Scared

[JoniF]

Hello,

I live in a fairly warm climate and we get these little lizards that will sometimes get in the house.  Well, my dog decided she was going to have it for dinner if I didn't catch it and get it out of the house.  About two days ago I kneeled down on a tiled floor to try to catch it as they are very quick (not however; quicker than a determined Toy Fox Terrier).  As you can see from the many surgeries below in my signature, this was not teh brightest of ideas; however being an animal lover, I thought I would try and save this one.  Well, now the trouble is, my right knee (the good one) blew up to about three times its normal size, I felt something tear and my foot feels cold.  I am assuming that my foot feeling cold is just from the swelling.  Both knees are bad and I was supposed to have a TTT on my right knee as well, but after my experience with the left I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  I am in need of major hip/knee realignment surgery on both knees as well; howeverr, I live in the US and I was told that the procedure that I need is not nationally done (unfortunately I do not remember what it is called).  I have been using the RICE method and the selling has come down some; however, when I bend past 90 degrees it begins to hurt and stiffen as if something is there.  Also, when I have it completely straight and try to bend it, it also becomes stiff and painful.  I'm really hoping it's not the menisicus.  Any suggestions are welcome.

More time has passed since this happened and now I can barely walk on it.  I am still getting quite a bit of swelling and alot of pain when trying to bend it and straighten it from a bent position and my foot still goes cold.  Tomorrow, I will get a referral to to see my OS and hopefully get to the bottom of what I did.  I just can't believe that I caused this much grief to myself from just kneeling down.  I live alone so I am praying for some good news and that surgery will not be necessary.

Thanks for reading and sorry this is soo long.

Take care,
Joni

[maryc]

I don't have any advice except RICE, but I'm sending you a basket of hugs that I hope will help.

[JoniF]

Hi Mary,

Thank you for the hugs, could definately use them right now.  I could not handle the pain or walk to well anymore so I went to the ER and as of now they believe I sprained my knee; however, my knee is extremely swollen so the x-rays were inconclusive.  So home I came imobilzer, crutches, loritab, work restrictions and a promise to follow up with my regular ortho for an mri.  I am really worried about going to the ortho though, because full weight bearing on my weaker leg is causing it to buckle as and have pain issues as well .

Take care,
Joni

[dm]

If you're having problems with trying to take all your weight with your weaker leg on crutches, since the one you hurt is now in an immobilizer, have you tried to "crutch walk" and see if you can put just enough weight on it to balance and stabilize yourself, and take just enough strain off the weaker leg that you won't fall? Sounds like it's either that, brace the weaker leg too with a brace that can bend, or consider a wheelchair. I'm not advocating going against dr's instructions, I'm just wondering if you'd asked about the possibility, given that your uninjured leg apparently isn't up to the task of keeping you on your feet.

[JoniF]

Hi DM,

Thanks for the advice, I will definatelty try that.  I do have braces to wear for my weaker leg; however I am unable to wear any type of sleeve brace as they all seem to slide down due to the size and shape of my legs (quad atrophy, etc. calves are very similar in size, if that makes any sense).  Last night was a bear, I was in alot of pain .  It was Loritab for me then night night.  Hope eveyone else had a better night.

Take care,
Joni

[jathib]

... the ER and as of now they believe I sprained my knee; however, my knee is extremely swollen so the x-rays were inconclusive.  

A diagnosis of a sprained knee is useless. It only means they haven't got a clue what's wrong. Keep your appointment with your OS and get an MRI.

[JoniF]

Thanks Jathib,

I am waiting to get my referral, then I can make my ortho appt.  Today has been extremely painful .  I know unfotunately that I did more than just sprain my knee as I have bad buring on the medial side.  I am still quite swollen after icing, wearing the imobilizer  and elevating all day.  It just makes me laugh when everyone asks me how did you do it? did you fall?  What were you doing?  And my answer is, I just knelt down and the looks that I receive and what must be going through people's minds is that you're kidding right???


I Hurt!!!

Take care,
Joni

[KiddtheKatt]

Joni;
  Hi, I apologize for not replying sooner, but it's been an ugly couple of days. I saw my Rheumy and he gave me Lorcet 10/650s to take for the break through pain. He's planning on starting me out on Fentanyl patches sometime this month, so I'll see how that goes.
   Have you seen your OS yet? I sure hope you can get in and get that knee taken care of. I am so sorry that you got hurt, I guess it goes to show that we have to be caeful and take care of the old knees. I just wish I had taken better care of mine as I grew older.
   Right in the middle of the worst Fibro flare that I've had so far my orange tabby Kidd brought me a present. He uses thedoggy door to go in and out, and he came in and jumped up on my bed. He had something in his mouth but I couldn't see what it was without my glasses my eyesight is shot too, I put my glasses on and dang near fainted. He had a baby snake in his mouth. And the thing was alive. I hurt so bad I could barely move and I was terriffied that he was going to drop it in my bed. I eased my hand out and told him to let me have it. He dropped it in my hand and took off to find something else to torment. I could barely make out the little beaddy eyes but I could tell that it was a yard snake. I stumbled to the backdoor and let it go.
   I've had baby squirrels, baby possums, parts of rats, drug in the doggie door. My doggy babies don't drag things in, it's that crazy lovable cat.

