The Surgeon Said I had Osteoarthritis

"SURGERY

Severe cases of osteoarthritis might need surgery to replace or repair damaged joints. Surgical options include:

* Arthroscopic surgery to trim torn and damaged cartilage
* Changing the alignment of a bone to relieve stress on the bone or joint (osteotomy)
* Surgical fusion of bones, usually in the spine (arthrodesis)
* Total or partial replacement of the damaged joint with an artificial joint (knee arthroplasty, hip arthroplasty)"

Surgeon Visit Summary From Today

It's just SO FRUSTRATING! The Physical Therapist said that he could not physically straighten my knee...that there is something blocking the joint; a bone chip, torn cartilage, or scar tissue. He said I have the worst knee he's ever seen. For me to dislocate my right knee cap three times in a year is unusual...he thinks there's something else going on. Symptoms include:

• extreme pain in knee, under knee cap, behind knee
• unable to put weight on my knee
• my knee makes a popping/clicking sound when I try to walk on it to get around the house, or when I try to stretch it a bit to get comfy in a chair
• my knee made a huge "POPPING" noise when I injured it in May
• cannot straighten my leg physically, almost as if my knee is stuck
  
  
• vomiting/nausea
• it feels like there is something moving under my knee cap when I shift around
  
  
• vertigo
• knee gives out if I do try to limp around
• muscle spasms
  
  
• swelling
• cannot sit for long periods of time (like at the movies) and major problems with stairs
  
  
• thrush
  
  

The orthopedic doctor did an MRI and didn't see anything major. The doctor said I dislocated my knee cap again and tore some cartilage. However, the I did fail the physical exam when I was tested for a meniscus tear. I did some research and found that meniscus tears can be missed by an MRI. The doctor then sent me to an orthopedic surgeon, because he said that MRI's don't always catch EVERYTHING. The surgeon then proceeded to call me, "kiddo" throughout the appointment and was very condescending and rude. He wouldn't listen to me at all and told me that if I wanted to get a second opinion, it would be useless because he was right. He didn't fix me, he said I didn't need surgery. He injected me with cortisone again...specifically not asking first nor telling me what he was going to do. He was extremely condescending and rude. He told me not to seek a second opinion because I would get another doctor cutting into my knee when I didn't need it. He just really pissed me off.

The cortisone made it worse. >.< class="text_exposed_show">knee surgery because that could possibly make it worse but THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG and it's not in my head. I am pretty sure I have a tear and my doctor is too - that's why he sent me to a surgeon. The guy didn't even order more tests...he just referred to a MRI taken in June.

Also, this is the third time I've dislocated my knee and this feels DRASTICALLY different from the other two times. I have kept it elevated, iced, and rested as much as possible. When this happened before, I could put weight on it and get around with a brace. It never hurt to the point where I wanted to vomit. The doctor did give me a cortisone injection two weeks ago...and it helped the pain some but now it's back with a vengeance. I am currently using a brace for a torn ACL (it has a hinge to keep from straightening my leg) and crutches to get around. The brace only helps when I try and crutch around. I keep my leg elevated at work too. Nothing seems to be helping. The pain medicine takes the edge off a little but I'm still in *a lot* of pain with the pain medicine. I'm not fishing for drugs - I WANT THE PROBLEM FIXED.



I just don't want to do physical therapy for four weeks if it's not going to improve my leg but make it worse. Tuesday made it SO much worse. My leg is so swollen, almost to the size of a watermelon. This is the second doctor I've been to and Emory is supposed to be great. I really want to take fall classes, so if I have to have surgery - I would rather just schedule it and do it as to not miss class.. I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't eat, I'm having trouble sleeping, and I can't get comfy at work. It's just so frustrating.



Enclosed is the link I found about tears:



http://www.yorkshirekneeclinic.co.uk/cartilage-tear.htm

Update

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-loCcuu6mRQ&feature=related

I have had that song stuck in my head for the past few days. I decided to blog about my lung infection - which is something that I have been dealing with chronically for the past six months. No one knows what it is and antibiotics make it worse. Last week, I went in for a bronchoscopy, which is a procedure that I have never had done before. The doctor found "goop" in my lungs as well as irritation in my lungs and nose. He took samples of my lung tissue and of the goop. I find out the results tomorrow. I can't say that I'm not a little terrified. I keep wondering if it is something horrible that can't be cured. It feels like I have pneumonia. It's really hard to breathe, there is a lot of pressure on my chest, and I keep coughing. I hope for the best.