Chrondroplasty with Drilling

[knee deep in Goo]

you know the strangest thing is walking like an little old lady at 36 .. I am using the cane today at work and feel it may be less exhausting than the crutches.. Also I pushed myself to go to the store at lunch time.  Nice lidocaine patches..

I spoke with one of my former co workers today about OA and her struggles. She seems to be able to walk with out an aid and I am jealous.. 

oh and another thing that gets me is the comments people make about loosing ten pounds ...  Right now I feel like going to sleep at two pm in the afternoon with all this pushing myself to the next level crap

[knee deep in Goo]

OK today I am icing and icing this stupid knee  yes there was  a stupid rain storm over the weekend... Yes i made myself go out to costco..with crutches btw. Half way into the trip .. i was told by my brother to go sit in the lawn section and wait for him ..  Ok so I bought a book.. and its about time travel. and I read three chapters this afternoon that put me to sleep.  I had bought a few years back an auto back messager.. but it converts for home use as well. I put that on my leg with my cyro cuff..  also took a nice warm bath this afternoon and got myself out to walgreens and bought some alveno shaving cream and venus razors.. oh my legs are baby soft..// oh and i did my nails.. and now i am suffering from bed head since i went to sleep with a wet head.  Thing is somedays you get crabby and scared .. other days you get crabby and just find yourself trying to make yourself busy..

I have aqua tomorrow and quiet pleased.  Tuesday . I will be trying the crutches again at work with a back sack..    .  odd the crutches help relieve the pain.. a shopping cart makes things worse for pain... Which seems to be at an 8 when i start walking. .. i have a follow up on may 22 with my doctor and thinking how can i last that long.... thinking I can tuff it out.. .. thinking this is how people go wackie.  four months post op.. back to work going on third week.  feeling very impatient.... venting venting.. venting.. feels good to get it out ...

Ok so .. i did a few straight leg raises with no weights  and played with the ball on the wall.. squish it .. squish it good.  .. Anybody figure out a way to do kick boxing non weight baring... . ?? maybe someone wants there back rubbed by two feet kicking them.. 

[knee deep in Goo]

Well today was my last day of aqua therapy the pool i go to is going to close down.   I called my doctor for a RX for land Pt. 

As far as the knee goes. I am doing my two days a week at work.. and well i am utterly frustrated that I have more pain levels now..  I went to bed bath and beyond at lunch time to get a curtain rod and at night my knee swelled so much.. the lidocain patch put the pain out of my head.. but you can only wear it for 12 hours... at night when i take it off . i suffer. with pain and swelling.. and to tell you the truth it is a bit discouraging.

As far as the HTO i think i may have changed my mind about it.  3 months of pain .. to put myself threw another surgery again and again... .. maybe just wait for a tkr and do a one and done with a high end knee 

my bones are clickng louder and louder and frankly i get very depressed at night when dealing with the pain... During the day my mind is full of work related things.. .. I feel disappointed in myself .. .. had a goal today that i would be great by the time the pool closed and i feel very sore... constant throbbing pain.. and thats only when i am sitting down.. standing up .. another story....

I checked out a link called oxford knee replacement and another one for howmedica knee replacements..  The one nice thing about the oxford info you get to see the tools and the gore..  and yeah you cry bcos you figure.. someone is going to do all this to you.. and you have to put so much trust in that person.. to do right by you... 

ok so i thought about different knee crap things..

unloader brace is the bandaid of the knee world
HTO is the errector set of the knee world
PkR is the miini ice scuplture procedure of the knee world
TKR is the bride of frankenstein procedure of the knee world

Now i can look at my doctor and ask him.. how the heck he can do that to people .. what drive... .. powertools and needle point ..

[celinenj03]

Sorry you're feeling so badly today. Don't get too discouraged though, I know it's hard. Everyone has bad days. I had a terrible weekend out of no where, it rained here too and I could barely walk it was so painful. Then a few days later, I feel good again . It is really really up and down, good days and bad days. Like someone on the boards once said, after a time the bad days get further and further apart. It's been 6 weeks for me and if I have to go back in and start ALL OVER AGAIN next week. I already resigned myself to the fact that it's going to be 6 more months before I feel good again. Hang in there!

[knee deep in Goo]

Thanks C.. .. When you start to read all about these things. your mind goes into overload..and its normally at night.. after work.  after a long hard day. I know exactly how you are feeling facing a second surgery...


And its normal to  want to know your options before you are in so much pain.. you cant make any rational decision.
   Right now I expect to be ordering an unloader brace RX at my next OS appointment
  and maybe doing a kindness to myself by only reading about knee crap either early in the morning or just wait till a weekend.
  but than that really limits my interests .. to just sleeping and tv..  i
  feel if i try to underestand the processes that are going to take place.. i get scared.. and emotional. I have to find a way to move beyond the fright..  Not fester into it.   
  ::)So when i add to my string here.. Its a therapy of sorts to get all out of my system  and move on for the rest of the day..   Who said.. What doesnt kill you only makes you stronger.. 

So taking the mind of another peer poster.  One day my knee will be Great..

