TTMA Knee Injuries - updated in comments

[Deleted]

I have an ortho appointment tomorrow and I'm freaking out. I get major white coat syndrome, especially with new doctors. I don't know what to expect. I've only ever had one other orthopedic injury, and it was work related so I treated at an Occ Health clinic and everything required approval, thus everything took forever. I'm also worried that I'm going to go in and he's gonna be like, nah, you're fine, just suck it up and move on. Needless to say, I'm kind of freaking out. 

The basic gist is that I hurt my knee bowling (yes, a bowling injury, that's embarrassing LOL). I felt a pop when it happened, but didn't think much of it. The next day it was hurting and it's gotten progressively worse since then. If I stay off of it, it's okay, maybe like a 2 out of 10 when I do start moving around, but then the more I use it the more it hurts. It felt pretty good yesterday and then I went to the grocery store to grab a few things and by the time I left it hurt so bad I wanted to cry. The pain is on the inside of the knee mostly but does radiate the more I use it. There is some occasional clicking and when I'm sitting with my knee bent I feel a pulling in my front thigh.

So, anyway, any experience that you care to share? Wanna help talk me down? 

[wanderingback]

If it’s a large orthopedic practice they might have X-ray onsite. They’ll likely have you get an X-ray and the doctor will talk to you. The X-ray likely won’t show anything, but insurance usually requires it when working up knee and back problems. Since you had an acute injury (as opposed to chronic pain) they’ll likely order an MRI depending on the your history and exam. Insurance can sometimes be a hassle about MRIs (often rightfully so since they’re so expensive and over ordered), but the ortho office is typically versed at being able to get them to go through easily. Depending on what the doctor thinks might recommend physical therapy vs something else. These days a lot of specialists like orthos have PAs and NPs see patients so they can get through a ton of patients in the day and focus on surgeries so you might see someone first before you see the doctor. You could also be seeing a sports medicine trained doctor (it’s a fellowship after family medicine) that doesn’t do surgery, but either way the visit will likely be pretty quick. Hope your knee feels better!

[VillainV]

I’m going through something similar.

For any doctor’s appointment, I recommend writing down your symptoms and your questions so you don’t forget something. Don’t be embarrassed about how you hurt yourself — my current injury was sustained when o got off the couch and tried not to step on a Hotwheel — the doc said “you’d be surprised, most people our age don’t really have to do much to cause injury, I hear stories like that all the time.” Be honest about your pain level and about what hurts the most (squatting down, going up and down stairs, getting on the floor to play with your kid).

The most likely course of treatment will be physical therapy and/or some kind of imaging. Most places will do PT first because that’s how they would treat most things anyway, and there’s a good chance it will resolve or improve with 4 weeks of PT. So if they recommend this, it’s not them putting you off or downplaying your symptoms — it’s just been shown to be an effective treatment. Otherwise, it’ll probably be xrays and maybe an MRI. Then, usually, more PT.

For knees there are different kind of injections (cortisone, PRP) some orthos will try before recommending any kind of surgery. Not all surgeries are major or will take you out of commission for very long. My husband had had several knee scopes where he was up and walking the same day.

[dexteroni]

I’m not quite clear on what exactly has you freaked out, but they’re not going to be like too bad, go home. From what you’ve told us, it sounds like you have an injury, and there’s a lot that can be done, like a brace or PT or more invasive procedures which I bet you don’t need. It’ll be fine.

[Deleted]

Feb 6, 2020 8:08:31 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

I’m not quite clear on what exactly has you freaked out, but they’re not going to be like too bad, go home. From what you’ve told us, it sounds like you have an injury, and there’s a lot that can be done, like a brace or PT or more invasive procedures which I bet you don’t need. It’ll be fine.

Because I'm scared of doctors so I immediately start thinking worse case scenario, like the won't believe me, or they'll think I'm overreacting or worse, they'll tell me I need surgery. Any and everything has me freaked out. White coat syndrome sucks. I can talk about it pretty rationally right now, but in the moment when the panic sets in, I'm a complete mess. I've only been to the dentist 5 times in the last 24 years because I'm so terrified and the few times I have gone I spend the entire time in the chair sobbing.  It took me years to get comfortable with my PCP and she just left that practice so now I need to start over there. Sometimes, if I really overthink it before hand and have notes and have a clear idea of what will happen when I go it, it's better, but at the very least I spend entire medical appointments just trying not to throw up and fighting the urge to run out the building crying. 

