new member that needs advice

Posted March 20, 2007 · March 20, 2007

Hi. I'm so thankful that I found this group. Hopefully some of you can help.

I'm a 35 year old female that was just diagnosed in November with Grade IV

Chondromalacia.

My left knee just started bothering me in September. I'm not quite sure how I

got to be a grade IV so fast.

A little background on me.

I've had a weight problem since college. Nothing too out of control. While I

wasn't slim, I did manage to control my weight somewhat by exercising. I walked

in my neighborhood or used a treadmill when it was cold or raining. Sometimes I

used a stair stepper. I always seemed to have many steps to climb throughout my

day. My office was on the second floor (my boss,god love her- managed to get me

an office on the first floor in December) Until I bought my house, I lived in an

old apartment building on the top floor. It had four flights of stairs, no

elevator. The laundry room was in the basement. I thought this was all pretty

good exercise. I never had a bit of trouble with my knee although I guess the

whole time I was doing lots of damage.

In 2004 ,I gave birth to my first and only child. A beautiful baby girl who

is the love of my life. I had to go back to work full time because I am the

insurance carrier. Boy did I really suffer from working mothers guilt. I still

do but those first two years were very tough. I pretty much focused all my free

time on her and really let myself go. 50lbs. later, I look in the mirror and

wonder who that fat girl is looking back at me. I decided when I turned 35 to

do something about it. I went back to my old exercise routine and that is when

my trouble began. I thought I just had torn cartilage or something of that

nature. My GP sent me to a sports medicine doctor who broke the bad news after

getting my MRI results. He also did an X-ray of my right knee and said it

appears that it is going bad too. (Although it does not bother me much)

We have tried cortizone shots, months of physical therapy, and Euflexa

injections. Nothing seems to help. I don't have access to a pool but I did get

an exercise bike. I must confess though, I don't do much with it. By the end

of the work day and life with an active toddler, I can barely walk. Most days I

just don't have it in me to get on that bike.

Monday, I have an appointment with a surgeon. I just don't know what to

expect. My doctor mentioned that he may want to do a lateral release. Has

anyone got relief from this kind of surgery? I'm really concerned about the

recovery time. How long will I have to off of work? I am an earlychildhood

specialist at a library. Somedays are more hectic than others. I spend a few

hours on my feet and the rest behind a desk. Is there a lot of physical therapy

after this kind of surgery? I'm not even sure that is the kind of surgery he is

going to do. What else is there? I would really appreciate an input you have!

Thanks!

Misty

Posted March 23, 2007 · March 23, 2007

Hi Misty, and welcome to the Group.

Don't panic yet. It is possible that your cartilage isn't as bad as

the doc said. MRIs are notoriously unreliable and sports medicine

docs aren't the best either.

I would guess that your pain is coming from the ligaments and tendons

that surround the knee. When you were pregnant with your little

girl, your body releases progesterone, which loosens your joints to

prepare for labor. Unfortunatly, this affects all your joints (not

just your hips), and often leads to bad backs, etc. for women with

newborns -- its not just all the bending and lifting that does it.

Anyway, this could have been a contributing factor to your

knee " loosening up. " Your cartilage damage could be a result of

this. Your pain is likely coming from the ligaments and tendons

though, not your cartilage.

You have alot of work ahead of you to try to determine what, exactly,

is your problem. Try to see as many different types of doctors as

you can. We've found in this Group that you may have to see 5 or

more docs before you find someone who has a handle on what is really

going on. Try to find someone, like a D.O. (osteopathic doctor) that

will look at your entire body, not just your knee.

In the meantime, I would suggest you avoid surgery until you have

completely run out of other options. A lateral release is (in my

opinion) a crap shoot. You can Google plenty of information about

the procedure, but it is often unsuccessful, and can make things

worse. Be sure to try everything else first.

Keep searching for information, and keep asking this Group

questions. There are alot of very knowledgeable people here. You'll

find that you get the most responses from short, specific questions.

You really need to become a knee expert.

