Chrondroplasty with Drilling

[knee deep in Goo]

Hi Canada.

I can understand about being uptight about an operation. I was in quiet a bit of pain from every day walking before my operation. Also I have learned that the MRI does not show all and the only sure thing is the doctor going in to scope it out.  In my case alot more was found by doing the scope.  Let your pain levels guide you and figure if you wait are you doing more harm  long term.  I often read all the sports people on this site going on about the loss of a sport. Right now I am trying to regain my strength and walk with out a cane or cruthes if i want to go to the store. BELIEVE ME EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT WHEN THEY GO IN TO THIS TYPE OF SURGERY AND ASK YOUR DOCTOR .. HE WILL GUIDE YOU ON WHAT LIFE EXPECTATIONS WILL BE .. sOME HE MAY  NOT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU UNTIL AFTER HE SCOPES THE KNEE AND I HEAR IN CANADA YOU HAVE A LONG WAIT FOR A SCOPE AND MRI .. SO WITH ALL THOSE FACTORS IN PLAY.. .. I CAN ONLY SAY .. ICE IS NICE .. ICE IS NICE.. ICE IS NICE

[Canada]

 

    I have found a specialist, it took about 8 days to book the appointmentfor surgery.. Not too long of a wait. I have decided not to have surgery, Ihave decided to try the shockwave treatment, it is done by orthopeadic surgeons but not as surgery but as shock wave treatment on the knee. Apparently it is Big news, lots of the Baseball, Hockey and football players have tried this system. I will keep the group informed. best Jerry

[jb-knee-geek]

sounds interesting, but I cna't find anything written about shcockwave being used to heal meniscus.

good for kidney stones and bone spurs apparently.....some hope for femur head necrosis, whatever that means....

found this: http://www.ismst.com/start.htm

good luck canada, post your results.

[knee deep in Goo]

Interesting.. It states shock waves. It makes me think of the soothing feeling of a tens machine or when I go in front of the jet in Aqua therapy. Which my Aqua therapist says not too long missey poo.. or you will have inflamation with the warm water..

Yet I am afraid that would not have helped my case since I had been growing bone spurs ..that shreaded up my cartlidge like crabmeat.. blah blah blah and still walking worse than any 35 year old should.  Even the seniors in aqua with walkers are walking faster than me!!.. Yet I go crutchless and caneless into the buliding..  I have a comfort zone established.


Even if the shock wave made the bone spurs diminish .. I would have to think .. and believe me I am not a doctor.. That I would have have sand paper particles in my knee. grinding up my knee. .. least with kindney stones you can urinate it out.


I hope this decreases your pain as a first course of treatment.  ( hugs)   LIke I said you will know when its time to get the operation... Nobody should jump into it..

Annie

[Canada]

 
  Hello everyone,

                      Please see www.shockwavedoc.com  it should give you a good overview. Best wishes.

[jb-knee-geek]

Hi Canada, I don't see where shockwave is being used to resolve meniscus problems.

This revolution in treating heel spurs, rotator-cuff injuries, non-healing bone fractures and tennis elbow naturally affects athletes because it is an alternative to six months of physiotherapy, Indeed, in some cases two or three treatments can replace not only physiotherapy, but also orthopedic devices and cortisone shots.

I'd be interested in your experience.

thanks,

[knee deep in Goo]

Did my aqua therapy again yesterday and while the other two PT patients had Monday blues. My PT said I was showing Intent to walk. All I know is I take the time in aqua to push myself and get out some of the "inner boredom" Want to resume somewhat of a normal life . but look its like  4 am EST and cant sleep tonight.. Didnt want to take sleeping pill.    Potatoe salad anyone ?

[knee deep in Goo]

Went to one of those chain drug stores today and got a little shopping done with the help of a shopping cart.. Still was a bit too much for me .. Had to take it very slow... and felt that underneath knee cap pain like I did too much.. .. Offourse I did this after I did aqua therapy..     

Today I did a new move in the pool. The step was placed in the middle and I went up with my bad knee down with my good knee 10 times. Than the reverse good leg up first .. bad leg down ..

Going to beg my doctor to allow me to return to work on the  11th..   Two days in office .. Three days from home... Shouldnt be that taxing..  Will still do PT (Aqua )   

Limp has gottten a better.... Still no stamina for shopping.  and Frankly cant go shopping alone ...   Right leg looks like it has some muscle coming back to it..

Anybody else experience this below the knee cap pain? 

[knee deep in Goo]

The knee hurt a bit this morning.. Kinda Rainy here.. Went to aqua and it felt better.  Less limping seeing progress every week .. Worried about bone clicking on medial side but .. I see the OS on Monday .. Last visit we talked of a cortizone injection.. .. Wondering about the bone clicking and thinking maybe the drilling may have failed. on the medial side a bit.. .. Yet trying to stay optimistic since I am just barely three months post op. .. My PT says maybe the doc will give me synivisc to lube up the joint area..   

Did some driving this weekend and  did a bit of walking  up and down the block..  Cant stand too long in one place .. i feel it all in my feet.  I guess not equal distribution of weight on my right foot and left foot.   Doc says 6 months sometimes it takes with what I had done and  PT just reinforces you had a lot done ... and I have made significant progress. .. I think the worst part of chrondroplasty is the first two months..  First month you want to get your leg straight and off crutches.. Second month you want to walk with a cane and not limp as much.. going in to third month you want to shop a bit longer than you can and dont want to limp and you want to be able to get back to your daily routine.


