The Left Knee Problem

[Ed Hurst]

Context: The right knee is the one I tore up in the bicycle accident. It's functional and the discomfort is manageable on that one. The left knee is the one that started giving me trouble two years ago. Well, in the past few weeks it's gotten to the point it's not manageable. I can tolerate things to a degree, but I can't live like this too awfully long.

It hasn't been examined, so I don't know exactly what the problem is, but it's very load sensitive. I can ride the bike simply because I can shift down enough to reduce the pressure on the joint. Today I took a walk (± 1 mile) wearing my heavy pressure brace, and it was just barely tolerable. I'm not going to just sit and get fatter, so I'm going to ask my primary care doctor at the VA to refer me to the specialists. Given my past experience, this will take a long time just to get it rolling. Orthopedics is by far one of the most overworked sections in the system.

I honestly expect the prognosis to call for knee replacement. My VA hospital has a good record with that procedure, so I'm not afraid of it. Pray with me as I work through the system to see what they will do for me.

[forrealone]

You got it, Brother.   May our Lord bless you with pain tolerance for now, a soon consult with an orthopedic doc, the best remedy determined and the greatest outcome!

(best and greatest in Our Father's opinion)

Love you!

[jaybreak]

Sending prayers your way, bro!

[Ed Hurst]

Thanks folks. Here's some background. On the right knee, any further degradation is quite slow, unnoticeable. If it starts to hurt too much, just an ice pack or some other pain relief effort, and I'm back to normal. With the left knee, it has gotten steadily worse. When it starts to bother me, it takes a lot of rest to get back to some kind of normal, and that normal has shifted every time. I can ride for now, but even just going grocery shopping means putting on a heavy brace just to tolerate the situation. Even then, it may raise the background pain level for a day or two if I walk too long on it. Then, when the pain abates, it never quite goes back where it was before. Right now, I wear pain patches a lot, even when resting. This is why I believe it will end up being a knee replacement. Also, when it flares up, the top of my calf hurts, too.

[forrealone]

Thanks folks. Here's some background. On the right knee, any further degradation is quite slow, unnoticeable. If it starts to hurt too much, just an ice pack or some other pain relief effort, and I'm back to normal. With the left knee, it has gotten steadily worse. When it starts to bother me, it takes a lot of rest to get back to some kind of normal, and that normal has shifted every time. I can ride for now, but even just going grocery shopping means putting on a heavy brace just to tolerate the situation. Even then, it may raise the background pain level for a day or two if I walk too long on it. Then, when the pain abates, it never quite goes back where it was before. Right now, I wear pain patches a lot, even when resting. This is why I believe it will end up being a knee replacement. Also, when it flares up, the top of my calf hurts, too.

Oh my!  That hurts just hearing about it, much less you having to go through it!  God bless you with strength and the grit to get through this for now until real help/a solution happens.  We are strong - physically and in our faith, but dang ye old pain makes things challenging for sure.

I lift you up in my prayers daily every time i travel the world in my prayers and land in OK!  (A lot of folks all over are in my prayers).  That way I remember everyone!   

[Ed Hurst]

Today I'm going for x-rays on the knee. I'll be walking with my old cane to visit the VA. You probably should know something about my mindset here.

If there's some hope for a way to ameliorate the problem, then that's a blessing. If the medical system can't discern a way to do that, I'll probably end up back in a wheelchair as I was some twenty-five years ago. For the past week it has been really bad and getting worse. I'm not going to stop until there is no longer a way to keep going. I'll keep looking for a way forward. Right now, the bike is half wheelchair; it's better than walking.

I believe I've been faithful, so how it turns out is in God's hands.

[forrealone]

Today I'm going for x-rays on the knee. I'll be walking with my old cane to visit the VA. You probably should know something about my mindset here.

If there's some hope for a way to ameliorate the problem, then that's a blessing. If the medical system can't discern a way to do that, I'll probably end up back in a wheelchair as I was some twenty-five years ago. For the past week it has been really bad and getting worse. I'm not going to stop until there is no longer a way to keep going. I'll keep looking for a way forward. Right now, the bike is half wheelchair; it's better than walking.

I believe I've been faithful, so how it turns out is in God's hands.

Well like you, I am a firm believer in leaving everything in God's hands so that no matter how things turn out, I/we know He is in control. I lift you up my dear Brother that Father will give you everything you need. And no one knows better than He what you need. I love you, I am here for you and I will continue to pray for you.  Keep us posted.    

[Ed Hurst]

The diagnosis is degenerative joint disease. That's hardly news; it's just the label that determines who the VA will handle it. For now, the first round will be physical therapy. I get to learn new rules about what I can and cannot do. But it may also include a new kind of knee brace, which is probably okay. And it could eventually result in knee replacement, which is what I believe will happen.

[jaybreak]

Therapy should help, but if it only lets you get to a certain point they should be considering a knee replacement. If the VA is worth anything, that is.

[Ed Hurst]

Part of the game is that the Physical Therapy division of the hospital gets to decide what happens next. It's not just the therapy they do there, but they are the ones who make referrals for prosthetics, surgery, etc.