I was scheduled to go in for this surgery today, but backed out last night. I have been going through two years, on and off, of major instability in my left knee, have been having a hard time descending stairs and doing many movements onstage (I'm a performer). I have done a few rounds of various physical therapy but nothing seemed to help. So after the PT, x-rays, an MRI, I decided I needed some sort of surgery. I was suprised, however, when the doctor told me of the extensive rehab. I have a 14-month old daughter and live on a 3rd floor walk-up. But I was desperate. In the last month however, my symptoms have subsided. My kneecap still clicks out a little, but not nearly as much as it had been. I've been sitting on the floor cross-legged with my daughter a lot and I think maybe stretching those muscles helped? Maybe I'm nuts and this is just a temporary lull? Did I just scare my knee into submission for a while, or is there some other way of helping it besides surgery? I am 43, have mild arthritis in both knees, so frankly the right one doesn't feel that great either. The patellar instability seems to have been caused by the shape of my knee/leg (I'm sort of knock-kneed). If I need this surgery, I will reschedule, but in the meantime I need more information about it, the success rate, the alternatives, etc. etc. etc. I am currently on a health plan through Medicaid, so I'm not getting super-duper service. The surgeon I went to seems okay, but not very communicative, so I know I will have to be very proactive doing research and trying to get a second opinion. But where do I start?Huh? Huh
