Who knew that I'd like the guy!
I've even been told it may turn into a ménage à trois. Yes, we may be including an Orthopedic Surgeon....
but ssshhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone I have tears in my medial and lateral meniscus and medial and lateral collateral ligaments...
Oh and arthritis in both knees, the right knee in an advanced stage....guess which knee is the mess right now...
so, to date;
Marathon - NO
RLCT - No or possibly no, depends on how my knee reacts to physio and the meds...
Running - ABSOLUTELY NOT
So I'm having to hang up my kicks for awhile, hopefully they won't be as moss laden by the time I come back to running.There is an element of disappointment, but I'm not discouraged. My knee has gone through worse and has come back from the brink of destruction to run marathons and compete in triathlons, so with a little TLC, I'm hoping to be back in the running groove by mid summer.
Dr. No was actually very nice this appointment, I quite like him. He seemed far more connected with my malady and he was involved with explaining my xrays, the damaged area's where the bones are starting to wear. He even smiled and chuckled a couple of times at my warped sense of humour. I believe that he now understands what the importance of staying healthy and active means to me. He was encouraging in the hopes that physiotherapy will strengthen the area's that are injured and with the medications the swelling will subside.
Physio starts next week at the Sports Injury Clinic, I've pretty much written off my medical doctor and the clinic associated with her. When it is your own health, take the steps necessary to get the proper answers, if I had relied upon my own doctor's office, I'd know nothing of this information, nor would I be being sent for an MIR and Cat Scan. I'm adamant about this, continue to find out the facts....don't stop until you find someone who can give you all the answers.
Yesterday was the first day on meds. I am not a big believer in overloading the body with drugs, but when they are necessary, you are only helping yourself heal quicker. Along with Gloucosamin Chrondotin with MSM, Calcium Magnesium with Vitamin D, my blog buddy Judi, who kindly listened to me whine to her last night, suggested including Fish Oil into my diet. I'll let you know how all of that works out!
Well, once Ruby comes back from her tune up, I'll head out for a short spin, I'll continue walking and as Judi said, get to the gym and NOW!
Life's fun if you don't weaken,
Lily
29 comments:
Laurel, thank goodness you found some answers! Not really the ones you were hoping for, but thank goodness this Doc really cares about your predicament. Hugs your way for speedy healing my friend.
Darn, no running! At least you have some other options to get your exercise in. Thank God! Arthritis in both knees? Can cortisone help something like that? I have arthritis in my shoulder and doc gave me a cortisone shot. Helped quite a bit. Good luck. Looks like you and Ruby are going to be great pals. ;)
That's the attitude I know and love. You follow the wonderful Dr No's advice and you'll be healed up quick and ready to put on those kicks once again. Best of luck, L!
at the very least your GP or the NP should have referred you to a sports med doc. I would suggest a phone call with the NP to correct her initial diagnosis or send a letter to the doc copying the NP. They probably don't send "women of a certain age" to sports med docs even though these are the guys who are truly in the know.
Continue your activism and consumer health work for yourself.
Well done. Physio will be very good for you. The oldest was at the same clinic with her kneww injury and yeah.. she's a tad younger than you but it's all about the speciality knowledge. A good GP should know enough to refer. ANd that's the bottom line.
Take care of yourself... so you taking up swimming for cardio activity now?
HUGS
Ter
You have such a wonderful attitude Lily, and I hope it's contagious throughout the blogosphere... a lot of people could use a dose of positivity. Sending you all kinds of speedy healing vibes. :)
Warped sense of humor? No wonder I like you :-)
Well, the overall prognosis sucks, but your optimism is wonderful!
I really, REALLY admire your attitude. Sorry about the news, but I'm glad you are getting the help you need. This is just another road block. You'll get through it!
It sucks that you can't run for awhile, but it sounds like you have a great strategy and a good team to get you back out there soon - and healthier than ever.
