Ok...Knees. ouch.

[DammitJanet]

I know its odd for me to have this many posts up at once but Im pretty much stuck in bed right now...sigh.

I dont know what I have done to my knees or legs but they are killing me. It started before I left for Jamie's but wasnt extremely bad...pretty much my normal life but since we came home, I am in agony. I can hardly bend my right knee at all. That entire side is killing me. It used to be my left side that was the worst but now its my right. My right knee feels like it has this rock sticking up on the kneecap. Its pointed.

I have had 3 series of those gel shots...I call them rooster comb shots...cant think of the real name. Had them in both knees. Both knees have been scoped.

I think I hurt this knee bad last easter when I fell and its just gotten progressively worse. I wonder if I tore something then. I dont know. I keep doing ice and heat and we know Im on pain medications. I think I need to see if they will do cortisone shots. Sigh. Something has to give or I am gonna have to be in the chair fulltime because I simply cannot walk at all anymore. I am waving the white flag. One of the reasons I am redoing the house is making my doors bigger for a motorized chair.

 

[HaoZi]

They don't even know what's wrong? Eesh. I'm guessing the recent stress of your visit, plus time on the road, plus the weather lately have made it all worse? Sure hope you get some relief soon!

 

[Hound dog]

Pointed? As in a knot? or swelling?

A rock rolling around.........maybe you chipped it and it's a fragment you're feeling?

With my shoulders......the ends of the bone were shattered as well as fractured. (I know lucky me) I have pieces of bone in there that grate from time to time, depends on their position in the joint at any given time. It's not pleasant by a long shot. You can even hear it. Reminds me of the fingernails down the chalk board thing. Bone doctor told me when it happened that eventually there would be surgery on both shoulders to clean that out of there. I just laughed at him. Going to take an overwhelming amount of pain to cause me to go through that type of healing again. ugh

But that is what made me ask if you might have chipped the knee cap or ends of the bones when you fell.

I know it hurts like hades, but try to keep movement going while in bed. With joints, when you don't move them.......you lose the ability to move them.

I hope it eases off soon.

(((hugs)))

 

[Steely]

Hmmmm...........so you have been to a Dr and they say?
I am so sorry. That must hoover beyond words.
Hugs.

 

[TerryJ2]

Owie! It hurts just to read this.
I have no idea what to say. I guess you have to wait until Mon. and make an appointment.
And widening the floors/walls for a motorized chair sounds like a good idea.

 

[KTMom91]

No words of wisdom here...just gentle hugs.

 

[Marcie Mac]

Why aren't you opting for knee replacement surgery Janet? Surely at your age you don't want to start a life of being wheelchair bound?

Marcie

 

[Star*]

Janet,

DF had the chicken comb shots too. He also had to (in between) have his knees drained from fluid. They would take nearly 2-3 gigantic vials of blood out of each knee - so be warned. Also - it is possible that you are having an allergic reaction to this but doubtful. As far as knee surgery? Well DF has bone on bone and walks like Fred Sanford - nearly so far over to one side when he walks he looks inebriated. He's in constant pain so badly I can hardly stand to be in the same room because I can't do anything to help him. Walking has become a chore. The doctors KNOW this - and yet tell him two things - 1.) You want new knees - LOOSE weight. PERIOD. he's done the quit smoking part so he's tried to loose some weight. They will not give new knees to overweight people - not here anyway. NO way - NO how - you can't do the rehab. 2.) You are too young because medicare will NOT foot the bill for new knees that only last 10 years for someone on Medicaire and overweight.

So.....like smart Medicare people - they'd rather pay out the wazoo - for treatments and let him do co-pays. Makes so much sense - and get pain pills - but lets not get addicted. UGH!!!!! I wish one of them would come spend a week in MY life. Just one - I bet they wouldn't last 2 days in this run down house listening to someone they loved in agony, and not ever do anything because you can't even walk to the car. Yup.....I feel your pain literally.

Hugs

 

[Star*]

OH and FYI - the chicken shots here? Aren't covered under Medicare - so we paid for them - they worked (so so) and I guess better than that - bceause when he stopped? HE was REALLY hurting. so they DO help - just don't stop.

 

[DammitJanet]

Star...bingo...somewhat.

Rooster comb shots are supposed to work for 6 to 9 months per series of shotsThey really only want to do one series of shots a year. My ortho only does the type that are a 5 shot series. Ok, that means I go in once a week for 5 weeks. The shots did seem to last almost six months the first time I had them when I got my left knee scoped and they did it in my left knee only. Do remember they start the shots the day after they do the surgery...lol. Fun fun!

About six months later they did my right knee with the shots because I was leaning so much to that side after scoping the left knee. Made sense right? This time the shots only lasted about 5 months and they had to scope my right knee at the end of that time. Again fun fun and they started the shots right after surgery...this time on BOTH knees. Okay....this makes twice on both knees now in a year and a half. Then I lost insurance. As soon as I got insurance back, I ran back in and they did more xrays and everything was worse so they did more shots in both knees and they told me...all we can do is keep doing the shots as often as we can. However, its 5 weekly shots that are now only lasting about 2 months past when they do the shots! Then cortisone shots trying to get me through till the time we can do another series.

