they started using the kinesio tex tape...WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!  No pulling or stretching of my skin, no bleeding, no bad pain right after taping.  I bought a roll on the spot!  I love it!  Not only that, but the doctor prescribed a brace for my right knee as well, PLUS topical NSAIDS!!  I think it is pennsaid, or something similar...it is being mixed as we speak, and I will have it tonight.  It is applied with a syringe in a tiny bb sized portion and spreads really well.  She referred me to her personal knee pharmacist in Keswick, and said if the dosage wasn't right in two weeks, to call the pharmacist, and she would call her personally to adjust it!!!  I was ELATED!!  Hopefully it will help me a lot.  Yesterday at school was terrible.  I had to walk all over campus, up and down stairs, and sit for really lengthy periods, and I slept for only two hours.  I fell down the stairs last night, and was about ready to give up...when all of this happened this morning.  I am so glad I had you guys to prepare me with all of this information.  Thank you again soooooo much.  I am truly endebted to you all.    Hugs, Heather.

[PattiAnn237]

Heather,

Im glad to hear something is finally going right for you!!  Take care, and enjoy your pain-free tape!!

Hugs, Patti

[shadehawk]

Good to hear that you did get some help finally, it will make such a difference when you can get some good sleep.  

Glad to hear about the medication and also about the tape, it certainly should make your life much easier to deal with.

People with bad knees seem to have to learn patience, that is for sure.

Glad to hear you finally have had some good news.  

[fed_up_in_freddy]

Yes, it is so great!!! I am so happy.  Though my knees are certainly a mess from the Leukotape... They are a bloody mess.  But they will certainly heal.  I got diclofenac syringes for my nsaids, though they didn't tell me how to store them...I will have to check on that.  Thanks again...I am noticing a difference already, and I just used it!  it's great!  I will keep you posted!    Hugs, Heather.

[Linds]

So happy for you Heather.. ... sounds like you had a GREAT day.   Good things... come to those who wait!!! I'm still waiting...
hope the diclofenac and the brace helps.
Hugs
Linds

[fed_up_in_freddy]

Thanks Linds...
As it turns out, it wasn't all as great as I was hoping...the diclofenac helps, but not as much as I was hoping.    Go figure, though I did manage to get some sleep.  FINALLY!!!  Yay, there.  But it is still very difficult for me at school.  The campus is full of stairs and hills and my classes are back to back hour and a half long, plus I have one that is three hours long, that was last night, and I had to actually get up several times and go out and move around.  So, it wasn't all as I was expecting.  I guess I was hoping for a little miracle there.  I was a little disappointed.  And my PT practically killed me yesterday ripping the tape off!!  She left my knees as two bloody open wounds.  they are all red and swollen and bruised, which isn't nice to put diclofenac on, or tape, or braces!!!  But, it's all in the mix, isn't it??    I guess we will have to stick together and keep looking, eh?  Hugs, and thanks for all your support!!  Heather.

[shadehawk]

Sorry you had a bad night also, it is amazing how we can build ourselves up into  the thinking that a pill or some knee drops etc. is going to be the magic fix for our knees.  Guess we feel that since noone else helps we will try anything to fix ourselves.  I have done so many exercises in the past with nothing to look forward to than more PT exercises (in the near future) that just the thought of them makes me want to puke.  I am like everyone else though I will continue as it is better than not doing any.

I am familar with the Univ. of N.B. and do not know how you manage to get around there.  The whole place looks beautiful for sure, but it is not meant for bad knees.    

I wish the guys we have been seeing for our knee problems here in the maritimes could monitor us for about a week, like they do for people with sleeping disorders and maybe they would have a different view of these conditions and not have so much trouble making a referral to a knee specialist that would understand the situation better.   Other people have a hard time understanding the situation here in Canada, most of the OS in the states seem to have no problem telling patients what type of surgeries they do, while here it is even hard to get an out of province OS to see you.  

If I did not have my GP I am sure that I would not have made it this far.  She has been incredible with me and is only interested in helping in anyway she can.

[fed_up_in_freddy]

Yes, you are incredibly lucky.  I am finding that though my gp has had incredibly terrible knee problems and knee surgery, she isn't always as compassionate as she could be.  Though, I must admit, this is a start.  I wasn't expecting the pain medication AT ALL.  And you are right, if only somebody would monitor us for one week so they could better understand what makes us "tick" if you would.  I know that after a day at university, I am in excrutiating pain.  (and yes, you are right, though beautiful, not a place for people with ANY kind of disability, in fact.)  I was evaluating that situation, as there is a guy in one of my classes in a wheelchair, and I don't know how he does it, quite honestly.  All of the ice, hardly an elevator to be found, and the hills!!  And honestly, I don't think there was a handicapped bathroom to be found ANYWHERE in any of my buildings...embarrassingly enough, I got stuck last night in the Tilley Hall bathroom, and couldn't get back up for quite some time!!!  It should NOT have to be like that for anyone.  I talked to the french secretary and said that should be a grad project, not installing bricks, or an extra light somewhere where there are already lots of lights, but how about a ramp, an elevator, or a handicapped bathroom, for those who can't get access?  I know just on crutches, I have a hard time!!  I can't imagine what it would be like for the man in my french class.  so really, we have it alot easier, I thought.  Anyway, that is my piece for the day, but I definitely am in agreement.  (sorry for the tangent there...   when you get a little passionate about something...you know how it is...)  anyway, take care...hugs, Heather....

[mhsflute07]

Hi,
I can sympathize with the problems getting around school. While I'm not in college, my highschool used to be a college many years ago and then they turned it into a highschool. I have 1 class in every building, lol, and they all have stairs. Ahh well.

Good luck!
~Erin~

[Linds]

When my PT used to tape my knees, they used to use something called cover roll it's like an adhesive dressing that goes on your skin first, then the tape is mostly on that.... so it doesn't kill the skin so bad...

Just a thought
Linds

[fed_up_in_freddy]

Yeah Linds, I had the cover roll too...but it wasn't working unfortunately.  But with the kinesio tex tape I don't need the cover roll.  Phew.  Thank goodness for that, because since the kinesio tape costs so much, I couldn't afford both, I don't think!!! lol...But I really noticed a difference with the kinesio tape.  Way more rom when it came to bending, like you said.  no pulling on my skin and stuff.  And it came off with just a tug.  However, since my knees were a bit bloody from the leuko, It still smarts a bit.  I think I have found my tape.  Though my knees are still paining quite a bit.  I have to go to this ballet for a university class on Sat. at the Playhouse, and I just hope I can make it through...I mean, I am sure under any other circumstances it would be very enjoyable, and I got my ticket for seven instead of thirty bucks, and I am really looking forward to it...a night of culture for cheap...can't beat it...plus we are meeting the author whose book it is based on for breakfast, so I really want to go...I just hope it goes well... :-/  Anyway, thanks, Linds...if the tape does happen to go awry without the cover roll, I will go back to it...Hugs, Heather.