Yesterday i finally had my long awaited appointment with my knee consultant to find out the results of my recent MRI scan. I had been holding out to be told what the hospital can do to improve my knee pain and give me back the chance to do normal things like bending, lifting, running, cycling and perhaps even skiing (my husband keeps pestering me to do all these activities - personally I am quite happy being lazy ole me!!)
Anyway was really disappointed to be told that the xrays and MRI show I have damage behind my patella caused by mal-alignment of my knee caps and that there is probably some arthritis in my left knee too. Of course being the NHS they only scanned the one knee (my left and worst one) so I still don't know what is wrong with the right one.
Upshot is that I am apparently too young to be considered for knee replacement surgery unless the pain is so dreadful I can't live with it anymore. Well it certainly isn't that bad. I just try and avoid anything that will aggravate it which can be quite restricting.
Anyway I was offered a steroid injection in my knee and told it might help but would probably make my knee worse for the first week and then if it did help it might help for anything between one week and several months. They will give me another injection when this one stops working but they can't give me them indefinitely as if they eventually want to do knee replacement surgery they need to be careful not to aggravate what should bekept a sterile environment in my knee cap.
I said yes to the injection as there appeared to be no other alternative. Fortunately I have no fear of needles so it didn't phase me . . well not initially. It was a very long needle and I just stupidly assumed he would stick the point in the side of my knee and inject it.
He had also assured me I would be fine to walk and drive afterward as he would give me an aneasthetic. Again stupidly I thought I would get the aneasthetic first. Oh no. he stuck the whole needle and I mean the entire needle under my knee cap which was painful and most unpleasant and then as he started to inject the steroids it was a most peculiar pressure sensation and very painful again. It actually made me feel physically sick.
Apparently the injection has the anesthetic inside it so he wasn't lying when he said I wouldn't be able to feel anything afterwards.
I went to work and found I could walk up and down stairs with no pain in my left knee. It seemed to enhance the pain in my right knee though as usually I guess i don't notice that as the left is so bad.
Anyway I had to remind myself it was probably the aneasthetic working and not to get my hopes up. As the day progressed the numbnness started to wear off and the knee felt quite uncomfortable and swollen.
Today it has felt really good - no pain at all just a bit uncomfortable but I am not sure whether that is because there is now lots of fluid behind my knee cap which is possibly easing the friction a little. Will be interesting to see how it is when the swelling reduces.
Fingers crossed that this treatment does the trick and then perhaps I can get the other knee done!
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