Good luck and keep researching!

- Doug

>

> Hi. I'm so thankful that I found this group. Hopefully some of

you can help.

> I'm a 35 year old female that was just diagnosed in November with

Grade IV Chondromalacia.

> My left knee just started bothering me in September. I'm not

quite sure how I got to be a grade IV so fast.

> A little background on me.

> I've had a weight problem since college. Nothing too out of

control. While I wasn't slim, I did manage to control my weight

somewhat by exercising. I walked in my neighborhood or used a

treadmill when it was cold or raining. Sometimes I used a stair

stepper. I always seemed to have many steps to climb throughout my

day. My office was on the second floor (my boss,god love her-

managed to get me an office on the first floor in December) Until I

bought my house, I lived in an old apartment building on the top

floor. It had four flights of stairs, no elevator. The laundry room

was in the basement. I thought this was all pretty good exercise. I

never had a bit of trouble with my knee although I guess the whole

time I was doing lots of damage.

> In 2004 ,I gave birth to my first and only child. A beautiful

baby girl who is the love of my life. I had to go back to work full

time because I am the insurance carrier. Boy did I really suffer

from working mothers guilt. I still do but those first two years

were very tough. I pretty much focused all my free time on her and

really let myself go. 50lbs. later, I look in the mirror and wonder

who that fat girl is looking back at me. I decided when I turned 35

to do something about it. I went back to my old exercise routine and

that is when my trouble began. I thought I just had torn cartilage

or something of that nature. My GP sent me to a sports medicine

doctor who broke the bad news after getting my MRI results. He also

did an X-ray of my right knee and said it appears that it is going

bad too. (Although it does not bother me much)

> We have tried cortizone shots, months of physical therapy, and

Euflexa injections. Nothing seems to help. I don't have access to a

pool but I did get an exercise bike. I must confess though, I don't

do much with it. By the end of the work day and life with an active

toddler, I can barely walk. Most days I just don't have it in me to

get on that bike.

> Monday, I have an appointment with a surgeon. I just don't know

what to expect. My doctor mentioned that he may want to do a lateral

release. Has anyone got relief from this kind of surgery? I'm

really concerned about the recovery time. How long will I have to

off of work? I am an earlychildhood specialist at a library.

Somedays are more hectic than others. I spend a few hours on my feet

and the rest behind a desk. Is there a lot of physical therapy after

this kind of surgery? I'm not even sure that is the kind of surgery

he is going to do. What else is there? I would really appreciate an

input you have!

> Thanks!

> Misty

>

Posted March 23, 2007 · March 23, 2007

Misty,

Doug gave great advice. Postpone surgery as long as possible and get

several opinions

Don

On 3/23/07, dougfromct2002 <dougfromct2002@...> wrote:

>

> Hi Misty, and welcome to the Group.

>

> Don't panic yet. It is possible that your cartilage isn't as bad as

> the doc said. MRIs are notoriously unreliable and sports medicine

> docs aren't the best either.

>

> I would guess that your pain is coming from the ligaments and tendons

> that surround the knee. When you were pregnant with your little

> girl, your body releases progesterone, which loosens your joints to

> prepare for labor. Unfortunatly, this affects all your joints (not

> just your hips), and often leads to bad backs, etc. for women with

> newborns -- its not just all the bending and lifting that does it.

>

> Anyway, this could have been a contributing factor to your

> knee " loosening up. " Your cartilage damage could be a result of

> this. Your pain is likely coming from the ligaments and tendons

> though, not your cartilage.

>

> You have alot of work ahead of you to try to determine what, exactly,

> is your problem. Try to see as many different types of doctors as

> you can. We've found in this Group that you may have to see 5 or

> more docs before you find someone who has a handle on what is really

> going on. Try to find someone, like a D.O. (osteopathic doctor) that

> will look at your entire body, not just your knee.