Take care of you Joni and let me know when you hear something.

gentle hugs;
Angel

[dm]

Joni,
Sounds like you might want to try one of the newer neoprene wraparound braces on the weaker knee. There are some out there with the metal hinges in them, if you need that level of support. The neoprene "grabs" better and doesn't slide so easily, and the wraparound style gives a more individual fit. The older elastic style slip-ons migrate something awful if you're one of those people without much for the brace to grab.

Also, to keep the immobilizer from ending up at your ankle, lightly (not very tight at all) wrapping your calf with a couple turns of self stick elastic bandage before putting the immobilizer back on will keep it from migrating down to your ankle, without having to cinch it down so tight you cut off the blood supply to your foot. It gives the foam something to hang onto.

Don't feel so bad, Joni, my original injury was a bowling accident! 

[JoniF]

Hi Angel,

How are you feeling?  Better I hope .  Are your meds helping?  You are much braver than me to take the snake from your kitty.  I think I just would have sat there and screamed until the neighbor came.  I'm glad it was just a yard snake and nothing more.  I have an appt. with my OS tomorrow afternoon.  I got my referral in the mail yesterday.  I'm really nervous though.  I hope I didn't do too much damage.  The imobilizer is causing me alot of pain as my knee does not want to stay straight.  It also hurts however to bend it though.....GRRRRR......

Hi DM,

Thanks for the tips.  I'm hoping that my ortho won't have me wearing the imobilizer after my appointment (fingers and toes crossed).  Did you at least get a strike for your injury ?  ANother lizard came in the house yesterday and I told my dog to go for it and she just looked at me like yeah right not after you yelled at me me like a lunatic last time I tried.

Take care and feel better ladies and many hugs,
Joni

[JoniF]

I had my OS appt. today and he told me that I need to stay in the imobilizer (GRRRRRR.....) and continue to use my crutches.  He also told me from looking at my xrays that I have blood in my knee and I am to go for an mri and have another appt. with him next week.

I HURT!!!!!!

[KiddtheKatt]

Joni;
        Bless your heart, those braces are so uncomfortable, but they do help. Hopefully the OS can get you fixed up. Maybe drain that knee or something. Let me know how you are and what the doctor says ok?

gentle hugs
Angel

[JoniF]

Hi Angel,

Hope you're feeling better .  My knee blew up to about three times it's size today and that is after staying off it and keeping it elevated all day .  I still haven't heard when the mri will be scheduled (waiting on approval from insurance).  I go back to the OS on Thurs., I'm really scared that  he will recommend surgery.  From putting a majority of weight on my left knee (bad/weaker one) it is killing me today asa well.

Hugs to you,
Joni

[JoniF]

GRRRRR....Yesterday I fell and landed mostly on my right knee (the one with the "severe patella effusion").  I was told that there is still blood and fluid in my knee however all of the structures look sound.  Not sure if my left knee buckled or the right or both.  All I know right now is OUCH!!!  Both knees are now swollen and painful.  I have my next os appt. in January.  He recommended that I have an artifical grove and knee cap done in my left knee.  Not sure if I'm prepared for another major surgery though.  OS did say; that all other surgeries failed.  Just feeling lost I guess.  Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

Take care,
Joni

[fatcats6]

Oh Joni,  I am sorry to hear about your fall.  Honestly, don't you feel like shaking your fist at the sky and yelling "OK really, I've had enough!"  I recovered from my Feb 08 fracture and then fell in October and dislocated and fractured my "good" knee.  I wonder what life lesson I'm supposed to be learning, if there is even a lesson I'm supposed to be learning at all. Alittle bit of the "why me" and "what have I done to deserve this"....basically, I decided, accidents happen and maybe there's no secret message at all.  Sometimes it doesn't help.  You're looking at another surgery and I know you think you can't do it, but I bet you can.  I kept saying that I only just survived the first fracture and couldn't do it again.  Depression was my biggest enemy and then fell and fractured my other knee and guess what, I'm 4 weeks into recovery and doing ok.  We're stronger than we think.  Get your head in a good place and you'll cope much better.  Good luck.