Extremely Frustrated and Losing Hope

[jim2406]

daedalus,

some words of hope:

i have had several surgeries on my left knee, after a quiet period everything was OK then my knee started crunching (And hurting) as I straightened it.

had MRI scans, x-rays, etc... didn't show anything. OS wouldn't go near it again, said its 'just crepitus' and to live with it. I saw someone else for a second opinion and was told 'its just wear and tear... youll need a knee replacement in a few years probably'.

i saw a new surgeon, who said he can have a look, since something seems wrong, and if he finds something and fixes it, great - if he doesn't, the odds of it making things worse are low.

i had the surgery.

turns out i had a small bone spur getting in the way of the knee straightening. as soon as i woke up my knee felt better and i can straighten it now without pain.

i still have other problems, but i had those anyway. so even though 2 OS' told me that there was nothing wrong and nothing i could do, and scans were negative, there was still a surgical solution that made things better.

good luck,
jim

[daedalus]

eagle mom and jim, thanks so much for your replies.

you are absolutely right that i am the only one who can make the decision about surgery. the good thing is that out of all the OS's i've seen (and i've seen a lot - 5 or 6), i trust this last one the most. he said he is a "minimalist" and if i elect for surgery, he would do the bare minimum he deems necessary to fix the problem and not touch things that don't need fixing.

at this point, i'm thinking i will try the PT for a month and see if there is any improvement whatsoever. if not, i will probably bite the bullet and get the scope done.

it's sad to say, but i'm starting to think i will just have to deal with this pain for the rest of my life. i'm only 31 and was formerly very active. i know many people here have problems much worse than mine, and i give them so much credit for being strong and working through it. it's not easy.

[jathib]

Even if the doctor himself thinks he will find nothing by doing a scope? He basically said if we do a scope, he thinks he will not see anything wrong inside my knee and then just cut the plica and see if that helps me. Doesn't sound very reassuring to me.

Also, am I wrong in thinking a scope is a diagnostic tool? Isn't it possible the MRIs and Xrays don't show something that is wrong?

Absolutely, if you're in pain then something is wrong. MRIs and x-rays can miss things. Maybe the plica is causing pain. If you have one then you have something in your knee that is not supposed to be there. They cause pain.

Scopes are indeed diagnostics tools. It's what they use when they can't find anything else with non-invasive tests and the patient is still in pain. Again, if you're in pain, something is wrong. After more than two years I'd think you'd be ready. When the pain is bad enough you will be.

So, say your doctor goes in and finds nothing. You're sore for a month and then back where you started no worse for the experience. But what if he does find something? He fixes it and a month later you're asking yourself why in the hell you waited so long. Yes, I know, some people get worse after scopes but the majority don't. It's a chance you take when you get desperate. Personally, I find that scopes of the knee are a walk in the park. I've had four of them and was back to normal within a month each time. And this is when something *was* wrong beforehand. I realize I'm nonchalant about surgery since I've had so many of them (over 20) and I've never ended up worse for the experience. For other people it's a major amount of stress and fear and a whole lot of other things. I think you know this isn't going away because you keep coming in here and telling us about it and seemingly wanting people to tell you what to do. At the end of the day, you have to make the decision yourself. Either spend the rest of your life in the pain you're feeling now or suck it up and get the scope. We can't decide for you.

[daedalus]

thanks for your response, jathib. i agree that i am getting to the point where i don't have much to lose by getting a scope. i'm just not convinced i have much to gain either by getting a scope.

i am not expecting people here to tell me what to do. i post here to discuss my issue with people who may have had similar experiences or may have more knowledge about this subject than i do. i know that complaining won't solve anything, but it does help me just to vent sometimes. i really appreciate everyone's help and i understand in the end the decision is mine.

[jathib]

thanks for your response, jathib. i agree that i am getting to the point where i don't have much to lose by getting a scope. i'm just not convinced i have much to gain either by getting a scope.

Actually, you do have something to gain, a resolution to your pain. You're looking for hope, a scope will give you that.

[gigi67]

hey D

I personally think that it is wise of you to consider this so thoroughly. Many people jump right into surgeries without fully researching options, possible complications, further complications that surgeries can lead to. the truth is there have been unecessary surgeries performed..most surgeons are advocates for it because ..thats their service...surgery.. ergo the word " surgeon " in their title. ( I'm not being smart with you I promise)

I have also had a great many surgeries performed in my life and I CAN say that had I been properly informed I may have made a different decision here and there althoug ultimately each surgery was overall necessary but you have to take the good with the bad of course for example: ... one surgery can create too much scar tissue and some surgeries followed by immobilization can sometimes lead to RSDS which is what happened to me but i got over the worse part of it all in time.
Therefore your are certainly not wrong in waiting this out as you have done. that being said..there may come a time when you do have to make a decision one way or another and just deal with things as they happen..because nothing at all may happen and you may bounce back like a rubber biscuit and feel fantastic! some of my " lesser" surgeries went very smooth indeed and I dont regreat them at all!!!

I have been without insurance since august and although I have had some pain issues with my knee and older break to my tibia..I have not been back to a dr because of obvious reasons associated with no insurance..BUT even though my insurance will kick in January..I could run right off and go to my OS and ask for an MRI, scope, etc...but I figure I have made it this long without a dr involved and simply dealt with any discomfort Ive had as it comes..
in a sense I have learned to live with it. as many do. the truth is that i dont know of anyone that doesnt hurt somewhere on their body every day.
Of course that doesnt mean you dont have options..you clearly do: scope \ 2nd opinion \ try current OS suggestions\ decide its bearable pain and find quality of life somehow\ ask your Os about other options like pain clinic, injections, etc

And you r right:
your doing what everyone else here does....coming here to find others with the same experiences
or similar ones...and that is part of the process of making and " informed decison".. " informed"..requires research and asking and discussing.. so you are not doing anything wrong nor are you coming here looking for someone to tell you what to do..you are seeking opinions and help and suggestions..thats one of the primary reasons everyone else comes here..some come here to offer encouragement after they have made their journey, some are new and scared and want reasssurance, some seek information only, some need opinions of others, its normal to say " what do you think ? " ..most people ask that before even simple daily activities such as ...oh say ordering at a restaurant.
so you are fine....
keep asking and keep searching and keep posting.! sorry for any typos thats par for the course for me!