[dexteroni]

Oh wow, that sounds terrible and I’m sorry you go through that. What do you think it stems from? Did you have a traumatic experience or something? I’m not being trite when I recommend seeking therapy to for this. It sounds so extreme, and you’re going to need health care more and more as you age. Don’t put your health at risk by not getting enough care because of this phobia. 

ETA Given the situation, I second VillainV ’s suggestion of writing everything down in advance - how it happened, how and when it bothers you now, and how severe the pain is.

[caddywompus]

It sounds like you might have a torn meniscus. They’ll probably do some manual tests on your leg:,checking strength, range of motion, and some rotation to check the menisci. Depending on how bad it is, you’ll likely start of with a round of PT to strengthen the knee muscles, but they may recommend arthroscopy to trim up the cartilage. Either way it’s probably not too serious, and I’m sure they’ll remind you to RICE.
Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

[VillainV]

Feb 6, 2020 8:13:46 GMT -5 @sameoldstory said:

Feb 6, 2020 8:08:31 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

I’m not quite clear on what exactly has you freaked out, but they’re not going to be like too bad, go home. From what you’ve told us, it sounds like you have an injury, and there’s a lot that can be done, like a brace or PT or more invasive procedures which I bet you don’t need. It’ll be fine.

Because I'm scared of doctors so I immediately start thinking worse case scenario, like the won't believe me, or they'll think I'm overreacting or worse, they'll tell me I need surgery. Any and everything has me freaked out. White coat syndrome sucks. I can talk about it pretty rationally right now, but in the moment when the panic sets in, I'm a complete mess. I've only been to the dentist 5 times in the last 24 years because I'm so terrified and the few times I have gone I spend the entire time in the chair sobbing.  It took me years to get comfortable with my PCP and she just left that practice so now I need to start over there. Sometimes, if I really overthink it before hand and have notes and have a clear idea of what will happen when I go it, it's better, but at the very least I spend entire medical appointments just trying not to throw up and fighting the urge to run out the building crying. 

I think it’s also fine to tell the receptionist, nurse, PA, and doctor “I’m feeling pretty nervous today.” If they’re any good, they’ll adjust to make you more comfortable.

Another technique I use is that I focus on what I know will happen — I’ll drive on this road, park in this parking lot, go through that door and up the elevator— but I stop myself from trying to envision what I don’t KNOW will happen. I don’t know if the doctor will be nice or dismissive. I don’t know if they’re going to tell me I need surgery. I don’t know if they will send me to physical therapy or not. When I catch myself thinking about those things, I consciously bring myself back to what I KNOW will happen.

You’re not crazy. Most of us have some fear that we know isn’t really rational. Irrational fears can’t really be addressed with logic, no matter how much we try, it’s just that way.

[isabel]

If this is really stressful then I agree with writing everything down before so that you won’t forget to ask questions. Let the doctor know immediately (or call before) and tell them this is stressful for you so the doctor can be prepared to give you extra information and make sure he’s getting what he needs from you.

They are not going to tell you you’re overreacting and to go home. You injured your knee. They are going to help you find out what’s wrong and how to fix it. It’s highly likely that will involve imaging and I would expect an MRI is going to be required. I’m not going to tell you that you don’t need surgery. You very well may. That said, it’s also possible that they’ll just want you to do a series of PT sessions.

[emilyinchile]

I would write down your second paragraph with an introduction at the top of the page saying you get SUPER nervous around doctors so wanted to have this handy to provide all the information. That way if you feel like you're going to forget things because of your nerves - or if you're crying too hard to talk well - you can just hand it to the doctor.

They will believe you! They may well send you for some kind of imaging like x-rays, ultrasound or MRI. X-rays are often a first step, but they don't show soft tissue damage (tendons, ligaments), so you may well get those plus another kind. You might also have something that is diagnosed without imaging and just requires PT. Surgery might be a possibility, but that is often a discussion with options of things to try first, and if it does end up being what you need, you can cross that bridge when you come to it. Even if you don't have "a specific injury", you have pain, and that requires treatment, so you are totally doing the right thing by going to the doctor!

