I Kneed Surgery

The consultation with the knee specialist went well: he pointed out the micro-fractures to the kneecap, as well as deep bone bruising, and then the fluid in the knee area and the meniscus that is completely torn off its anchor. No wonder my knee has been hurting so much!

The only way to repair the cartilage damage is surgery, which is scheduled for Wed, April 14. I asked for a sooner date, but that’s the first available opening. I won’t know the time until sometime the end of next week. The micro-fractures and the bone bruise will heal without intervention, and the actual pain is being caused by the meniscus which will not heal without surgery.

I’m taking pain pills as there is nothing else that relieves the constant throbbing or the white hot heat that sears the interior of my knee every time I take a step. I’ve tried using an Ace bandage for support as my knee is quite unstable, but putting pressure on the affected area makes it throb more than it does without the bandage. The pain pills put me to sleep, so there’s no activity such as driving or walking the dogs unless I skip a pain pill so I can function. The pills don’t stop the pain: they just mask it. I don’t see how anyone can deliberately cause this feeling of disconnect from life by taking prescription meds that are not prescribed for them. My head floats off in one direction, while my body slowly sinks into the couch cushions for another nap.

I’m looking forward to having this event behind me! It amazes me that it takes so long to schedule an appointment with a doctor. The knee specialist asked me why I hadn’t sought medical help earlier, and I explained to him the “wait 4-6 weeks” prescription, as well as waiting 2 weeks to be seen by my primary care, then the MRI, and then 2 weeks to get into see him. He was shocked that it took 2 weeks to get an appointment with him, so I suggested that he try calling his office to schedule an appointment and see how it goes. Originally, I was told he was not available until the end of April and only got in this quickly because another patient cancelled.

As I explained to him, this whole incident has been a comedy of errors that is no longer funny.