Bummer about the no running. But your attitude is AWESOME! You will be back into the game before you know it.
you have an AMAZING attitude! you will be back in no time, just get that knee healthy again! glad you have a good dr. on your side!
You rock chica! You're taking this very well :-) I'm glad that you got the answers you need, now here's to a super speedy recovery :-)
PS I hope that Dr of yours is supah hot HAHA!
I agree with Aron...you do have a wonderful outlook. You don't have to run to stay in shape and it's obvious you know that. Just stay active-do what you're doing with biking and walking and hitting the gym and when you can run again...you'll still be in shape to start it back up.
Who is this Gym ???? [wink] Let me know if yo need company ...
I agree with the advice Judi gave you and I so agree with you on looking for help until you get it. I was also told by my GP that there is nothing that can be done for Glandular Fever (or Mono). I got hardly any info from him at all and I doubt I will go back there. Finding a good doctor is such a pain.
Good luck with your treatment. I know you will be as good as new in no time. :-) Big hug!
Sounds like you've got a winner there. If you need an MRI, the wait can be long, I have some tips for getting them to take you more quickly.
It's not great news, but now you can work on getting better.
you sound positive, which is good. get to it lilly, just stay strong w/ weights, swimming, walking, cycling, and yoga. you will have healthy running knees again.
good luck - and I take all those supplements now too.
btw, i highly recommend Move-Free (a specific glucosomine formula - look it up online for data and see if you can find it)
Two dates? Menage a trois?
You be careful girl...you know about the three date rule, don't you?
Seriously, you're taking this VERY well. I'm glad you got a doc that "gets" you.
Hey, we could be twins! I have the same thing going on in my knees. I love my drugs and I'm doing things to strengthen the area around the knees. I can tell when I overdo it but that's just me. You can still do all of the things you did in the past, just not as often. Hey, that goes with other things in life also. Ha.....
Such wit and optimism in the face of what had to be a very disappointing day! A good friend suffered the same injury and took the surgery short cut. She's back to training for the NYC Marathon a year later, so you have good reason to be hopeful. Fish oil, huh? I take the same supplements you do, but not the fish oil. Maybe I'll look into that.
This will be a nice time to recharge and get ready for late summer/fall and more Lily on the Road. Can you bike in the meantime?
At least the cruciate ligaments are okay, seem to be the only things holding the joint together.
You know, studies have shown bicycling to be good for the knee. It promotes quicker healing etc. Come into the light.
GAH! So sorry to hear to hear about the tears :(
You have a great attitude about it though - I can definitely take a lesson from you on that.
listen to the fat cat, lily. he knows what he's talking about! keep smiling!
The supplement I took for knees also had hyaluronic acid.
"Chondro-relief Intensive Care by Nutrition Dynamics.
I walked away from surgery and kept active... gently.
Knees heeled!!
Wishing you WELL !!
I had medial meniscus surgery about 4.5 years ago. Because of a side comment by one orthopedist (I can see that the muscles around your knee are already atrophying -- meaning I had been favouring that leg), I did one-leg leg lifts for a few weeks before surgery. After surgery, the physical therapist had me get out of bed almost as soon as I woke up (cup of tea first) to see if I could stand/walk. She showed me how to to the exercises. I walked out of the hospital w/o crutches. Drove the next day. Did the PT exercises faithfully. And, was back running in about 5 weeks.
Now, my surgery was less extensive than yours but my point is that I think your idea of figuring out how to strengthen the muscles around your knee is right on target. Also, be compulsive about the exercises after surgery.
Laurel, good luck on your unplanned hiatus from endorphin highs. :-) Been there from ACL, MCL, medial meniscus removal, back fusion etc all sandwiched between running, lifting, biking, swimming etc. It seemed each injury became a phase of my life that benifited me in unforeseen ways.
Dave
Laurel, good to hear that you have confidence in the advice of Dr. No; sounds like you are on the right track back to better knees! Good luck.
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