I did SUCH a dumb thing!

[Blueyes]

Well, I got to Seattle last Thursday. On Friday I fell down the stairs at Dustin's house. It was just the last 4 stairs, but I was sort of stepping down sideways and I really twisted my knee. I was supposed to stay there until the 8th, but I came home Tuesday. I had to get wheelchair help at the airport... it was such a long day! Anyway, I went to the Orthopedic doc Thursday. He did xrays and no bones are broken, so I had an MRI done yesterday. I'm supposed to find out those results on Tuesday. It's still really sore, and I sure hope it is something that will heal without surgery.

I hated to leave Seattle so early! I really wanted to get some food cooked and in the freezer for them, deep clean the house... you know, just go be supermom, lol! Joy had tickets for us to go to the Ballet. I've never been to a "real" ballet before, but maybe I'll get another chance:)

[gja1000]

Oh no Betsi! I hope everything turns out OK with NO NO NO surgery. I did a similar thing once - really stupid. I was visiting a friend in California and there was a step down into the den. I was not paying attention and stepped off the step and hyperextended my knee. :eek: I thought I was going to die. It hurt so bad. I limped around the rest of the visit and had to go to the doctor when I got home. Thankfully, it healed on its own, but the knee has never been the same. The bad thing is that it was my good knee. I blew out my ACL in the other knee playing basketball in HS. Back then, they did not graft ACL's so I just don't have one, which makes that knee really loose and unstable.

I'm resigned to having at least one, if not two knee replacements in my future.

[judy]

Betsi, what a shame! For you to cut short a family visit, it had to really be bad!!!

Hopefully, it's just a sprain. I once slipped in the cats' water bowl that had tipped over. What pain! It does take quite a while for a sprain to heal, but it does heal, and no surgery!

Keep us posted!!!

[DianaB]

How awful!! I just hate that you had to cut your trip short........I know how much you go and enjoy being with the kids. I hope you're right and your knee heals without surgery. The ballet will still be there for another time but how disappointing that you didn't get to go. I hope you get better soon.......Hugs!!!

[Janet]

Betsi, I hope you're feeling better now. It was a shame you had to leave early, but we usually feel and heal better at home.

[Blueyes]

Well, my doctor app't was today instead of tomorrow..duh! Anyway.. I have a complete tear of my MCL. It's my left knee, so that's the ligament that runs on the inside of my kneecap. It is torn off of the femur, but the doctor said it will heal by itself, YAY!! I am in a huge ugly brace for 3 weeks, only to be taken off to bathe.

There are of couple of other things wrong. I have degenerative-type tears (that's a nice way of saying I'm getting old) in my meniscus that were aggravated by the fall. There is also a piece of cartilage in there somewhere that may have to be surgically removed, but that can't be done until my MCL heals. Oh and of course I have osteoarthritis:rolleyes:

My knee does feel better in the brace. Thank you all for your concern:)

[Tiramisu]

Sorry, get your oldness healed real soon.

[Blueyes]

I'm working on the magic potion to heal my oldness NOW!!

[gja1000]

Oh Betsi! I'm sorry the injury is so bad, but glad it can heal on it's own! The cartilage can be fixed with just a little probe into the knee and sometimes they don't fix it if it doesn't bother you much. It's an easy surgery if they have to do it.

Take it easy and get that knee healed!

[Blueyes]

I will Gayle, thanks!

[Janet]

Oh Betsi, you poor thing! It sounds horrible but I'm really glad it doesn't feel quite as bad with the brace. It's also great that it will heal on it's own. Growing older can sometimes suck can't it?....lol. I've got more aches and pains than I care to. I'm sure if you take good care of you self and do what the Dr. tells you, that you'll be healed in no time. Hugs to you girl!!!

[JJJ]

Betsi I hope you recuperate quickly. Just rest and take all the supplements you need too.

Sending you positive thoughts and energy your way.

Ballet can hold for another day your health and safety first.

[judy]

Oh my!!! The body doesn't listen when we start to age, does it? I feel so bad for you, with a brace, and pain!

Take it easy, and heal easily, Betsi!

[DianaB]

Oh Betsi......I'm so sorry......but very thankful that it will heal on it's own. Getting old is just awful!! Take things easy and let Mike wait on you for a change!!!!

