dannyg1001

I had it done in November on a Thursday but I was back in work on Monday??? Whats all this talk of 2-6 weeks?

Next op wont be so easy though, getting my ACL rebuilt

i really did a number on myself... I was playing football and some lad kicked my knee and it sort of went back on itself. Heard a POP but I didnt feel too bad afterwards, just a bit numb.

Next morning could not even get out of bed, i was in so much pain. Me being an idiot, i didnt go to the hospital, i just waited a week or so and it felt like it was getting better. I was on crutches but after a couple of weeks i felt fine.

After about 6 weeks i decided to play football, I never even got to kick the ball. I jumped up for a header and heard 3 loud POPS.

4 ligaments completely torn (including my ACL) and a dislocated knee cap.

Its been more than a year since i kicked a ball and still no sign of the main surgery. After that gets done they tell me another year of physio

Thinking of calling it a day... has anyone had similar surgery and played again????

onepixel

lol there is always someone who says... oh so and so was back up and on their feet half an hour after the operation lol It all depends on what you have done. I had my acl worked on and three meniscus tears fixed and other stuff done that has not been explained to me yet by my surgeon. I am still in pain three weeks later. It does not help that I am allergic to anti imf. drugs lol

Hope your next op goes ok, sounds very painful. Good luck.

Cape Blue

So what happened with the knee and what did the surgeon say?

onepixel

Thanks for asking,

I waited the three weeks after the surgery before I saw the surgeon. Again I spent less than 5 minutes with him. He said he was not sure why I was in so much pain still. He again said he seems some "arthritey" that is what he calls arthritis. I asked him how can I not be able to walk with a bit of arthritis? I asked what kind of arthritis.. he said it does not matter what kind it is, they are all the same. He again told me to get used to being in pain, it will only get worse. Keep in mind if it was any worse I would be hosue bound. I am in agony every single minute. He showed me a flap on a pictuer he had taken in my knee, I said what heck is that, he whisked it away and would not let me ask about it again. He wanted out of the room. He paced up and down and was visibly upset that I wanted to ask him questions. I was so upset and frustrated I demanded some pain medication. I have been in severe pain for two years without any pain relief. I am allergic to aspirin so can't take anti imf. drugs. He again announced he is a surgeon and that is not his job to give me pain relief. After getting more upset he basically chucked a script at me for Celebrex. I said can I take that with my aspirin allergy, he said .. try it and walked out.

Cape Blue

I think you need:

(1). A different knee specialist
(2). To request copies of the photos and scans
(3). To request a written report of what was found and what work was undertaken.
(I have done all three above in the past)
(4). Ice like a mad thing, several times per day
(5). Leg extensions (did you measure your quads to assess muscle atrophy?)
(6). Watch what you eat (knee does not need extra weight at this moment in time)

You can then look online for another specialist who can assess your data and give you better feedback.

Very depressing to be in your situation, daily pain can cause depression and along with reduced mobility can be a nightmare. You also have to listen to everyone saying "my cousin X had a knee scope and was running a marathon two days later"

onepixel

This is my 5th specialist. They have all treated me like crap. Not one single one has listened to me or taken any notice. I could type stories for hours of what bad treatment I have had. I have another specialist appt. in May. I will get all the documentation from that last specialist along with all the other xrays and mri's etc etc etc. I am in a new town with a new family doctor.. for a year now actually. I saw him last week and I had written down every single detail of what I have been through for the past two years. He sat there and read every word. I was crying. Not because I am immature, crying from the frustration and yes depression of being ignored and passed around. He looked over my previous blood work and other symptoms and is looking into some illnesses that might also be causing the severe constant swelling. He says my white blood cells have consistantly been too high etc etc.

Ice does not help, heat does not help. Nothing helps.. except... prednisone.

I have not measured my quads. I can ask my doctor too next time I see him to make sure it is done right I guess.

Back to the prednisone. Because I am allergic to all other drugs.. mostly that is a miracle cure for me. I know how dangerous it can be. At this point I don't care. I told my family doctor if he did not give me some for a week until my next appt. I would buy it online. He finally agreed and I have been on it for a week and I had my life back. I would walk.

Sorry for rambling on. I always defended the health care system until I had to actually use it.

Cape Blue

Sounds horrific, I know how you feel, as I said before, I am 7yrs and two operations and I still get daily pain.

From the prednisone and blood tests it sounds like you suspect an auto-immune issue?

Quad measuring is pretty easy to do yourself - come up the leg about 2" from the top of the knee cap (VMO muscle) and then place a bit of string around your leg - if you have muscle atrophy on your bad leg the string will be 1"+ shorter than your good leg. If so you knee to work the quad muscles - leg extensions and the book I mentioned earlier.

I am surprised that ice does not help, my experience is that I have to ice after every time I exercise my knee and it really helps prevent problems an hour or two later (when it would have inflamed and started trapping the fat pad).

Not that it makes you feel any better, but I have seen specialists in the UK, Spain and US with operations in Spain and the US. I have yet to find one I have full confidence in or who could communicate in a sensible fashion or who would take any ownership of the problem.

onepixel

Thank you for all your help. I will do the measuring in the morning. Yes my family doctor is looking into an auto-immune issue now too. I will keep you posted :-) I wish I could help you with your issue. If I win the lottery I will pay for the best doctors in the world to help us.

Alberta_Rose

It does sound as though you should be under the care of a rheumatologist rather than an orthopedic surgeon ... many of them (orthpods) are not very clever you know, and if they can't cut it out or put a screw in it they (often) really have no other ideas! I have worked with a great many orthopods now, and have met very few that overly impressed me.

Hope you find relief. Don't give up!

onepixel

Thank you,

I could post the review on this surgeon but I am not sure if it is against the forum rules.

caretaker

This thread is a real confidence builder - I get my surgery tomorrow at noon. Hopefully when I wake up they'll tell me how long I'll be off work and if I'll have to go for physio, etc. They're going to have to cough up reports for me though because it's a compensation case.

onepixel

Good luck Caretaker.

caretaker

Thanks, it was a piece of cake. He drilled 4 or 5 holes, smoothed out a nick in something, debrided something else and I was in and out in 4 hours and carrying my crutches under my arm 15 minutes later. Not exactly tap dancing but very little pain so confidence is high :-). Reading your horror stories makes me realize how much of a bullet I dodged! The post op exam's in 2 weeks and physio will phone me with an appt so I guess I'll get 2 weeks off anyway.
Good luck in your recovery.

Cape Blue

You're not making any friends here you know

Congrats, I'm please it appears to have worked so well.

onepixel

Great news,

It makes a huge difference when your surgeon knows what he is doing and actually cares.