I Saw an orthopaedic consultant privately four weeks ago, he had looked at my X rays and was surprised when I told him that my right knee was the one causing me the most pain. He said my left knee was shot but my right knee had only moderate OA. He said it could be something to do with my kneecap which can cause severe pain. He agreed to put me on his NHS list and I'm attending his clinic tomorrow. He said that I will have X ray's of my knees and hips, apparently they do a specific xray of the knee which shows the kneecap. I'm panicking now as I'm scared that they won't be able to do anything to alleviate this horrible, life affecting pain. I'm getting quite depressed by how little I can do before I'm in agony. It doedoesn't help that I also have sever pain from polymyalgia and fibromyagia. My son rang me today to tell me about cheap rail fares to London, I'd like to go to see the Harry Potter world but there's no way that I could walk round for more than a few minutes at a time and then I'd be exhausted. I'll let you know how it goes at the hospital tomorrow if you can stand to hear my moaning!!!!
Hi Deborah, just read your post sure hope you can get some help with your knee pain issues, knee pain can be unbearable. Best wishes to you.
Hi Deborah. Not sure if you have already exhausted this option but a knee brace may help? With the right knee brace, you may be able to take some of the pain away when bearing weight on the joint. Best of luck to you.
Hi Deborah
You are probably sleeping now, hopefully. I am in US and just read your post. A man on this post a couple weeks ago said prior to his tkr he exercized his legs using the sames exercizes recommended for after tkr. This is how he built up his strength anticipating he would need it. He did the exercizes 3 times a day for 3 months while waiting for surgery. Since you are afflicted by both knees this would be good to start. Ask your doc which would be good or go to website for tkr exercizes.
You will be that much further ahead by being proactive and you may get a few more miles out of the knee that hurts so badly. No worries, all will be fine. Keep yourself calm and get an inner attitude of strength in what your are going to do then own it - as we say in US. Or Keep Calm and Chive On.
Keep us posted.
Elaine in Michigan
Hi Deborah,
My consultant had my xrays in front of him and said they showed moderate arthritis in both knees. My reply was then why am I in such pain. He said that they didn't treat the xrays they treat the patient. He asked me what I wanted and I told him I didn't want to mess about with flushing etc and to replace it. He subsequently booked me in for my first total knee replacement in November. I asked for the epidural because I didn't want the nausia feeling and sore throat and wanted to eat straight after. The op took just an hour and it flew by as I was laughing away at Dads Army on my MP3 player. The consultant surgeon immediately said "The knee was much worse than the xray showed and its nice to know that he'd done the right thing for me". I had the following one done 8 weeks later in January. They usually keep your own knee cap unless that is full of desease. There are some good edited tkr videos on YouTube that last about 10 minutes. I'm glad I watched one of them otherwise the banging and pulling may have been somewhat worrying. Best thing I've ever had done.
I have been to see my consultant this morning. I went straight to X ray and had two different xrays of my knees and xrays of both hips. I then went back and shown the xrays and could see that the left knee and hip looked much worse than the right, although the right is agony. Because I'm on quite high doses of steroids I need to have an mri scan to see what if any damage the steroids may have caused within the joint. Apparently if they just opened up the knee now they could be faced with major problems. I think they want me to be off the steroids before surgery so that will be at least 5 months. I'm glad we're moving forward but at the moment if someone offered to chop my leg off I'd quite happily agree!
Deborah
Happy to hear you got an answer, somewhat. How soon can you get MRI? That's great the doc is ordering that- you'll know exactly what to do.
The post op exercizes I recommended to do pre-op would be perfect to start now. It's geared for strengthening thigh muscles and hamstrings; and ankles. The muscles absorb the shock of walking before your knee bones do; once the muscles develop you'll notice some of the pain is gone- the muscles are doing their job. Also, by strengthening them now, when you have surgery, they will be ready to absorb some of the pain and will help with rehab. Look up post tkr exercizes on internet. You want to look for quad and hamstring and ankle exercizes. They show pictures- very easy to understand directions. They can be done lying down, sitting.
Good luck
Sorry for long post
Elaine michigan
deborah im so sorry for you we all know how it feels the fact that the other knee is shot as he put it could be the reason your other knee is so sore you are probably using that leg more and putting pressure on that knee .i hope you get the answers you want good luck
Hi all, thanks for all your thoughtful replies. Elaine I will look at the websites you recommend. As yet another gift the steroids bestow is muscle wastage and my thigh muscles are pretty poor.
Hello Deborah
I am 13 wks TKR post op and I had been waiting since 2013 for a knee replacement. The pain was at times excruciating, and walking any distance was out of the question,
so I would say don't hesitate go for a TKR if this is advised. I can sympathise with you as I have OA in my back and sacral joints.
My own experience is that my OA pain has gone, which I am very grateful as I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel until I had the op.
However I am quite down at the moment because my knee bend is poor @ 64° and now I have to have my knee manipulated under anaesthetic (MUA) on 11 March, hopefully
My bend will improve !!!
Hope all goes well with consultant.
Regards Janeyt34
Oh Janey the manipulation sounds unpleasant but hopefully you'll reap the rewards after. Why did you have to wait such a long time for your tkr? I have had problems with my right knee on and off for over ten years. The doctor's have told me several times that it was a torn ligament although I never had a scan to confirm it. Deb
Hi Deborah thank you for your reply.
I had to wait since 2013 for my TKR, which I had on 2 Dec 2015.
Because I wasn't 60 ( I am now 58) they kept delaying it however I pestered the NHS, Doc and Consultant who was very reticent to do it and I was put through the mincer he bombared me with negative comments of what might happen!!!! However my op went very well and I have healed very well and consultant pleased with X rays. My knee bend is very poor @ 64 degrees, so that is why I am having the manipulation on Friday 11th, this week, hopefully I can bend it so that I can sit on the loo properly, as my tkr leg sticks out. so uncomfortable !!
If you are in pain now I would persue it, good luck
Regards Janeyt
I've just got home from my daughter's house after eating her lovely homemade moussaka and salad. Unfortunately I needed to use the bathroom which is upstairs. It was awful attempting the stairs and had to go up on all fours, really painful too. Thank goodness we live in a bungalow!
I'm worried already about after the right knee replacement as my left knee which on X ray looks much worse than the right although the right is much more painful is feeling much more unstable and when I stand up feels like it might "go" if you know what I mean.
I don't know why my post has been stopped as I didn't include anything inappropriate.
I have contacted the mri scan department and was told there was a 4 to 6 week wait, I asked to be put on the cancellation list and hope it will be sooner.
We've just been to our daughters house for mothers day dinner which was lovelyb but unfortunately I needed to use the bathroom which is upstairs. I had to go up on all fours which was really painful, thank goodness we live in a bungalow.
I'm worrying now about both my knees, the right is the most painful but the left which on xray is much worse feels more unstable. When I stand up the right screams with pain and the left often buckles. I'm concerned that once the right
knee is done I will notice the pain and instability more in the left.