GP tomorrow!

GraceB

Tomorrow I have the 'pleasure' of asking my GP to send me back to my orthopaedic surgeon to start the ball rolling surgically with my left knee.

I saw him earlier in the year but he agreed with me that although I needed an arthroscopy, I may not benefit from it so we didn't go ahead. My choice as much as it was his, I have to say. It was left that I could return to him if the knee got worse. 'Scopes never worked on my right knee - hence my decision.

Since then of course, I''ve had to move more regularly because of my lumbar spine. Oh - that's been confirmed as a knackered disc between L4 and L5 which also has a 'severe tear' in it. My spinal chappie took great delight in giving me 50-50 success:failure odds for a fusion or wallis ligament procedure. I've said no way at the moment - the odds aren't good enough. I can have painkilling jabs into my spine which would last 7-10 days but other than the surgery that's it. Mr spinal surgeon also predicted that my disc will prolapse at some point and I will be in excrutiating pain and the surgery will then have to be done. And all with a smile on his face ...

I've been told by a friend that as I have facet joint damage down to the OA in my spine, plus the disc issue, this basically means I have lumbar spondylitis. Lovely - yet another set of initials after name none of which are 'OBE' or 'MBE'!

So, because I've had to move due to my back, my left knee has been sacrified. It's now locking when I go to straighten the leg, it's giving way under me and is making it's presence very well known via const ant and regular pain. Therefore, it's 'hello theatre' at some point in the near future.

What worries me about this, is that my right knee journey started like this and 9 operations and 10 years later, I ended up with a partial knee replacement. I really hope that history isn't going to repeat itself!

I'll let you know how I get on.

Take care,
GraceB

elainebadknee

Grace

Reading your story and if you knew the path it took with the other knee my personal opinion as well as sounds like your gut feeling is that an arthroscopy won't help...It is just a washout procedure or to do minor shaving of the knee, nothing more from what I know...With this knowledge would it not be better to not have the surgery that I think reallly would not help short or long term and if it would need a partial replacement then so be it...I know its a bigger operation but if need be have the right one not the wrong one...Im also guessing that you had to have partial becuase certain bits of your knee were diseased not the whole joint..
Sorry your'e having a rotten time, the spinal condition sounds very painful..

Elainexx

hileena111

Hi Grace,
Sorry you're having such a bad time......I know little about knees...with me its hips that get replaced.
Good luck with your GP and the follow up

Love
Hileen

Boomer13

E gawds you have a lot to wade through.......I am sorry. Spinal pain is horrid. I don't know what else to say.....

((())Anna

villier

(((()))) Grace, gosh you have a lot to contend with, hope your appointment goes well let us know how you get on................Marie x

GraceB

Well, GP was brilliant - very sympathetic. He asked was there a family history of arthritis and was very interested when I explained the history of this within the family. So - I think that's confirmed it for me - within our family - it's a genetic thing. Now if only I could help with some kind of research to prove this link ...

Anyway, he called up the report from the specialist earlier in the year and this said that in addition to what I already knew, that there is a tear in the cartilage. Hey ho! methinks as I sit there in the consultation room. This is exactly what happened with my right knee all those years ago. 'X-files' music was also playing softly in my sub-conscious ...

So - I now await to see the 'knee man' and to work out what happens next. If I am offered a partial replacement, then I'll go for this as it will better in the long-run. Elaine - I appreciate your thoughts. You are only echoing what I already feel.

I'll get to see 'knee man' within the month - he holds outreach clinics in my GP surgery of an evening once a month. At least it means I won't have to take time out of work to get to the appointment, which is good.

It's tipping it down here in Kent - delightful! I sincerely hope that if it's raining where you all are, that you are in the warm.

I'm back off now to watch the Horse Racing on the telly and put my feet up.

Take care,
GraceB

Toots

Hugs Grace Hope your knee man figures things out quickly for you x

stickywicket

Yes, I too hope you get a positive appointment, Graceb. How convenient to have him come to your GP's surgery! Good luck with it.

hileena111

Hi Grace
I hope it all goes well......how convenient that is that you only have to go to your GP to see your knee man
Good luck
Love
Hileena

kentishlady

Hope your appointment goes well, Grace, and you can make some progress. Yes, it is a bit wet around our way, isn't it? It's been even worse this afternoon, but at least it's not cold.

Beryl

((())) xx

villier

Hope your appointment goes well Grace, that's great the consultant comes to you never heard of that before......................Marie xx

dreamdaisy

It's becoming more and more accepted that there is a genetic link with OA as well as the auto-immune forms - that would explain why some people who are very young in years (teens or early twenties) can get it.

This sounds positive, in your shoes I would go for the partial (or even better a full one) just to get it over and done with. Start strengthening those leg muscles to help you recover quicker! I wish you well. DD

bubbadog

Glad your GP listened to you and agreed with you to see 'the knee man'! Within a month is an amazing time scale to see him, and at your GP's surgery is also a good idea for those who would find it hard to get to the hospital he is based at. Well I hope the appt will arrive soon and you can always ask for pocket duties if you want some support.