>

> In the meantime, I would suggest you avoid surgery until you have

> completely run out of other options. A lateral release is (in my

> opinion) a crap shoot. You can Google plenty of information about

> the procedure, but it is often unsuccessful, and can make things

> worse. Be sure to try everything else first.

>

> Keep searching for information, and keep asking this Group

> questions. There are alot of very knowledgeable people here. You'll

> find that you get the most responses from short, specific questions.

> You really need to become a knee expert.

>

> Good luck and keep researching!

>

> - Doug

>

> >

> > Hi. I'm so thankful that I found this group. Hopefully some of

> you can help.

> > I'm a 35 year old female that was just diagnosed in November with

> Grade IV Chondromalacia.

> > My left knee just started bothering me in September. I'm not

> quite sure how I got to be a grade IV so fast.

> > A little background on me.

> > I've had a weight problem since college. Nothing too out of

> control. While I wasn't slim, I did manage to control my weight

> somewhat by exercising. I walked in my neighborhood or used a

> treadmill when it was cold or raining. Sometimes I used a stair

> stepper. I always seemed to have many steps to climb throughout my

> day. My office was on the second floor (my boss,god love her-

> managed to get me an office on the first floor in December) Until I

> bought my house, I lived in an old apartment building on the top

> floor. It had four flights of stairs, no elevator. The laundry room

> was in the basement. I thought this was all pretty good exercise. I

> never had a bit of trouble with my knee although I guess the whole

> time I was doing lots of damage.

> > In 2004 ,I gave birth to my first and only child. A beautiful

> baby girl who is the love of my life. I had to go back to work full

> time because I am the insurance carrier. Boy did I really suffer

> from working mothers guilt. I still do but those first two years

> were very tough. I pretty much focused all my free time on her and

> really let myself go. 50lbs. later, I look in the mirror and wonder

> who that fat girl is looking back at me. I decided when I turned 35

> to do something about it. I went back to my old exercise routine and

> that is when my trouble began. I thought I just had torn cartilage

> or something of that nature. My GP sent me to a sports medicine

> doctor who broke the bad news after getting my MRI results. He also

> did an X-ray of my right knee and said it appears that it is going

> bad too. (Although it does not bother me much)

> > We have tried cortizone shots, months of physical therapy, and

> Euflexa injections. Nothing seems to help. I don't have access to a

> pool but I did get an exercise bike. I must confess though, I don't

> do much with it. By the end of the work day and life with an active

> toddler, I can barely walk. Most days I just don't have it in me to

> get on that bike.

> > Monday, I have an appointment with a surgeon. I just don't know

> what to expect. My doctor mentioned that he may want to do a lateral

> release. Has anyone got relief from this kind of surgery? I'm

> really concerned about the recovery time. How long will I have to

> off of work? I am an earlychildhood specialist at a library.

> Somedays are more hectic than others. I spend a few hours on my feet

> and the rest behind a desk. Is there a lot of physical therapy after

> this kind of surgery? I'm not even sure that is the kind of surgery

> he is going to do. What else is there? I would really appreciate an

> input you have!

> > Thanks!

> > Misty

> >

Posted March 23, 2007 · March 23, 2007

Misty,

Here's my .02.......

In your original post several things popped out at me.

Like Doug mentioned, hormonal changes can play an

effect in your joints. Also, I read that you've gained

some frustration/guilt weight (been there, done that),

and I know you probably realize that extra weight is

truly a killer on knees. I fight this battle myself.

I also noticed that you seem to want to exercise, try

it for awhile, then let it go because of time and/or

pain. Again, a very common thing, we've all done

that, I think. However, the stopping/starting of any

exercise program can aggrevate " touchy " knees. I've

found that my knee doesn't like to be exercised too

hard, but if I don't do anything other than my daily

work/walking, it doesn't like THAT either.

SO here are my thoughts. There are a lot of people

out there who have really bad, crappy knees and they

don't feel a thing. So, even if you're being told that

it's grade IV, bad stuff, it doesn't mean your knees

are " done for " . As Doug mentioned, MRI's and X-Rays

don't always tell the whole story.