[dancingirl21]

I’ve had an ACL and meniscus tear that required surgery. However, I partially tore it first and the initial appointment was an XRay and the doctor felt around to find out where it was hurting most. After that he ordered physical therapy for a couple of months. A few months after that I stepped off a curb wrong and fully tore it. That required an MRI and surgery. But when I did that, I couldn’t walk and it swelled up to about double my knee’s normal size, so I knew it was bad.

I would be prepared to explain what you did and where it hurts the most/what you are doing when it hurts. Orthopedics deal with this every day so they should be able to diagnose you pretty quickly without too much work. Good luck!

[lovelyshoes]

I’m sorry that you have this level of anxiety. I think you have gotten great advice. For the dentist, I hate going so so much, childhood trauma. I suggest finding one that specializes in people who have major anxiety. There are ways to get through this and a dentist that is compassionate will make a world of difference. I hope your appointment goest well and you get a plan in place to feel better.

[Nonny]

I'm coming back up to preface this that I got really long winded, but I'm hoping that by me walking you through my entire process with my doc and PT that you will feel less anxious about everything.  Please tag me if you have any questions.  I've been dealing with my bum knee for over a decade.

First, don't feel embarrassed about how you hurt your knee. My knee sprain from last year was caused by me stepping wrong while vacuuming. That's way sillier than being injured while playing an active game involving a heavy ball and unfamiliar shoes.

Second, write everything down and bring it with you. Timeline, pain levels, anything you think you might get flustered and forget - it's OK if it's just a bulleted list. You can refer to it, or even bring two copies and hand one over to the doctor or their assistant. I've had to do that before when my injuries start causing other injuries.

Third, bring a pair of shorts to wear. You'll be more comfortable in your own clothes than the giant pairs they try to give you.

Fourth, here is how a typical knee appointment goes for me with my sports medicine doc.

I check in, pay co-pay, and wait. Then they get me and bring me to the room and talk to his assistant first and explain everything while she takes notes.  Then she has me change into my shorts, and remove my shoes and socks while she goes to get the doc. He comes in and I tell him everything a second time while he asks questions.  He'll then have me do things like walk across the room, walk on my tip toes, walk on my heels, bent knee squats, etc., so he can see how I move while walking and what my pain levels are.  Then I move to the table and he'll do a series of knee/leg manipulations while feeling for various things (hand on knee), range of motion, and pain levels. He'll do both the injured and healthy knees to compare. 

For a new injury he'll start talking additional diagnostic tests. This usually means x-rays, which for me are always pointless and show nothing, followed by scheduling an MRI (which usually takes a week+ to get scheduled). He'll also talk treatment plans - RICE, pain killers, brace, physical therapy, injections, etc. For me I always end up in PT.

Fifth, here's how PT works for me.

If you know of a PT who specializes in knees go to them (this can be hard if you've never done PT, or don't know people who do PT). All therapists start with the same training, but my experience is they start to focus on certain athletes and body parts the longer they practice, and it makes a difference. My PT guy tends to focus on skiers and basketball players who have messed up their knees, and he was way better for my knee than when I was forced to switch many years ago to a guy whose focus was fencers (long story) - but the fencer PT was way better for my hip and back than my knee guy.

Anyway, It can sometimes take a week or two to get into PT, and they may want to wait until they have the results of an MRI if one is ordered - so be sure to ask. You'll wear shorts to PT too.  The first time I meet them I go through a similar evaluation process like I did at the doctor - explaining what happened, what/where the pain is, how bad, etc., and they'll have me walk around, and manipulate me knee, etc.  This will all be done in a private room.

Then I'll go to the "gym" which is the open room with all the equipment and a bunch of tables. What you'll do in PT will depend entirely on your injury and will be customized to you.  Generally there will be some sort of warm up (maybe riding a stationary bike), then manual PT manipulations (possibly massage, helping you stretch, maybe ultrasound), followed by exercises they teach you (some you'll only do at PT because of equipment limitations, some you'll do there and at home), ending with ice and electrical stim (which isn't scary, it just sort of makes you numb and helps kill pain). 

