Hi. I have had Osteoarthritis for over 20 years. All over. But I lost weight, joined a senior center and have been otherwise okay for some time. I am also diabetic. Controlled with insulin.

I had been going to the Senior Center and they do chair exercises. Everyone is OVER 70 and they climb on chairs and they have no problems. I dont' climb on anything but I do upper body stuff and then I do lower body stretching. Then almost 4 weeks ago, they dragged me to the front of the place and said "you teach, you teach", so there I was, teaching them how to disco dance and moving my body (never realizing I was being an idiot) to do this to my knees.

Oh, during the early month of August, the weather was NUTS here in Brooklyn, hot in the daytime and cold in the evening. I was in PAIN all over.


So about 2 weeks or so ago, I must have zigged when I should have zagged (I was in my apartment, limping for days, thinking it was only arthritis). I never went anywhere, just used hot compresses on my knees.

Well!!! all of a sudden, something behind my right knee snapped. Like a band or something. I cried out, (I did not drop or fall). I just made my way to the phone and called 911 and they guys came and carried me down two flights of stairs to the ER, where they examined me, saying things like NO EDEMA, lateral this and that and one doc said "Getting old Sucks", and we'll take an x-ray which showed nothing at all. He said "See how you do in 5 days you might need an MRI" When my primary care doc was notified, he called them all jerks and said "you need an MRI" so yesterday I went. (Oh, for the past 12 days I graduated from a wheelchair, to a walker, to a cane, and now I can get around but I do it gingerly (BUT I DO WALK). Oh, when this happened my knee DID NOT swell up or anything.

So I took the MRI yesterday and because I have connections, I got the report today (don't ask how I did this, I just did it).

Here is the impression of the left knee:

1. Medial meniscal tear
2. Degenerative change with joint effusion
3. 1.5 cm multilobulated ganglion proximal tibiofibular joint with intraosseous extension to the tibia. No ovious muscle atrophy or denervation.

(I was at the podiatrist when the reports came in and I asked him). He said "you have arthritis, you have a tear in the miniscus and you have a cyst on your ganglion (or something to that effect). Only the report on the left knee was available while I was in his chair. The report on the right knee came AFTER I was walking out the door of their office.

Here's the impression of the right knee:

1. Medial Miniscus tear (we all know what this is right?)
2. Degenerative change medial joint and patellofemoral joint. (I have arthritis in my knee right?)
3. 4 mm loose body posterior to the medial miniscus. (does this refer to the snapping thing behind my knee that almost killed me with the pain?)
4. joint effusion. (this is water on the knee right?)

These reports will be going to my doctor who ordered the MRI, I discussed this a few days ago and he said "Melody, there are injections and physical therapy" I looked up what exercises are for a torn miniscus and I have been gently doing them on my bed.

But I will be seeing my doctor next week and I would imagine he will refer me to an ortho person, but I just wanted to post these impressions so any of you wise all knowing ortho people can take a look at what I have in my knees and tell me EXACTLY what is going on.

Thanks much guys.

Melody