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

I guess no one is viewing this posting but I'll try again. Wanted to update you all. Today I will be going for my first physical therapy session. They will evaluate me and then do my first treatment. Time will tell

Melody

My brother tore his meniscus while hiking , and still gives him trouble after the surgery years later. But I don't know how good the surgeon was.. he hasn't gone back to that one , I suggested he see another dr but hasn't done it yet..

He didn't have the added things you list..

hope you get well soon..

Hi there.

Well, we shall see. I never knew that one could have unsuccessful meniscus surgery and after what happened to Joan Rivers, believe me, I don't want any procedure done unless I absolutely have to.

I believe we can heal ourselves.

I'll surely update you later on. Thanks so much for replying.

melody

Hi Melody,

I am sorry you have not had more responses than you have so far. I would like to weigh in but I don't know enough about your MRI readings to be able to respond.

Just wanted you to know that I am hoping you will soon be better. Physical therapy may be beneficial and steroid injections may also be of help reducing pain and inflammation.

I was just about to have my left knee injected but I also need a nerve block for something else and it would be too much steroid. Given the choice between the two, I opted for my nerve block. The knee injection will just have to wait until it is OK to have more steroids.

I have arthritis in both knees but my left knee is the one that hurts the most. I have some bone spurs in it and I am guessing they must move or something and up the pain on occasion.

Sure hope you continue to improve. Sorry I have nothing of value to contribute. Wishing you well.

Hi there. Never think you have nothing of value to say. The fact that you responded means a lot.

Today I went for my first physical therapy. I was a bit hesitant until they started. OMG, it felt wonderful. The funniest thing happened when I walked in with my walker. You see I'm 66 years old but I'm 21 in my head so I don't think or act like any 66 year old. So they are assuring me that I will be helped by the physical therapy. I let them do their thing. They put pads or electrodes and covered them with hot packs and revved it up. I had to tell them when it was too high. I told them, and they left it on for 20 minutes. Felt great. Then the guy came in and massaged my knee, then the other guy came in and did the ultrasound. Then they said "we are going to bring you into the exercise room". I said 'I'M DOING EXERCISE???" They misinterpreted my asking and assured me "Don't worry, it won't hurt, it will strenthen your muscles, exercise is beneficial". Well, I burst out laughing and exclaimed

"Will I be able to return to my Senior Citizens Center and attend a sword wielding class". They looked at me and I took out my Kindle Fire and as they say, one video is worth a thousand words". I always take videos to show people what I do at the senior center. They actually have sword classes and once I held the sword and was wielding it while someone took a 15 second video. You should have seen the look on the physical therapist's face when I showed him my video (and the other ones where I'm doing chair exercises with other people and I'm moving every part of my body" He burst out laughing.

So today in the exercise room, he put 2 pound weights on my ankle and I did what I was told to do. I was also told that one cannot heal a torn miniscus because there is no blood flow to it but one can heal the rest of the knee so it won't get worse (at least I can hope to achieve this). I know me, I'll do whatever is necessary.

I will be going 3 times a week. I had a ball at the physical therapy place.

Might even be wielding a sword again some day. rofl.

Melody

Hi Melody,
I'm sorry you're dealing with all this at the moment.
Nice to see you're in such good spirits as usual.

Just wanted to say "G'day".
It's been a while.

Lara

G Day back at ya. I do try. With all the gloom and doom in the world, I like to go around smiling. Even using a walker or a cane. Do you know how many people (that I personally know) have approached me and exclaimed "you use a cane??" Then they say "I would NEVER use a walker or a cane". Then I say "Then you are stupid and vain and don't you care if you fall??" Their response? "no, I won't be seen using a walker or a cane". And they continue to wear flip flops outside which is beyond stupid if one is 80 years old. Good Lord, the stuff I hear on a daily basis.

And today at the physical therapist's office there was a woman with sciatica who used an old fashioned kind of walker (without a seat). She saw my walker and exclaimed "Oh my 89 year old mother uses that". I said "thank god for this, it comes with a seat, how come you don't use this kind (because she had her own walker)". Her response "I would NEVER want my boyfriend to see me use that kind of walker, that's my mother's kind of walker">

rofl.

Melody

Hi Melody,

Sure enjoyed reading about your physical therapy session. Keep up the great job you are doing. You will be wielding that sword again before you know it.

I did physical therapy once for several weeks, three times a week and I did NOT have an enjoyable experience. I guess with YOUR attitude, you can turn anything into a good time. Maybe I just had the wrong attitude. You are an inspiration.

Thanks so much for sharing with us. And I LIKE the walkers WITH the seat and I am in MY 60's. I wish I had one. They aren't for old people,..... they are for people that need to be able to sit at times. That's me. I can't stand or walk more than a few minutes before I need to SIT somewhere and there is not always a place to sit sometimes. I have had to take to the floor of a store before because I just could not stand for another second and there was no place to sit. Then I couldn't get UP from the floor. Now, THAT is embarrassing. I think a walker with a seat is a far better preference than the store floor.

THAT I can relate to. When admonished to act my age, my standard comeback is, "mental, physical, or chronological?"

Not knowledgable enough to respond to the OP.

Doc