Sixth, if you do happened to need surgery you'll likely do PT both before and after.  Before to build strength, and after to regain mobility and re-build strength. I won't really speak to the surgical part because that can vary so much depending on what the injury actually is.

This is all a long winded way of saying, I know it can feel overwhelming, but they really will believe you, they've seen all kinds of injuries, and they are there to help.

[mich1]

The one thing that I would suggest that you not do is accept a cortisone shot in the knee to alleviate pain. I have read several reports that have come out recently where it seems to speed up deterioration of the joint. I would not do it myself, unless I knew I was looking at a joint replacement in the near future.

Most are right. The orthopedic will very likely do imaging, usually X-ray at first and ma6 send you for others. They will watch you move, and manipulate your joint to see what causes pain where. Some may measure the strength you have in the joint.

Depending on what the issue is, they may want you off the joint and prescribe crutches for a period of time. Afterwards, likely PT.

Finally, these days most orthopedic specialize in a joint. You might want to go to one of these. My orthopedic does hips....only hips. If you hav3 a knee or shoulder problem, he will not even attempt to diagnose you, but send you to the appropriate person. At first, it annoyed me (because I hurt m6 thumb) but he told me “I would not go to me for any other joint than a hip” . Since he is an incredible hip surgeon, I understand what he meant.

[snapoutofit]

First of all: I’m sorry you hurt yourself. don’t be embarrassed! I’m not a doctor, just a physical therapist assistant, but I have treated patients who have herniated discs straining in the bathroom. There is nothing to be embarrassed about! Injuries happen in the craziest and most mundane of ways. Your ortho has seen both extremes, I promise.

Def write down your symptoms and questions. It’s so easy to forget. Yes to your own shorts for comfort. Here in MA in all of the clinics I’ve worked in it goes something like this: x-ray —> PT if X-ray negative for fractures. Follow up with ortho and MRI if no improvement. If surgery is indicated they may hold therapy. I’ve had plenty of patients continue with ‘pre-gab’ to improve strength before surgery.

Good luck; I hope it heals quickly!

[Shreddingbetty]

Don’t be embarrassed about how you hurt it, lots of people hurt themselves doing “silly” things. I for one broke my foot getting up out of bed to go nurse my kid in the middle of the night when she was 4 months old. My niece tore her ACL jumping over fence on New Year’s Eve. People get hurt all kinds of different ways and most mechanism of injury aren’t anything “spectacular”/brag worthy. It sounds like you may ave torn your meniscus (usually a twisting injury). If it isn’t too bad of a tear they will usually just do conservative treatment, PT ibuprofen etc. If that doesn’t work then they will consider surgery. If it is and they might want to do surgery sooner. I’m sure you would love to avoid surgery. You are really going to see them to find out what is wrong and if it is something to be concerned about. If it is just a sprain/something that will heal with conservative treatment all the better right? They are not going to judge you if you don’t have anything that would require surgery. Not everyone that goes to ortho needs surgery.
And even though I think your anxiety is out of the “normal” range I do get how you are feeling also. I hate bothering people with my problems so I tend to minimize things. For example, I have had a strabismus (cross eyed) since I was little, it has
mostly been for up close but after I had the magic 40 it is also happening more and more at distance. I can hide it pretty well be use I’m very left eye dominant plus they had dropped my prescription a lot to lessen the strain on the eye. But now you can see it in pictures and it bothers me. But I also have poor vision especially at night and crappy depth perception. So it really isn’t just cosmetic, there is really a good medical reason for me to get it fixed. But since very few people really know as I hide it well I went in there thinking I was blowing things out of proportion/being a hypochondriac and that they would tell me to suck it up. The nurse looked at me weird when I told her I had strabismus (and the doc also for a few seconds) because she could not tell...until I focused on her. I actually really minimized my problem because it really is a
problem that will require surgical intervention. So I get how you feel, and I’m even a medical provider myself.
Short term for your appointment, can you maybe bring a friend with you as we’ll, they might also be able to help you remember things that were discussed during the visit as that can sometimes be overwhelming to remember everything that was said. Write down what you absolutely want to say and not forget. They will also ask you questions that will give them an idea what your injury might be based on mechanism of injury and symptoms. Just be honest, don’t try to exaggerate or minimize your symptoms. They will NOT think you are crazy! They will do X-ray and may order an MRI right away or
hold off for a bit depending on what they think is going on. Ask for open MRI if you have anxiety about regular MRI. You
can also ask for one or two doses of Ativan for the MRI if you are anxious about that (you will just have to have someone to drive you home). And just remember, they will tell you what they think is wrong and base their imaging and treatment plan on that. You do t have to decide on the spot if you want to do surgery or not. You can take your time and think about it. You don’t technically have to do anything they recommend. Also if you don’t understand something they are explaining don’t feel bad about asking for clarification. I know from myself that certain conditions we deal with a lot we tend to sometimes talk to fast as it makes total sense to us, forgetting that for the patient it might be the first time they hear about
whatever condition/treatment options. That might also be where a friend can come in handy. Specialists especially can make you feel rushed because they are trying to be efficient with each patient as they usually are overbooked, but don’t be afraid to speak up. If you leave with more questions than you came in with it won’t do you any good and then you will have to call them for clarification.
As far as the steroid injection, a sporadic steroid injection isn’t necessarily bad. If you do them frequently yes it can affect integrity of ligaments and tendons. They usually aren’t done for semi acute injuries though. They can really be helpful for some people to where they can function normally. But if you have a meniscus tear they wouldn’t do that anyway.
Long term for your health it may be worth it to consider counseling (my guess is that you anxiety isn’t just with medical stuff) to help you manage that. I actually didn’t really know I had anxiety until I started counseling when my ex went to
rehab because when I think anxiety I envisioned panic attack and fidgety somewhat hysterical people. I was just very good at burying my feelings and freaking out in silence but that didn’t mean I wasn’t anxious. Therapy had helped me a great deal with lots of stuff including how to deal with those thoughts. I’m not patient enough to do meditation but I know that is very helpful for a lot of people,