I would, if I were in your situation, try again with a

physical therapist. Not someone who just has you

doing leg lifts, but someone who will work with your

whole body. Hips, ankles, etc. all play a part in

" how you walk on your knees " ....and strengthening or

aligning these areas may give you relief. You have to

find someone who goes further than just the couple of

quad exercises (they are important, but only a part of

it). I would also find a way, somehow, to lose any

extra weight. Nope, not saying that because I'm the

queen of thin.......far from it......it's a daily

struggle for me and lately, I've been on the " extra

tonnage " end of it and my knees are feeling it. But,

bottom line, extra weight is extra pressure on the

joints.

Exercise wisely. You may have to go the extra

distance to find a pool to swim at. Swimming is an

all around good non weight bearing exercise that gets

the whole body moving. Ask a physical therapist about

other exercises appropriate for you. Bike riding is

good, provided you have a good bike fit. The other

exercise idea is to look at Pilates Core

Strengthening. It's a good all around exercise for

your body and your knees will benefit. Lots of

exercise ideas out there, you may have to modify some,

but it's doable to find something you can do. And

don't overdo!!!! MORE is NOT better. Putting your

joints through their entire motion via Pilates, or

Yoga is a good thing.....you don't have to run a

marathon, if you know what i mean.

I've also found that giving food and liquids some

thought can help. Whether it's psychological or not,

I've found that if I eat really crappy, sugar laden,

fatty foods (my favorite!!) then the next day or so

I'm just a little bit more sore, a little bit more in

pain. For some of us I think there's the possibility

of certain foods activating almost an auto immune

response that makes us ache. Drinking lots of water

seems to help me...when I get dehydrated EVERYTHING

aches.

BTW, I've had a lateral release done, as well as a

prior surgery for an articular defect, and while I

used to be gung ho about surgeries, I've learned (and

been told by my last surgeon) everytime they go into

the knee, even arthroscopically, the possibility of

scar tissue forming " may " aggrevate whatever your

orginal problem was.

Recovery from a LR can be relatively easy (mine was)

or it can be incredibly difficult and painful. It all

depends on how it affects your knee structure. If I

were you, I'd fully exhaust all possibilites prior to

having any surgeries done. Have you looked into visco

supplementation?? SuPartz or Synvisc injections that

inject a viscuous fluid to cushion the joint. Some

people have had great success, other's minimally.

Knees are funny, almost like snowflakes, no two alike!

Good luck, keep asking questions,

nne

Re: Re: new member

that needs advice

Misty,

Doug gave great advice. Postpone surgery as long as

possible and get

several opinions

Don

On 3/23/07, dougfromct2002 <dougfromct2002@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi Misty, and welcome to the Group.

>

> Don't panic yet. It is possible that your cartilage

isn't as bad as

> the doc said. MRIs are notoriously unreliable and

sports medicine

> docs aren't the best either.

>

> I would guess that your pain is coming from the

ligaments and tendons

> that surround the knee. When you were pregnant with

your little

> girl, your body releases progesterone, which loosens

your joints to

> prepare for labor. Unfortunatly, this affects all

your joints (not

> just your hips), and often leads to bad backs, etc.

for women with

> newborns -- its not just all the bending and lifting

that does it.

>

> Anyway, this could have been a contributing factor

to your

> knee " loosening up. " Your cartilage damage could be

a result of

> this. Your pain is likely coming from the ligaments

and tendons

> though, not your cartilage.

>

> You have alot of work ahead of you to try to

determine what, exactly,

> is your problem. Try to see as many different types

of doctors as

> you can. We've found in this Group that you may have

to see 5 or

> more docs before you find someone who has a handle

on what is really

> going on. Try to find someone, like a D.O.

(osteopathic doctor) that

> will look at your entire body, not just your knee.

>

> In the meantime, I would suggest you avoid surgery

until you have

> completely run out of other options. A lateral

release is (in my

> opinion) a crap shoot. You can Google plenty of

information about

> the procedure, but it is often unsuccessful, and can

make things

> worse. Be sure to try everything else first.