They dont want to give me replacements for many of the reasons Star says. I am way overweight plus I have longevity in my family. Everyone in my family seems to live till they are at least 80 so that means with the average life span of Medicare/medicaid knees being 10 years...well...at age 50...ummm...too many replacement knees. I need to be at least 60. They said 50 until they heard how old my parents were when they died...and that my uncles and grandparents died at the same ages...sigh. I have uncles who are still alive and kicking in their late 80s!

 

[Star*]

When they told DF - he's too young to have knee replacements he looked at them and said "Well maybe to YOU I'm young, but I've led a really ROUGH life and been pretty hard on myself." The doctor in the room looked at him and said "But Mr. T - you are only 55 years old." And so DF looked at him and said "Well yeah I look like I'm 55, but I stayed awake for the 80's." then the doctor chuckled and said "Oh do tell which years?" and DF said "Well I reckon ALL of em, and half the Seventies too. You know been there Done that, got a few tattoos to prove it." If you knew him now? You'd just scoff, but he's really not kidding. Been on spin dry more times than a Kenmore dryer.

He would like to take a second round of chicken shots too. Just can't afford it right now - But you tell me how twisted were medication students that invented this junk and what were THEY on?
They watched Road Runner and Coyote cartoons on shrooms and said - NOW if he catches that chicken - he'll have a treatment we can all get rich on?

 

[hearts and roses]

Oh Janet, I feel so bad for the pain you're in! Listening to your story sounds like my future. My 65 y/o sister just had double knee replacements just weeks after she became eligible for medicare. She's about 50 lbs overweight, but since the surgery she's already lost 15lbs....because she can move again!

My ortho said the next step for me is the rooster oil shots, which I am putting off for now. It's getting I don't bend down anymore because I'm never certain I'll get back up! And I live on aleve and more recently I got my dr to prescribe me some pain medications. I feel like I'm 80 not 48 and it stinks!

Sending some hugs and healing thoughts your way. (and to Star's DF too!)

 

[Star*]

Hearts -

DF needs both knees done - and it would be awesome for them to do both knees at the same time and I thought the same thing too - IF HE COULD MOVE - he could walk and loose weight. So there IS truth to that. Then the doctor said "No one ever does two knees at a time, that's ludicrous. You literally wouldn't have a leg to stand on." I just kept thinking - EVENTUALLY you would. RIGHT? WTHeck? They have to do soemthing soon - poor man looks like his right leg is going to snap out to the right and break.

Thanks

 

[Jody]

I am sorry Janet. I hope it gets better soon. I am close to a wheelchair also. It just hurts too much to walk, I think if I could I could get some weight off, but I can't and it's getting worse. The shots are Hyalgan. I am having my third one tomorrow. They worked for me but when I fell on the ice this winter, I injured my other knee and it's now worse than the "bad one". Some days are better than others. Weather related for sure.

 

[hearts and roses]

Star, can DF see a different dr? My sisters dr said he prefers to do both knees (if warranted) at the same time. He said it creates a better opportunity for both legs to heal at the same time. And you DO have a leg to stand, two in fact, as they had my sister up walking with a walker within 48 hours. Now, that said, I'm sure weight is a consideration in regards to getting up and walking....but it would seem to me that doing both knees makes sense.

This, from a 48 year old who now has the necessary paperwork from her dr to acquire a handicap card! Omg, I am so sick about this! But it will make my life easier-I'm going to the DMV on Saturday!

 

[DammitJanet]

I have heard that they will do both legs at one time too. I told my doctor they better do it that way as well. I think I have some sort of a mental issue about the whole learning how to walk again after doing it not so long ago even though I know in my mind it isnt the same thing. Everyone tells me that was totally different but still, I have that fear. I also dislike surgery and I wonder if they would let me have the rehab I want...the same one I had before. Dunno. I liked them by the end.

I have a doctor appointment tomorrow at my pain doctor and Im going to see if he has any suggestions. I twisted my knee again tonite just trying to get into bed. This is idiotic. Maybe they can either give me a shot of cortisone or even start me on RA medications. Even though my antigens have come back fairly normal most of the time, there is a form of RA that is sero negative RA and I wonder if that is what I have because my joints are disintegrating so fast. Tonite the TMJ started acting up like crazy and I can hardly eat anything without intense pain on my right side. it sends sharp pains up from my jaw toward my ear and all of the lower facial nerves. Its awful. I swear, if its not one thing its another right now.

 

[Hound dog]

((((hugs)))) Janet

I hope it eases up soon and you get some relief from the pain.

Many docs around here won't do both together.......due to pain, and the PT involved. It's easier to learn to use the new joint if you have a "good" leg to maneuver with is the philosophy.......not sure how that is supposed to work if both are bad. But it's worth a shot. And it would be far better than finding yourself wheelchair bound at your young age. New knees might be enough to get you really moving again, and that of course would be awesome.