[Janet]

Hope your pain has eased up some Betsi. You should let people wait on you while you can, once you're all healed...it's back to being the woman of the house...lol

[AngieDoogles]

So glad you didn't have to have surgery! Hope you're feeling better.

[Blueyes]

Thanks so much everybody! Mike has been very attentive. I finally had to just make him quit opening my car door and standing there while I got in, lol! He's doing the housework and grocery shopping, but he does a lot of that, anyway.

[DianaB]

Mike sounds like a keeper!!!!

[Blueyes]

He has his moments, lol!

[gja1000]

Betsi, how is your knee doing?

[Blueyes]

It's getting a little stronger. When I went back at 3 weeks the doc told me to wear the brace for 3 more weeks. I go back on the 20th so I have my fingers crossed that he'll tell me I can at least sleep without it:rolleyes: I had 2 funerals to go to this week, and it was really hard to find something to wear that fit over the brace. I gave up wearing dresses a few years ago, so I wear nice pant suits when I dress up, lol!

My knee does feel better, but it still wakes me up several times a night throbbing. Thankfully just a position change usually helps! It's pretty hard to keep it bent in the car, which makes traveling not much fun.

Thanks for giving me a chance to whine:p I think I'm just tired of dealing with it. I am thankful that it's healing on it's own. So far, so good!! I'm going to miss my big ugly brace when it's gone:sidesplit:

[gja1000]

I know you are tired of it too! I don't wear dresses anymore either - gave it up long ago, so I can imagine how much fun it would be to find pants that fit over a brace.

I've been having trouble with the knee I hurt way back in high school playing basketball. I hope it doesn't start giving me trouble all the time.

[Blueyes]

Mike is having a set of injections in his knee. Once a week for 5 weeks. He had it done last year and it helped for quite a while. Maybe you could try something like that.

[gja1000]

I'm thinking I might have to go see the doc to see what I should/shouldn't be doing. It doesn't hurt all the time at all, it only hurts occasionally if I step the wrong way. But it is feeling more unstable and I don't like that feeling.

[Blueyes]

That unstable feeling is scary. I'd hate to fall and break a hip...or my neck, lol!!

[gja1000]

I know, the instability is what bothers me the most.

[DianaB]

I hope that both of you get your knees in better shape soon. I have some arthritis in one of mine that bothers me some but losing weight has helped that some. Hugs to both of you!!

[gja1000]

Yes, mine would feel better I'm sure if I'd lose 20 lbs.

[Blueyes]

Mine would do better if I lost 50 pounds:eek:

[Blueyes]

*sigh* I went back to the doctor today. He said for me to wear the brace for 4 MORE weeks.. that's 10 weeks total.. and then I'll probably need surgery:eek: He did say I could sleep without it at night, but NOT to walk without it..even to the bathroom. *sigh*

[JJJ]

Oh no Betsi, I'm so sorry :(

I remember doing ACL repairs but not MCL repairs. Their not that bad and if it helps in the long run why not. The only thing that pisses me off is that those darn orthopedics hate stitching and use staples even when it's laparoscopy procedure. You know they don't have to put you all under either.

Please be careful and do as your doctor order. XOXO

[gja1000]

Well, dang it, Betsi! I know you are tired of that darned brace, and then to have to think about having surgery when you get out of it. Just doesn't seem fair. I wonder why they just can't go ahead and fix it now?

[Blueyes]

I actually have an answer for that, Gayle, lol! The MCL heals by itself. Even in pro athletes MCL surgery is not done. I have a grade 3 tear, which is the worse..completely off the femur. So, I have to wait for my MCL to heal because if they do surgery on the rest of my knee before it's healed it will likely re-tear it. I need some meniscus work done, some debris removed, a general clean-up, and a lateral release:eek: I give up:rolleyes:

[Janet]

Oh Betsi....that made me nervous just reading about it. Whatever you have done, you know we'll be right there with you in spirit and prayer. Hope you heal quickly so you can get out of that brace.

[Blueyes]

Thanks Janet! The surgery itself doesn't bother me, but the rehab for a lateral release is tough. Mostly, I don't know when I'll be able to sit in a plane to go see my kids:(

[gja1000]

I've had knee surgery - ACL tear, but many many years ago and it needs to be fixed again. It's no picnic, but when you have to, you have to.