Anyway, try not to stress about the visit, you hurt yourself and you are trying to figure out if there is anything significant going on, that’s normal when your symptoms don’t get better. And if they tell you it is “just” a sprain then all the better right? It means it will get better without any invasive procedures. And if it is something that will require surgery then good thing you went to have it checked out. I promise you no one will think you are overreacting. And if they do then I would find another doctor.

[alleinesein]

You need an emotional support human to go with you. They can help distract you/keep you calmer and write down anything that the doctor says in case you miss it. If you have someone you can bring along, do it.

Bowling is hard and I am surprised more people don't get injured. You are flinging a 12-18 lb ball down a slippery wooden floor wearing rented shoes.

I broke a bone in my foot trying to avoid stepping on a cat and ended up kicking the corner of an empty cardboard box. Weird injuries happen all the time.

[Deleted]

Thank you everyone. My H doesn't really understand my anxiety, so his brand of helping does't really help in situations like this. My daughter has a lot of medical anxiety so I'm trying to use some of the coping mechanisms that I give her, but it's kind of one of those "those who can't do, teach" kind of things. My knee definitely feels better with rest, but all it takes it one simple movement in the wrong way, like getting up from the table and pushing off sideways, and I see stars. I wrote everything down so I'll have that with me during the appointment. I'm getting quite panicky already and am hoping that I'm able to calm myself down on the way there. Rationally I know that this is no big deal, it's the irrational side of my brain that I can't get to turn off.

[aliciabella]

That sounds like a meniscus tear. They will probably do a MRI to confirm and let you know if you need surgery.

I got that injury from a work dodgeball injury so don't feel bad, lol.

[Deleted]

Thanks all.

