"Frank Reid" wrote

In all seriousness, there are a few denizens here with bad knees. They
can't handle the walk to the water.



Thought I'd chime in for the other knee-impaired readers with an update and
some infopinion

BEfore my arthroscopic surgery to clean up very badly torn cartilage ( the
dread Meniscus ) on both sides of my left knee I was told, "You also have a
little arthritis, so it won't be perfect, but it should be very much
better." ( the surgeon looked out the window at his Porsche, as he spoke
.... I now wonder if he was thinking of the payments ) I haven't seen the
Dr's bill, but just the hospital ( I was there 5 hours total, admission to
release ) was $22,000+ ( I had two surgeries, so the knee wasn't all that )
AFter the surgery I was told, "We cleaned up the knee as best we could,
trimmed the cartilage and tried to smooth some of the arthritis. But you
have a lot of arthritis, so you can't realistically expect it to be like
new. But it should be a little better than before. You may not need knee
replacement for several years, if you are lucky."

It's been several weeks, and I'm still hopeful, but at this point my knee is
little better than before. It IS different. The extremely intense, "I'm
falling down now, because my knee won't hold me," pain at the wrong twist
seems mostly gone ... replaced by an increased level of all the time pain at
any bend or movement.

But, to be fair and honest, I may be seeing slow improvement and it's now to
the point where I'm riding my bike increasing distances with less swelling
afterwards. I'm a very impatient patient ... hell, a plain impatient
person ... and quick to voice my displeasure on this and other issues, so I
should always be taken lightly. But, if you are considering this surgery,
ask about arthritis ... the surgery doesn't help arthritis much if at all.

One last knee note ... I took a bad rock climbing fall, nearly 40 years ago,
spent months on crutches and my left ankle has pointed the wrong direction
and hurt every step, since then. As my knee started to bother me more
and more, I tried to be 'tough' and assumed it was largely because of the
bad ankle causing increased stress and I getting old and simply wearing
out. As it turns out, that cartilage was most likely torn by a wildassed
Labrador blind siding me at some point(s) ( occupational hazard, I've had
two clients get their legs BROKEN this way ). Had I been less 'tough,'
and gotten to the HumanVet sooner, the arthritis may not have developed so
badly, I've suffered from the knee, increasingly, for several years. The
busted Meniscus is apparently no big deal, so don't let it become one.