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Ouatic-7
ouatic_7
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ouatic_7
1/21/09 05:45 am
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My Knees, the Ongoing Saga

My knees have hurt since I jumped off a low wall at the Chicago Botanic Garden on July 1st, 2005. Anytime they are bent and weight bearing they hurt. This means going up and down stairs (I live in a two story house), sitting down in a chair or getting up or anything similar.

I went to see Dr. Hughes who took x-rays, determined I had arthritis, and gave me a prescription for an NSAID with horrific side effects and a sheet of exercises that he had never really looked at. The prescription worked but he didn't want to renew it because "Medicine is poison". I didn't want to do the exercises because they were all easy for me so what was the point?

In the end, I just suffered until Hughes was arrested last year and I had to get a new doctor.

Dr. G took x-rays and determined that I had bone-spurs in my knees, prescribed Naproxen (which has horrific side effects) and PT. Both the naproxen and the PT helped. With the PT, I was able to get down to go from two to one 500mg pill each day. I'm trying to maintain the PT with mixed success but I still need the Naproxen.

Yesterday, I saw Dr. A, an orthopedic surgeon (poshest doctor's waiting room evah!), who took a set of weight bearing x-rays, and determined that I had no arthritis or bone spurs. Next step is an MRI.

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Current Location: here
Mood: annoyedannoyed
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jedijenchan
2009-01-21 01:41 pm (UTC)
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the exercises may be simple, but it's a matter of keeping those limbs moving to help the progression of the arthritis. I have arthritis as well, and I'm supposed to be doing exercises...

Naproxen had no negative side effects for me, just makes me a little sleepy.

ANY NSAID is supposed to slowly destroy your liver...or something like that.

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ouatic_7
2009-01-21 06:30 pm (UTC)
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Dr. H handed me a sheet of paper that he clearly had never looked at before. I know this because it had blanks to fill in for the number of reps and sets and when I asked him to fill them in he was surprised to see them.

I did PT last year and was given exercises to do which I am attempting, with mixed success, to do at least twice a week.

Anyways, the latest is that I don't actually have arthritis.

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nokomarie
2009-01-21 04:05 pm (UTC)
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The MRI is likely to support the theory that you have phantom pain in both knees and you should take up the president's physical fitness program.

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nelson_bannaba
2009-01-21 06:15 pm (UTC)
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So she's just a complainer?

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ouatic_7
2009-01-21 06:20 pm (UTC)
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No! No! He's a surgeon. He'll have to go in.

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nelson_bannaba
2009-01-21 06:14 pm (UTC)
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Second opinions are always good. I certainly hope whatever is causing your knee pain is reasonably fixable.

So...why'd you jump off a wall?

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ouatic_7
2009-01-21 06:27 pm (UTC)
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It seemed like a good idea at the time?

I thought everyone walked along the tops of walls.

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fenikkusuken
2009-01-21 07:04 pm (UTC)
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o.O

Oh, boy. I certainly hope that Dr. A is right!

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ouatic_7
2009-01-21 11:33 pm (UTC)
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I am a bit concerned about that myself...

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rya_kelley
2009-01-22 12:03 pm (UTC)
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Where is House when you need him?

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ouatic_7
2009-01-22 12:28 pm (UTC)
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Heck! I'd settle, if you can call it settling, for Hugh Laurie!

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45cats
2009-01-23 03:47 am (UTC)
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I'm sorry you're having so much trouble getting a decent diagnosis. Every doctor who saw me when I was sick had something different to say about what was wrong with me. It's frustrating.

I like the poshest office=best doctor rule of thumb. It's great that you don't have bone spurs or arthritis. I've taken Naproxen but only as a last resort and even then only for a couple of days. Anti-inflammatories just wreak havoc with my stomach.

It will be interesting to hear what the surgeon says.

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ouatic_7
2009-01-23 10:32 am (UTC)
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Unless the MRI shows something, the surgeon is talking "lateral release". He thinks my kneecaps are having tracking problems because a tendon/ligament (I can never remember the difference) is pulling it askew.

So far, and I've been taking it for months,knock wood, the naproxen hasn't bothered me but alcohol is contraindicated and, you may have heard, I drink a bit.

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mistervimes
2009-01-27 05:11 am (UTC)
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I just dropped in because you quote Pete Hutter from Brisco County Jr. on your blog. :)

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ouatic_7
2009-01-27 10:37 am (UTC)
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Someday, I will make a Pete Hutter shrine; he got the best lines.


Not that I don't love Brisco, Bowler and Dixie.

Edited at 2009-01-27 10:40 am (UTC)

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