My appointment didn't start off great, I got there and they told me that they had my appointment in for yesterday afternoon and that I was marked as a no show. I 100% would not have made an appointment for an afternoon because I work an hour away. I just started crying because I was headed in to a full on panic attack, but luckily they had a cancellation and were actually able to get me seen about 30 minutes after my original appointment time. I was able to calm myself down a lot after that while once I got in the exam room. Like you all said, they did an xray which of course showed nothing. The doctor did say that he maybe could see something exactly where my pain is, but nothing conclusive. After examining me and doing some manipulation of my knee, he said that it is likely an MCL injury and that really the only treatment is just conservative, rest and ibuprofen. So, no add'tl dx testing at this time, they give me a hinged knee brace, and I follow up in 3 weeks. So, that's all good. Of course, walking to car after my appointment I started to cry because it hurt so freaking bad, but I'm going to trust the doctor and rest as much as possible and hopefully it will eventually start to feel better. I'm nearly 2 weeks out from the injury at this point and it's been hurting more every day, but I'm sure that the pain will eventually peak and then I'll start to feel better. Thanks to every one for responding, and especially those who recommended bringing my own shorts, I was super glad that I did that.

[audry80]

I had a similar injury. I was getting off a plane, I turned my body and my knee didn’t move and I heard a loud pop. It took a good 4 months to heal but now I have zero pain. The Dr suspected the same injury as you. Take care!

[kath16]

Feb 7, 2020 10:28:16 GMT -5 @sameoldstory said:

Thanks all.

My appointment didn't start off great, I got there and they told me that they had my appointment in for yesterday afternoon and that I was marked as a no show. I 100% would not have made an appointment for an afternoon because I work an hour away. I just started crying because I was headed in to a full on panic attack, but luckily they had a cancellation and were actually able to get me seen about 30 minutes after my original appointment time. I was able to calm myself down a lot after that while once I got in the exam room. Like you all said, they did an xray which of course showed nothing. The doctor did say that he maybe could see something exactly where my pain is, but nothing conclusive. After examining me and doing some manipulation of my knee, he said that it is likely an MCL injury and that really the only treatment is just conservative, rest and ibuprofen. So, no add'tl dx testing at this time, they give me a hinged knee brace, and I follow up in 3 weeks. So, that's all good. Of course, walking to car after my appointment I started to cry because it hurt so freaking bad, but I'm going to trust the doctor and rest as much as possible and hopefully it will eventually start to feel better. I'm nearly 2 weeks out from the injury at this point and it's been hurting more every day, but I'm sure that the pain will eventually peak and then I'll start to feel better. Thanks to every one for responding, and especially those who recommended bringing my own shorts, I was super glad that I did that.

you'll need to actually rest it for the pain to decrease. like, do as little as possible, elevate, ice and rest as much as you can. 

great job with the appointment. 

[Deleted]

Feb 7, 2020 13:20:04 GMT -5 kath16 said:

Feb 7, 2020 10:28:16 GMT -5 @sameoldstory said:

Thanks all.

My appointment didn't start off great, I got there and they told me that they had my appointment in for yesterday afternoon and that I was marked as a no show. I 100% would not have made an appointment for an afternoon because I work an hour away. I just started crying because I was headed in to a full on panic attack, but luckily they had a cancellation and were actually able to get me seen about 30 minutes after my original appointment time. I was able to calm myself down a lot after that while once I got in the exam room. Like you all said, they did an xray which of course showed nothing. The doctor did say that he maybe could see something exactly where my pain is, but nothing conclusive. After examining me and doing some manipulation of my knee, he said that it is likely an MCL injury and that really the only treatment is just conservative, rest and ibuprofen. So, no add'tl dx testing at this time, they give me a hinged knee brace, and I follow up in 3 weeks. So, that's all good. Of course, walking to car after my appointment I started to cry because it hurt so freaking bad, but I'm going to trust the doctor and rest as much as possible and hopefully it will eventually start to feel better. I'm nearly 2 weeks out from the injury at this point and it's been hurting more every day, but I'm sure that the pain will eventually peak and then I'll start to feel better. Thanks to every one for responding, and especially those who recommended bringing my own shorts, I was super glad that I did that.

you'll need to actually rest it for the pain to decrease. like, do as little as possible, elevate, ice and rest as much as you can. 

great job with the appointment. 

Thanks. I legit don't know how I'm going to rest though. I don't work out or anything as it is, and right now, the pain is the worst doing things like walking from the parking lot to my office, or grocery shopping, though, I could probably get DH to do that if I don't mind eating cereal for dinner for the next 3 weeks LOL This sucks. 

[egishere]

The knee brace should help and I got one of those cryosphere things from Amazon to ice my knee when needed after my workouts. I’ve had a lot of trouble with my LCL.