[knee deep in Goo]

Went for my monthly reevaluation for Pt.   Muscles are strong.. going to work on strenghthing..   PT says I am just afraid to put full weight down on my right leg since I feel pain..    5 degree vargus she measured on me.   Doctor wrote rx   3 x a week for six weeks to continue PT .. See doctor again on may 22

[knee deep in Goo]

missed the pool too much.. started to go and do aqua on my own accord.  also bought yoga strap and kick board  .. pool noodle - and 10 pound leg weights.   Think i got a pretty good deal at hampton inn.. use of pool and gym  199.00 for six months.
cant see to have the insurance company pick up 200.00 a visiit   when i have same old same old routine.  not even tens machine.. helps to sooth.

[celinenj03]

Hey Anne! I was so happy to read your updates and glad you are getting better each week! I haven't had much time (energy) to be on as much so I basically am just coming on to update my diary and a few other posts quickly, but for some reason having my leg propped up and my muscles stretching out is causing me to sweat and feel tired! Once I can sit with my leg bent, I'll be back on a lot more!

It's good to be back and to rehab together. The gym/pool membership sounds like a real deal. Keep us posted and keep up the good rehab work!!!

[knee deep in Goo]

Did the evil  leg extentsion machine today with no weight other than the bar with my right leg.. I commented on how it is shaking..  The PT asistant said it is shaking and its due to my usiing my muscles for that machine.  did the treadmill today for ten minutes.  lidocaine patch seems to be working great for me this week.  but I do feel some pain & swelling  right now ..

2 1/2 pounds x 30 reps for ankle weights.

I had this delightful conversation today with this old old man.. And he knew exactly the type of surgery I had along with what was in store for me.  We connected and as we parted he said i was a delightful young lady.. heehee.. what a smooth talker.  yeah .. i need a life with younger men in it.. maybe david blaine.. omg he is so hot..

oh and Celinenj03== I can certainly understand where you are at now. "when you dont feel up to going near the computer.  Where its a good day when you have your remote control in your hand for the tv set.  and maybe your big outting is a trip to the physical therapist.  Maybe sitting on the Sofa is your special treat for to yourself from yourself .. to break up laying down on the bed.

Around supper time I went outside to see the garden.. These huge purple globes of garlic are blooming.. and multiplying like crazy year after year...  Lillly of the valley in bloom.. Irises .. and maybe shortly some poppies...  The most colorful time of year for garden nuts..   i walked up the 250 foot driveway..(limping but not exhausted limping if that makes sense )  .. i do feel like i got out of a stale mate of same old same old pain.. and doing more and more over the last two weeks.  A few days like these and it gives me hope that I will get better than I had been.


10 minutes on the treadmill doing a mile per hour.. wow..  self praise..  go me .. go me.. I did it.. there is hope .

[celinenj03]

I think once you get walking on that treadmill it is the begining of the end of this knee "crap" haha. I remember after my last surgery when I graduated to the treadmill and I was walking pretty good on it and I swear I teared up, I was so happy, I didn't want it to end! haha. It's true, I admit, I actually looked forward to dressing up in my Victoria's Secret Sweats (my treat to myself prior to surgery... the salesgirl probably thought I was nuts buying VS sweats for surgery!) but I really enjoyed just getting freshened up and getting out for an hour. But I have to say, I was glad to get back cause I felt like my foot was swelling.

This time last surgery I had a swelling episode that set me back too and right about the same time in the month haha.

Oh well, at least I know what to expect and I don't freak out as much this surgery. Like I already had calf pain but this time I wasn't on the phone freaking out that it was a DVT, I knew what it was.

Wow, you really are on your way now. I think you are going to make it to the beach this summer same as me. I promised my kids that we are going to do Storybook Land as soon as I'm better and I have to keep my word, there is a merry go round horse with my name on it!

Keep writing your updates, I love reading them. I'm gonna try to download a picture my sister took of me today chillin in the CPM and I'll try to email it to ya!

TTYL,

[knee deep in Goo]

Today we had a ship load of rain in new jersey..  Oh boy last night I thought I was just a little achey from going to work.. and did a 45 minutes in the pool. 

But this morning I awoke to a nice fully watered knee along with the raking pain on the medial side...    I tried to keep going and do my normal thing.   Worked from home .. went to PT.. Did three minutes on the treadmil before I yelpped .. Wayne get me off this crazy thing.. Yes my pt aid name is wayne and he has been with me since i was wiggling a pillowcase on the ground. He'd come visit when I was in aqua.. and now that I am back on lan... He saw me get a bit teary when I gave up after three minutes.
 it starts to get overwhelming when you have had pain levels down to a  1-2 in the week and they go up to a  7-8  after mother friggin nature takes her aim at ya..   

Ok maybe I am venting a little .. it sucks to have arthritis and  the OA rain maker monster.. just took revenge on my poor knee.  I decided that doing PT and going for a swim tonight might not be practical. Yet I love floating on my back and just arm stroking my way around the pool.. I found I dont always have to move my legs to swim and I bought this book on amazon .. that gives all these pool noodle excercises..  Some I did in aqua therapy with John..  Actually if I wasnt in so much pain i hobble my way over to the footstool to tell you all what book it was...  I think I found it by just doing a aqua therapy search on amazon anyway..