Mobic seems to be helping me a great deal ,, I had missed two days and .. i had inflamation .. got back on the mobic bandwagon and things feel more tolerable ..    oa OA Oa oA   --  Cant imagine how someone older than me can do Chrondroplasty..

Oh and one of my aqua buddies is going for a TKR .. Seems weird  here I am only in my 30's and there is a bond with these older 70 year old people getting bonic parts.  hmmm my dream walker will have wheels and a seat when I get older

[knee deep in Goo]

was evaluated by another PT for the insurance company today.  My Aqua therapist is leaving at the end of the month.  I am kinda greatful that my doctor wrote out a script dated for tomorrow to continue aqua therapy .. I feel that the land  therapist was trying to take me away from my aqua.. He even suggested I might be babing my leg.  I told him..  If I did not feel a stabbing pain each time I walk or over did it.. Than maybe I would consider myself a knee looney babing her leg.  I also said that I am still limping and have a hard time balancing myself iif I stand in one spot long.   Did I mention the Turkey in the tree story ?

My Aqua therapist saw me walk across the street since all the parking in the lot was taken and he said..  Girl you should carry a cane when you walk... So cars do not run you down.. .. They might think you are just walking slow.. Not hurt. ..than I told him to watch me try to be nutley road kill again..  ( I guess I should put a cane in my car.)

[celinenj03]

Goo,

I don't know if this will make you feel better or not. But my PT scrutinizes my walk every session. I mean really gets on me about it. I told him the only reason I am limping now is because I feel as though my kneecap isn't tracking correctly due to all the quad wastage. He checked my kneecap and agreed that I had to build more strength. He then told me to walk again and try my best not to limp no matter what even if I have the pain or discomfort to walk through it. He said I couldn't hurt my knee.

I guess that's what I needed to hear. So when I got home, I packed my 2 year old in her stroller and went for a WALK. I focused hard on walking normally without limping. I got 1/2 way down the block and had a stabbing pain in kneecap area... I HAD to walk back. Ironically, I turned and walked back and the pain was gone. Okay, I was a little excited. So I went for another short lap forcing myself to walk normally. I kept hearing my PT say, you can't hurt your knee.

Well after my short walk which lasted about 20 minutes I was so excited to be walking outside again, I came in to rest. I really felt the muscles in my legs burning. The ones I have NOT been using for the past 2 months because I have been favoring my knee. I could be wrong but I am convincing myself that the stab of pain I felt was actually a muscle cramp or maybe some cobwebs being blown out haha.

Today, feeling a little confident, I drove past the mall and decided I'm going IN! I put my 2 year old in her stroller and gingerly walked from my truck to the mall (gosh I never realized how far the door was). It took me about 3 minutes to get there, yes I was walking slowly. I only went to a few stores and again some twinges of pain and cramps and stabs, but since I couldn't just go lay down, I was forced to walk back to my truck. Again when I decided to call it quits the pain was gone and the knee felt better. I kept on going. Again when I got home I could feel the muscles burning. I know this walking is good for me.

Only you would know your own body and what is and what isn't good for you at this time. But don't let the first twinge scare you too much. If you can try to push through it even once to try and see if it's a tweak, you might find that you can go further and longer without limping too bad.

Don't get me wrong my limp is not gone completely. But it is getting there.

My OS requires a normal gait for me prior to surgery so it's something I must achieve. Looking back I'm glad my PT is pushing me because if he didn't I know I'd still be in my brace favoring the leg and letting the muscles waste.

I know you had some very serious surgery and again, only YOU know what you can tolerate so you have to trust your own insticts, but I hope my story might give you something to consider for yourself.

[knee deep in Goo]

Well today I pushed myself to go to my GP and work on a weight loss solution and funny enough..  She thought I came in for knee pain... ha ha ha.. .. So Now I am taking Zenical -- so far so good.. ate one meal today..took one pill.

I also walked to the pharmacy today with out a crutch/cane. .. and felt the pain .. medial condoyle area. .. not muscle pain .. Since at times i feel it in my lower calf. That pain I can take....Wonder if its too soon for that joint lubercation made out of rooster wotever.. .. maybe a nice cortizone shot..  Monday .. oh Monday..

[knee deep in Goo]

Ok three month check up held today.. .. Took a standing xray and MFC  has narrow joint space. The doctor mention PKR or a wedge procedure down the road.  When .. Dont know...   RX front ..  more mobic.. a lidocaine patch.. and some Percocet. .. I was released back to work today  with restrictions.

MY Pt mentioned that a hotel in harrison is offering a pool membership for a period of six moths for the amount of 249.00 .. Going to look into that..

Also my OS said he was going to take Xenical as well that way he could have his chocolate cake and not worry about the fat...

Other than that..  I went to the pharmacy twice.. and linens and things.. and than PT..    i feel tired.   so tired.. but I have to get my stuff ironed and get to bed. bcos this girl is going back to work .. ..  

I told my doctor that while I didnt expect to be out of work  and If i knew what I would have gone thru I didnt expect half of it.. and i keep thinking ..   Ok I see him in six weeks.   and ..  now I am at the half way point .. .. Of this recovery..

I need to read more about these wedges and pkr ....

[knee deep in Goo]

The lidocaine patches seem to be working very well during the day. I still have this nasty limp that is troubling.  I had a mini nervous break down in the car today going to work.  I think I pushed myself the most this week since Novemeber.

On the work front ..  I got a raise !! mo money mo money.. Pay them bills --pay them bills.

[celinenj03]

Congratuations!!!!  More money always seem to cheer one up.