Alright, here it is over two months later and my knee hurts - Actually both knees hurt.

I walk through the store and am near whimpering from the pain. Carry one gallon of milk, no problem, the weight of two causes pain.

Stand for 15 minutes, I am aching.

8-2-05 was the left knee, 8-22-05 was the right knee. One would think by now the pain would be gone - right?

Doct Said (Post op office visits) that the knees would take 4 to 6 months to completely heal, before I go to his office like a cry baby, should I wait for the other 2 months to pass? Or is this sort of pain indicative of something wrong?

I don't know myself, I do know I barely tolerate doctors, dislike hospitals and would rather pass on seeing a doctor or a hospital again.

BTW. I am still taking vicodin (yes its lasted me this long) I take it at night before bed to ease the pain so I can sleep. Only then, not during the day because it makes me feel dozy.
suggestions?

The advice I gave my patients in Home Health when I instructed them for post-op care about pain meds was this:

#1 Take the maximum dose prescribed before bed

#2 Lay out a drink of water and a maximum dose of pain meds allowed at your bedside. In the morning, before you get up, take the meds. Wait half an hour or so to allow the meds to get into your system, THEN get up to do your morning toilet.

#3 If there is an activity that you KNOW is going to give you pain, take a minimum dose about an hour before that work.

#4 If the meds make you nauseated, take it with something to eat/drink.

As for continuing to have pain, I would see the doctor. Didn't you have a post-op visit? If not, schedule one. If you did, get seen anyway. It seems a little extreme to still be having debilitating pain that long after surgery.

I scheduled appointment with the Orthopedist, the next available opening is November 3rd.

I am not amused here, last night my left knee “locked” for about 15 minutes. I twisted, turned, and found the combination of wiggles that unlocked it.

I feel like I am back to square one on this .

From that symptom I conclude that something is loose still or again.

I think the dawning realization here for me is that I may have to find a new line of work, I may have to give up a lot of the things I do, climbing ladders, crouching, kneeling, all of which cause the knees to go painful.

David, I am sorry, but that is often the case. After all, if you required surgery to repair injuries, most likely what you were doing before CASUED the injuries.. especially when they are cummulative effects.. slowly increased because of repeated small damages.



Perhaps you can get into a partnership with another person who can do the sort of work that exacerbates that specific problem you have with your knees.

If not, college is not unusual for men and women your age. Sagus is about your age I suspect and he is in college at this time and is likely to be there for another year or two.

I am glad you are seeing the doctor and getting another assessment. Sorry you had to wait so long to be seen though.

Make sure you get on the cancelation list, then maybe you can get in earlier of someone cancels.

Hey David - - I'm replying from having been there. I had the surgery you had...on both knees...actually had the full surgery, then the laproscopic surgery. I didn't experience that kind of pain from any one of the surgeries. For you to still feel that kind of pain 2 months later, that's really not right. I know that everyone heals differently, but I can't imagine that is typical. My Dad had a complete knee replacement and didn't experience that kind of pain afterwards.

If your knee is still locking, there has to be something still wrong. Perhaps they didn't get all the loose matter out of there or maybe you are already experiencing scar tissue that is getting in the way of things.

I'd definitely schedule an appointment with your doctor, or at least call and see what they say. You really shouldn't be having to continue with pain medications this long after the surgery was done.

I do think, though, that you said that you also had arthritis in the knee? If that's the case, maybe the pain is being caused from this? I'm no doctor, but I can understand where you're at with this. I've had the surgeries and I've had arthritis in my knee for about 25 years and I don't live with daily pain nor do I take anything for it.

It can't hurt to either see your orthopedic or get another opinion...
Good luck David!!
~Lydia

Yes Arthritis, how ever the doctor said that has not progressed enough to cause pain after my surgeries.

Right after the operation (in the recovery room) Danny recalls that the doctor said he didn't take all of it hoping that it would stay in place. I personally do not recall that, but hey I was slightly not altogether there, I barely recall anything from the first shot they put into that IV before the operation to the time I got in the car, everything else is kind of a blur.

Its the meniscus, from the pictures taken before Doc removed stuff there were signs (many) of tears and scar tissue. Obviously when I was younger (before 24) I had torn the meniscus and it had healed. After 24 years old the meniscus stops healing.

That is on the Left knee.

On the right knee I severly damaged the meniscus and had an operation to remove most of it years ago, the latest operation on that (August 22) The doctor kep me under longer and spent a lot of time being creative in shaping what is left of the meniscus to compensate for the bone wear. Due to the extent of the operation he severly warned me to not mess with it - meaning don't do anything strenous for 4- 6 months to allow everything to heal completely. I have minded my P's and Q's and have been extremely careful because I know that I don't get one more shot - and the doctor continues to tell me I am too young for total knee replacement and he would prefer to not put be through that since it will lead to another operation 20 years from now that would require a lot more work due to scar tissues.

He also told me there would be pain in the Right knee for a while. So I expected pain in that. It is the left knee that has been causing me a world of woes.

Retool? college? Partner? Might as well do me like they do horses when they break a leg - bullet to the head.


No seriously I love my work, I love working by myself. I can not think of anything I would rather be doing. Anything else would be just a job. :|