>

> Keep searching for information, and keep asking this

Group

> questions. There are alot of very knowledgeable

people here. You'll

> find that you get the most responses from short,

specific questions.

> You really need to become a knee expert.

>

> Good luck and keep researching!

>

> - Doug

>

> >

> > Hi. I'm so thankful that I found this group.

Hopefully some of

> you can help.

> > I'm a 35 year old female that was just diagnosed

in November with

> Grade IV Chondromalacia.

> > My left knee just started bothering me in

September. I'm not

> quite sure how I got to be a grade IV so fast.

> > A little background on me.

> > I've had a weight problem since college. Nothing

too out of

> control. While I wasn't slim, I did manage to

control my weight

> somewhat by exercising. I walked in my neighborhood

or used a

> treadmill when it was cold or raining. Sometimes I

used a stair

> stepper. I always seemed to have many steps to climb

throughout my

> day. My office was on the second floor (my boss,god

love her-

> managed to get me an office on the first floor in

December) Until I

> bought my house, I lived in an old apartment

building on the top

> floor. It had four flights of stairs, no elevator.

The laundry room

> was in the basement. I thought this was all pretty

good exercise. I

> never had a bit of trouble with my knee although I

guess the whole

> time I was doing lots of damage.

> > In 2004 ,I gave birth to my first and only child.

A beautiful

> baby girl who is the love of my life. I had to go

back to work full

> time because I am the insurance carrier. Boy did I

really suffer

> from working mothers guilt. I still do but those

first two years

> were very tough. I pretty much focused all my free

time on her and

> really let myself go. 50lbs. later, I look in the

mirror and wonder

> who that fat girl is looking back at me. I decided

when I turned 35

> to do something about it. I went back to my old

exercise routine and

> that is when my trouble began. I thought I just had

torn cartilage

> or something of that nature. My GP sent me to a

sports medicine

> doctor who broke the bad news after getting my MRI

results. He also

> did an X-ray of my right knee and said it appears

that it is going

> bad too. (Although it does not bother me much)

> > We have tried cortizone shots, months of physical

therapy, and

> Euflexa injections. Nothing seems to help. I don't

have access to a

> pool but I did get an exercise bike. I must confess

though, I don't

> do much with it. By the end of the work day and life

with an active

> toddler, I can barely walk. Most days I just don't

have it in me to

> get on that bike.

> > Monday, I have an appointment with a surgeon. I

just don't know

> what to expect. My doctor mentioned that he may want

to do a lateral

> release. Has anyone got relief from this kind of

surgery? I'm

> really concerned about the recovery time. How long

will I have to

> off of work? I am an earlychildhood specialist at a

library.

> Somedays are more hectic than others. I spend a few

hours on my feet

> and the rest behind a desk. Is there a lot of

physical therapy after

> this kind of surgery? I'm not even sure that is the

kind of surgery

> he is going to do. What else is there? I would

really appreciate an

> input you have!

> > Thanks!

> > Misty

> >

> > [Non-text portions of this message have been

removed]

> >

>

Posted March 30, 2007 · March 30, 2007

Hi

I had lateral release surgery on my left knee in 2005. The missed

time from work was 2 weeks. I was on crutches for about a month I

think. I did not have any pain from the surgery. The surgery did help

me for about 6 months then unfortunately I started having problems

again.

However, I did not do physical therapy because I could not afford it.

The lateral release has helped some, and some it hasn't.

I think you should discuss with your doctor/surgeon more at length of

your alternative options to surgery.

Also, what has helped me is wearing an ACE knee brace that has metal

side supporters/stabilizers. I found this at my local drug store.

I take ibuproflen and similiar meds for pain and inflammation. I have

had to limit myself regarding exertion but have finally accepted the

fact that my knees will not ever be the same as they were before.

Nothing is a miracle cure, you have to set your state of mind at what

you can do and what you can't do.