Anyone familiar with Osteochondritis Dissecans

[everywoman]

Just got a call from Jana. She is definitely coming home. I guess we should have known her knee wouldn't survive miles of running and marching. At 16 she underwent microfracture resurfacing of the knee. She spent 4 months nonweight bearing and had to learn to walk again. She was diagnosed with Osteochondritis Dissecans back then. I remember researching it then, but I had hoped she would be okay for a while. Her ortho told her more knee surgery was in her future. She talked him into signing the military forms. She finally saw the army doctor today. And the condition has spread throughout the knee. He told her she needs to get back to her Ortho as soon as she gets home. Her insurance under my plan runs out on Nov. 1---unless she is enrolled in school fulltime. She will be home in 2 to 4 weeks.

 

[Lothlorien]

I had this in high school, but after surgery at 18, didn't have major issues.

It sounds as if there's necrosis of the bone, in her case. Is that what's happening? If the necrotic bone isn't resected, the necrosis will spread.

As far as insurance, she injured herself while on duty/training. This should be paid for by them.

 

[GoingNorth]

I have Osteochondritis Dessicans. I was diagnosed with it when in my midteens. It is a condition in which the cartilage is softer than normal and crumbles under strain.

It leads to severe and early osteoarthritis as the cushioning cartilage wears away and weight bearing joints go to "bone on bone".

Its effects are usually seen most clearly in the knee joints but it also effects other joints as well.

The only long term treatment is avoidance of weight bearing stress on the joints, exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the joints.

It can and does lead to joint replacement.

I have had one open reconstruction due to injury 30 years ago, at which time I was diagnosed with it, and have had several arthroscopic procedures.

There is a bilateral knee replacement in my future but it is something I am trying to put off for as long as possible.

Sadly, there is no way your daughter should be doing "Army" on those joints. It is too much stress.

I wish her well and hope for the best. I think they've come a long way in terms of forestalling eventual joint destruction with this disease.

In my case I'd already fried one knee by the time I was diagnosed.

 

[klmno]

I'm sorry to hear that- I know she wanted to make this work. Hopefully, she will come home and enroll in school. I think I had posted on an earlier thread that the military would (should) cover injuries that she incurred while on active duty- but I didn;t realize that she had a pre-existing condition. You might be able to fight it, since they didn't catch it when she left for active duty, but really, her dr could get into trouble for falsifying or misleading documents.

The main thing is that she isn't hurt worse than she is.

 

[susiestar]

I am sorry she cannot reaalize her dreams. I hope she can heal and feel better soon.

 

[TerryJ2]

Ohhh, Everywoman, I am so sorry for her. She really sounded like she had a good plan there.
She can still go back to school or work ... she just won't be a long distance runner. I know you're anxious to see her, no matter what.

 

[everywoman]

I think I had posted on an earlier thread that the military would (should) cover injuries that she incurred while on active duty- but I didn;t realize that she had a pre-existing condition.

She disclosed all information to the army. She was even prepared to get a waiver. They said she didn't need it. Her ortho sent all her medical records to her recruiter and they went with her to MEPS. She would have never falsified a document and neither would her doctor. He simply sated that at the moment she was qualified. And at that moment, she was. The MEPS ortho said that he saw no further damage to her knee and it had healed better than any he had seen. But, alas, a fews weeks of running and marching did her in!

My feeling is that she went, she tried, she failed to get through. It's not the end of the world. I have tried to teach my kids that there is nothing wrong with failure. That the regrets in life come from not trying. She has heeded that lesson and lives her life without being disappointed in failing if she knows she has tried her best. We all have different talents and abilities. Her (hereditary) joint issues limit her. We hoped that it would be years before she had any other issues. Didn't work that way. Onward and upward.

She plans on returning to college. She now says she wants to work in Physical Therapy. Who knows? Next weeks she may decide on something new. She is one who likes to experience a lot of things. And I am glad she has the opportunity to try a lot of things while she is young and free. She will be fine. She is a fighter, that girl of mine---all 5' of her. She will bounce back and move on.

Thanks for all your support. This has been a rough ride on the mommy train. Nothing is worse than having your child's dreams dashed before she's had a chance to complete them.

 

[klmno]

Sorry I misunderstood.

She didn't fail, though, and I hope she isn't taking it that way.

 

[Star*]

I rather do not care HOW you spell Osteochondritis Dissecans.......

What is important to me is that

SHE IS COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KTMom91]

I'm glad she's coming home...but so sorry her knee won't let her realize this dream. I agree that she did not fail, this has nothing to do with her strength and determination.

 

[Shari]

I'm sorry she didn't make it, but the important thing is that she tried - you can't help what your body is and is not capable of.

Hopefully she will find another path to follow.

Hugs. And be sure to tell her thanks for trying from a board auntie who's also a military mom.

 

[Fran]

I'm sorry for her disappointment. Our easy child's seem to hit obstacles along the way. Fortunately, your easy child has so much on the ball. I'm sure she will re evaluate her goals.
It's an impressive job she did considering how much pain she must have been in.
She is still a great warrior easy child in my humble opinion.

 

[mom_in_training]

I have yet to read up on it but did see this link on the conduct site as a google ad.

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/con...s-dissecans?s_kwcid=ContentNetwork|1020026214

 

[DammitJanet]

EW...make sure she gets her medical records from basic because she may well qualify for some military benefits. Even though this was pre-existing it was ok before she went in. Jamies first wife had an ankle that had been broken previously but had been deemed ok for joining the army. In basic she broke it again and they discharged her medically. She ended up getting a small part of her GI bill plus a very small veterans disability payment. I think they determined her ankle to be like 10% disabling or something.

Im not completely up on all of that because Jamie refused to go after anything medical even though he really should have. He has nerve damage in his back and feet from things that happened to him...like falling 3 stories! But he said it would stop him in the civilian world.