oohheykate's MPFL reconstruction on 4/14/2011 (LOA & MUA on 6/21/2011)

[oohheykate]

Runner,

It's definitely strange...I really don't want to see him. My mom is excited to go back and brag about my current knee OS, haha. I'm really nervous for my appointment.


I had my PT eval today for my hip. Same old, same old. I have to wait for my insurance to approve PT before I can schedule my visits. They were all happy to see me, I can't say the same... Not that I don't like them, I just don't want to be back! Sad news though, my cortisone shot is definitely wearing off. I got almost a month out of it. My hip OS said I should expect three. Haha.

[oohheykate]

I had to go on a pilgrimage around the city today for my English project since we're reading The Canterbury Tales. Anyway, it was tons of fun except for the pain. I wish it would stop ruining everything. My hip pain was awful. It started even before I left my house. I probably shouldn't have worn boots but I wanted to look cute. I would've been in pain regardless. My knees hurt, too. I think my left (operative) knee mostly hurts because, whenever we would stop, I would stand with most of my weight on my left leg...which is weird because it used to be the opposite. I guess that my right hip/knee pain has gotten so bad that I can't do that anymore. I never noticed this until I saw all the pictures I took today and in every single one my right leg is bent and acting more like a kick stand.

Oh and my PT eval on Wednesday must've really worn the cortisone shot off because I have been in more pain since then. Dang. I was SO sore after it then, after the soreness wore off, it hurts to internally/externally rotate my leg again.

I guess it's time for icing and pain meds after my long day. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

[oohheykate]

I've had PT for my hip for two days. Pain galore and new torture methods! My therapists are doing this thing called hip distraction where one of then pulls on my calf with all their body weight (today my therapist strapped herself to my leg with a belt) and it hurts! I guess the goal is to help the impingement but it just hurts my hip more and makes it feel like it's going to dislocate.

But my knee is holding up pretty well! It started to swell today because when I went to bend my knee, my skin hurt (from the nerve damage). My knee didn't hurt though so that's good. The only thing that bothers my knees is the bike. I don't think I'll ever be able to ride a bike.




10 months and 3 days post-op MPFLr.

7 months and 27 days   post-op MUA/LOA.

[TwoBadKneesUSA]

Your knee looks as battered as mine!  Poor thing.  I had some hip PT before, I had IT band issues cause my pelvis was twisted.  Yeah no fun!

Take care.

Milly

[oohheykate]

I don't mind the scars! It's just another story to tell. And you're right, hip PT is no fun. I plan on asking the hip OS I see tomorrow if it's necessary because my hip pain is just getting worse.

[oohheykate]

Saw the OS today. As I mentioned, he did the first three surgeries on my knee and, of course, he was curious as to what was going on with it. We talked about my knee for a little bit and he examined fully then gave his approval after discussing with the resident how my knee OS technique for MPFLr is different than his. He thinks I should get surgery on my hip since the tear isn't going to heal itself and because of how much pain I'm in. He thinks I would benefit greatly from the surgery and doesn't understand why my hip OS won't do it because, according to him, the hypermobility doesn't play that much into this. However, he can't do the surgery because he's only done a few hip scopes. He said there's three Orthos in the city that do it. Two of them don't take my insurance and the other is my current hip OS. Lucky me! So I'm going to make another appointment with my hip OS to see what is plan is and if he won't do the surgery, I have no idea what I'm going to do. And, he ended up calling me around 5:30 to apologize for rushing me...I didn't even feel rushed. I thought that was really nice of him. He said that if I have any trouble finding a doctor or getting an appointment, he'd make some calls for me. Oh, and he said that surgeons probably don't want to touch me because of all of the complications I've had with my knee surgeries. Haha

[TwoBadKneesUSA]

I've found that quite often a doc wants you to have some PT before they do a surgery.  It may even have to do with insurance, some won't pay for surgery until all the conservative treatments have been tried.  It can't hurt to have the knee OS send a note over to the hip OS.  Hope they figure something out soon.

Milly

[oohheykate]

I did PT for my hip from September to December and my hip only got worse. My hip OS didn't even want me in formal PT this time, I asked for it. At this point, I've done all the conservative treatments. But with my insurance, I could see them denying it because they deny everything else.


I called for an appointment to see my hip OS today and they gave me April 25th...as in, two months from now. Not acceptable. I am in so much pain. I can't sit or lay down on my pain. All I can do is lay on my stomach. He said to come back asap if my pain got worse and I don't think two months is asap.