[egishere]

Also don’t you have teenagers? Have them help with dinner a couple of nights- easy stuff like tacos or spaghetti.

[VillainV]

Feb 7, 2020 14:24:18 GMT -5 @sameoldstory said:

Feb 7, 2020 13:20:04 GMT -5 kath16 said:

you'll need to actually rest it for the pain to decrease. like, do as little as possible, elevate, ice and rest as much as you can. 

great job with the appointment. 

Thanks. I legit don't know how I'm going to rest though. I don't work out or anything as it is, and right now, the pain is the worst doing things like walking from the parking lot to my office, or grocery shopping, though, I could probably get DH to do that if I don't mind eating cereal for dinner for the next 3 weeks LOL This sucks. 

I think the brace will help for the times when you have to walk. If you don’t have to, then don’t. When you’re sitting, be sure to elevate your knee. Ice as often as you can. I always downplay the importance of this, but when I do it, I always feel better faster.

Can you do grocery pickup or instacart to avoid grocery shopping? Plan easy meals that you H can handle like rotisserie chicken and bagged salad? Get takeout?

[kath16]

Feb 7, 2020 14:24:18 GMT -5 @sameoldstory said:

Feb 7, 2020 13:20:04 GMT -5 kath16 said:

you'll need to actually rest it for the pain to decrease. like, do as little as possible, elevate, ice and rest as much as you can. 

great job with the appointment. 

Thanks. I legit don't know how I'm going to rest though. I don't work out or anything as it is, and right now, the pain is the worst doing things like walking from the parking lot to my office, or grocery shopping, though, I could probably get DH to do that if I don't mind eating cereal for dinner for the next 3 weeks LOL This sucks. 

I’ve used the seated carts In the grocery store before, but that was before delivery. Get yourself grocery delivery or at least curb side pick up.

[sapphireblue]

I'm with kath16. Maybe it's time to try delivery of groceries--I just tried for the first time in December and I'm a huge fan now. It's amazing how many steps I get on my Fitbit just when grocery shopping so taking that off your plate will be good.

I am currently dealing with a torn meniscus and it is taking a long time. For what that's worth. I think because we use our knees constantly it just takes a really long time? That's what I'm telling myself anyway.

I'm proud of you with the appointment!

[Deleted]

Just wanted to update/complain. Like I said above, the doctor did give me a knee brace, but it didn't really do anything to help. I'm still in about the same amount of pain, so I'm just really frustrated. My knee has been locking up when I try to straighten it sometimes. I've been resting as much as possible, and I had 2 days when I got less than 2K steps and it felt okay those days, but the pain isn't really localized to the inside of the knee any more and has spread so that now it's the front of my knee, the inside, and then back. No swelling and I've been taking Naproxen which helps, but it never fully stops hurting. Any sitting position other than having my knee propped up with a pillow behind is extremely uncomfortable, which really sucks when I'm driving or in the office. My next follow up appointment is next Friday which will be at just under 5 weeks since the injury. I don't know if this healing, or honestly, lack thereof is normal for this type of injury or if I should be trying to get an earlier appointment. I'm just sick of hobbling around and being in pain. H and my kids are helping more, but honestly, not without complaint. The last time I had a soft tissue injury it took forever to heal, I went through PT, got an MRI that showed nothing, finally had to get an MRI with contrast which showed a TFCC tear in my wrist, and more PT. They eventually wanted to do surgery but I chickened out, so now I have permanent weakness in my left wrist and still get pain on occasion. I hate to complain, but I'm so frustrated. I never expected to be in pain this long, and at the very least, thought that I would be doing better by now.

[devonpow]

I would go to PT. It sounds like you have done it before and yes it can take a long time, but for something like this it helps. I injured my knee (while rolling over to sun my back in a cabana on vacation lol - isn’t getting old fun??) and has to do PT for months- also hurt my neck last summer for unknown reasons and PT/sports massage was necessary. In both cases the real issues were other parts of my body and needing to focus exercises on those other areas (my hips for my knee, my entire upper body being out of whack due to scoliosis for my neck) to help the injury. It sounds like your doctors advice isn’t working or helpful right now, so a second opinion or a good PT person can help.