burchquilts

My right knee went out January 7th, 2005. I went to bed the night of the 6th & was fine. I woke up the morning of the 7th & could hardly move. I have tried everything... pain meds of all sorts (from ibuprofen to Oxycontin). Physical therapy. A variety of braces (from cheapies from the pharmacy to a custom $1500 one -- that my insurance wouldn't cover). Heat. Ice. Elevating the leg. Staying off it, Powering thru the pain. Cortisone shots. Some other kind of shot (you take a series of 3 over 3 weeks -- it worked for 2 weeks & cost over $1,000). I can't have replacement surgery & I wouldn't even if I could. I can't have it because there isn't enough viable bone to attach the new joint to. I wouldn't because of all the horror stories I hear about the replacements. Most of my family is in the medical field. They have shown me all sorts of studies that I don't like the looks of. My DD is a lawyer. While she doesn't practice medical malpractice law, she has friend who are personal injury lawyers & they tell her other horror stories. Nope... my knee might hurt so bad that my life has virtually come to a screeching halt (I can't sleep longer than about 2 hours at a time -- I can walk around the house but not for any kind of distance like the mall), but at least I don't have blood poisoning or something awful like that on top of the pain. I do use a cane & that helps. The only thing that really has helped is acupuncture -- except that my practioner moved in January & now I'm without one. I can truly say that my knee has changed my life almost 100%. But I live in hope that medical advances for us boomers will someday find a solution to it. I have medical team at Mayo here that I trust & a supportive family so I can't complain (tho it sounds like I am... sorry).

How far would the rest of you be willing to go to have your knee "fixed"? Fusion? Nerve blocks? Clinical trials? Stem cells?

QUILTNMO

i walk 3 days a week really helps me my dr says keep moving

Tink's Mom

Karla, I had a misstep in early February and since have been limping...Knee is swollen and hard to put full weight on. Dr. did a cortizone shot last week, since it is full of arthritis...shot has helped a bit...I'm at least able to get some sleep.
Hope that something listed on here helps you....I will be checking in.

barnbum

Oh my goodness--what happened to my one reply? Computer burp? I always reread before hitting reply! I never saw all those weird letters before!!

Anyway:
Prism99--I bought some glucosamine sulfate with MSM today.
buslady--what's the difference between that and the one with condroitin?

Gayle--I can't believe the shot didn't work! Yikes. The PA said it'd take 305 days. So far (day 2) I still have swelling. I walked one horse for about a mile and a half, and another for a mile. It's fine when I'm walking--hurts more when I stop.

willowwind--I just bought two new pairs of sneakers with inserts that have max cushioning. One pair is for school, the other to run/walk. That cured the plantar issue.

burchquilts--oh my goodness. Yours was very sudden too and so severe. I have to say I've only heard from others that they love having had a replacement, both knee and hip. And I'd do it to improve the quality of my life. But I'd sure research which doctor would do the job.

Tinks-- :-(

SUZAG

Last year I started taking Osteo Bi-Flex (over the counter in the vitamins) and I couldn't believe the difference in about 10 days! Both of my knees are bone on bone and I was barely able to walk. The surgeon said I was too young to have the replacement and wouldn't give me cortisone shots because they supposedly raise your glucose and I am a diabetic. I take one tablet twice a day and I haven't had much problems since I started these. They are a miracle! I've had problems since I was 18 and I'm 55 now (it sure doesn't seem too young!).

Prism99

Here's a study that included glucosamine and chondroitin:
http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm
They are two different supplements that are often combined, as together they seem to work well for osteoarthritis. MSM helps some people. I tried it, but couldn't see any difference with it. I get my glucosamine chondroitin at Sam's Club and try to take 2 in the am and 2 in the pm. Also get my calcium citrate there. Sometimes it comes with magnesium in it, sometimes not. The Vitamin D3 is important too, I think, and Vitamin C.

liking quilting

Don't know much about arthritis personally but have to relate this info. Good friend of my mil helped her across the street elderly neighbor for many years. This elderly lady lived to be 102 or 103. She swore that her lack of stiffness and no arthritis was due to the way she started every morning: Before eating anything she drank a glass of water with about 1 tsp of white cider vinegar. Didn't eat or drinking anything after that for about 1/2 hr. She firmly believed this mixture wards off arthritis. Cannot make any promises but it did seem to work for her!

AZ Jane

I'm a little confused. It seems we are talking about different diagnoses. I was also diagnsised with severe arthriris in my left knee but right knee is fine? What's with that?? Now after hand quilting 3 quilts, find I HAVE to switch to machine quilting (tho I love hand quilting) because of pain and trigger finger. Does anyone have any suggestions for that??

bearisgray

I get Supartz injections in my right knee (they are spendy) - but seem to help. The first and second series helped more than the last series I had last fall. The first series was November 2006, second in about 2009, and the last series was in the fall of 2011. I think one is "allowed" to have the series twice a year. The packaging says to use a series of five injections - but "they" - "they" being Mayo personnel - generally only use a series of three injections given one week apart.

There are other brands of the stuff - but Supartz seems to be the one that Mayo uses more than the other ones.

jitkaau

Three capsules of fish oil three times a day. I went from extreme pain and inability to walk, to managing without excessive use of pain killers. I only take 2 pain killers when needed and it is only once in a while - not every day.
However, I did also buy a rollator to assist with long walks. I felt lop-sided with a cane and could not manage it very well. I'm not sorry I bought the rollator even though I thought it might be "overkill" at first. It takes all the stress from my joints.