[oohheykate]

I got my appointment changed to March 7th...magically. I have no idea what's going to happen, but I am so happy that I don't have to wait two months.

[Runner1993]

The main scar on your knee is like the exact location and shape (mine might be a tad wider and more purple) of my MPFL. I don't have the one over the condyle though. I have one that looks like the MPFL one, but longer right underneath my knee for the TTT. I should take a picture of mine sometime since I haven't in so long! All the pictures make my knee look weird though.

Doesn't it stink when there's some doctors who are nice, but not knowledgeable about what you need and then the ones who are don't seem to understand you? It's hard to find the right combination if you know what I mean! I had found one, and then...you know the rest :/

How are things? How's the college process going?

I'm on spring break, but instead of spending it someplace sunny and warm, I am stuck with several papers to do including ones on physician-assisted suicide and doctor-patient relationships.

Good luck at your appt. this coming week!

[oohheykate]

You should post a picture! I'm always curious about other people's scars.

I REALLY lucked out with my current knee OS. I love him dearly. I feel terrible that you've lost contact with yours Are you doing PT now that you're on Spring Break? Or finding a new Ortho? I'm hoping my hip OS warms up to me... Although I read my insurance's out-of-network policy and they HAVE to cover one of the other Orthos that they currently do not if mine can't help me since there's only one in-network.

My left knee has been bothering me the last few days...it's a little odd because it rarely does besides a few twinges here and there. It's been stiff and swollen. My right knee has been the same. I'm seeing my knee OS on April 2nd to see what's up with it and the plan. My hip is back and fourth between bearable pain and "I have no idea what to do with myself" pain. It's crazy. I actually got this thing from Breg in the mail today for my ice machine. It will hold the ice pad on my hip instead of me trying to do weird things to get it to stay. I'm sad Breg doesn't have an ice pad specifically for the hip for the Polar Cube. They have them for other models.

I'm actually putting my deposit in within the next two weeks for college! So excited!!

Spring Break and you're doing papers?? You actually have to do work?! My school isn't allowed to give students work over break and deadlines have to be a day or two after break ends.

And I got my prom dress! No heels again this year.

[TwoBadKneesUSA]

Nice dress, very pretty!  Glad Breg at least sent something to help keep the ice pad in place.  I think most insurances will cover if there is no other provider of that type or that can do a specific procedure as in network.  Hope they can get things done before college in the fall.  Stating college is so exciting!

Milly

[oohheykate]

Thanks, Milly! I love love love my dress!

I wish Breg would have sent that to me...I had to pay 35 dollars for it altogether. It's worth it though. The ice feels amazing on my hip.

I am praying that I get my hip fixed this summer. I can function pretty normally with my knee. It doesn't prevent me from walking all that much because I'm used to that pain. I just can't do anything considered active with it. However, my hip pinches and hurts like heck when I walk.

[TwoBadKneesUSA]

Hope the hip gets taken care of this summer.  It is a drag to not be comfortable walking, sleeping or anything.  My back does the same thing to me.  The left knee is great, but the back keeps me from doing anything. 

Milly

[Runner1993]

I agree with Milly in that I love your dress and that I hope you can get your hip sorted out this summer!

I am not doing PT over break. I was thinking about going in for an eval, but then I convinced myself to put it off and that my knee problems are minimal compared to how bad it could be. I need to stop talking to myself that way though. If I can't run and do the things I use to, then my knee is still a problem.

I go to the gym ever day at college if I can. I start with treadmill walking, then at least 10 minutes of stretching, then hip bridges, ab work outs, upper arm, etc. I can't use any of the leg machines though (there's hamstring curl, leg extension, leg press). Pretty sure I'd break a leg if I tried to leg press :p Since my school has a PT program, they email students to get participants for their research studies. The most recent one was about hamstring flexibility, but I'm pretty sure having 2 knee surgeries would automatically disqualify me.

I really do miss my OS. I don't know what he's doing and it confuses me on to why he told me he was joining this other practice if it's been nearly 5 months and he hasn't. I am writing a paper for my sociology of medicine class about doctor-patient relationships and we have to include our own experiences with our physicians and since my knee doc was the doctor I saw the most often I am writing about him. I laugh because one of the things mentioned in my textbook was how the Internet is changing the role of physicians and patients in the relationship. It talked about how support groups are forming for people with similar diseases and disabilities. Sound familiar?