Oh one thing that I did find today on another board was about edema and water retension.. Could I be pms ing ..and retaining water and be hit by a huge rain storm..

Maybe I might put the TED THIGH HIGHS on.. sometimes compression helps when you are puffy..

actually i am not disgusted with my pain tonight..  I had a few good days this week where I actually saw progress in pain levels..  and saw my quad quivering on the leg extension machine..  So I know my muscle is trying to work ...   sometimes I like to buy into .. the limp is due to a weak quad theory..  other times.. I think.. i am five degress vargus .. and bone on bone.. medially..  and have to bide my time till i can say to my doctor.. we tried  this .. we tried that...  .. I am hoping for injections and a unloader brace rx..  maybe some water pills.. for my puffy girlie days..   but some how think too.. if I get water pills. i be off to the ladies room so much at work.. and that would also put extra stress on the knee.. .. oh how I can talk myself out of a diet..  Some how thats how the xenical pills got  put aside..    plus the fact I notice I eat bad at work..  .. i mainly drink coffee..  or have fruit.. ..   no wonder i pig out at night at home..  and yeah i did the same thing while I was on disabilty .. i barely ate during the day..

Words of self wisdom.. save the good meds for the biggie pain days !!!

[celinenj03]

Okay, for me personally, when I have PMS my knee, my muscles, joints in general just ache. I also retain double the fluid in that leg, you can't see my ankle bones. As soon as it passes, all the water goes away.

Here's what I do to try to help. I take B-6 (natural diuretic), and I drink as much water as my body can possibly hold and I keep going all day long. This really helps. Also, I avoid chinese food, sushi, all take out (except salads), cheese, etc. anything really salty especially the week before (pms).

It's worth a try next time and see if you notice a difference.

I've been thinking about your OA and arthritis issue and wondered if you ever tried any products like flexprotect, or taking flaxseed oil? I don't know if the flexprotect works or not, but I did a little research and came across several testimonies where real people said it did help them A LOT and fairly quickly too (first week).

Bad weather days I guess will always hurt. I now notice even my "good" leg hurts more when it rains, Pretty soon though, when your getting around and being normal again, you'll just brush it off.

I'm having 10 pain on CPM today and probably tomorrow too (trying to get to 100 degrees). I just keep thinking hey, this can't possibly last forever... it's only temp. it's only temp. it's only temp......

[knee deep in Goo]

i had an insurance reevaulation today with a PT.  She advised me that the pool would be best for me. The treadmill will be far too hard on my knees and not to even go near it. NO matter how much I want to try it.
Stick to bike and pool she said..  She said she was comfortable with my Range of Motion and my leg strength.. While one leg is certainly very strong.. the right one is just mostly strong.

I can keep trying the leg extensions .. and really ask the doctor about the unloader brace. but she feels that I have peaked. Than she started to say why keep yourself in pain..  sure you can get injections that will get you 3 months.. but long term.. why put yourself through injections.   .. i was like. i would like to try .. all my options before going under a major surgery..

I am going to do the PT on my own for now.. NO use going to the PT since they can not give me the aqua..  Mixed emotions about this.    I still limp pretty bad.. and i have pain still..  shouldnt being well enough to do on your own feel better ?

will take a look into the B vitamins.

This morning there was a ton of rain..  my foot hurt.. my hand hurt.. my knee hurt..    I hate OA...   but at least I am free to start going to the pool more.   Monday I see the doctor..  maybe I will get to the goals i want..  unloader brace and some type of shot that cusions me up for a few months.   

In a way I am glad I prepared myself emotionally for this day.. Doesnt seem that bad..   out of pt .. on to real life.. but knowning I will still have this pain and walk and hold furniture and use canes and crutches..

spoke with my mom .. and she said..  try not to do the surgery this year.. wait till winter..  I said to my mom .. this is no sudden surprise.. the doctor said right out of surgery that I would need a knee replacement.  From the first minute i was out of surgery and all the visits I had with him over the last six months.  Its just hard to think about it being a  pain maintence game right now.

My muscles are strong... I have arch supports... and damn it .. I look 25

[knee deep in Goo]

I just looked at my ankle bones..  They are visable. Never did have fat chubby ankles. I feel blessed..

Besides if I can get a water pill that my rx plan covers.. I'll take it..   

Lets go knee shopping..   Zimmer .. oxford.. Styker. .. Who has a uni  thats right for me ?

[knee deep in Goo]

Going to the doctors tomorrow ..   I had a ton of medial pain today .. I was so crabby.. this afternoon...   I went to the pool to swim around and found  its a nice hobby to do when .. everything else just seems too much..  --  a book~~  me and  my pool noodle~~

I got home and iced up .. still was crabby..  so I took a nap. ..  There was light rain .. so I suspect.. that is what is making me miserable even more.

left foot on the heel is bothering me more and more...   took some of the lidocaine patches .. i found some relief.

the bone hitting the bone on the medial side is getting to me more and more each day..

Lets see what the  doctor says tomorrow..