Bad Knees Blog
This narrative is not meant to suggest that I am any worse off than millions of people who struggle with loss of mobility and chronic pain. In fact, I now understand what pain does. This is simply an attempt to chronicle my journey.
I'm going to spend the next few weeks writing about my knees or, more specifically, my right knee. Two years ago I learned that the IT Band strain I had been trying to overcome was not that at all. I walked into the doctor's office thinking I'd leave with a solution to the nagging problem. I left with a copy of the xrays of both knees and the fresh knowledge that I have severe arthritis and, according the ortho, would be needing a knee replacement. I also got a shot of steroidal cortizone in the right knee (formerly known as the good knee, but recently considered the really bad knee). Cortisone works on me. Cindy and I continued visiting the Adirondack Park and hiking the Saranac 6, a couple high peaks, and various other pleasant walks in that and other parks. Several months later it wore off, and I got another.
Steroidal cortisone is a devil's bargain. It takes away the pain for a couple of months, but if you continue to use it you will further damage your joints. After the second shot in the spring 2015 I was told I probably shouldn't continue.
So there it was. I was seeing a doctor/surgeon who had not suggested any real alternatives to surgery. I sought another opinion with the practice that treats most of our local professional and college athletes. In August 2015 I had MRI's taken of my right knee. They confirmed that it was a mess, but they also indicated that I was a good candidate for another kind of treatment that, if effective, would relieve my pain for up to a year and could be repeated indefinitely. Here is what Web MD says about Hyaluronic Acid HA)treatments:
Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in the human body. It is found in the highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints. People take hyaluronic acid for various joint disorders, including osteoarthritis. It can be taken by mouth or injected into the affected joint by a healthcare professional.
Hyaluronic acid works by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it might affect the way the body responds to injury. ( Webmd.com accessed 1/22/2-16).
Remember how Ebenezer Scrooge was on Christmas Day, "... giddy as a drunken man." That was me. I had found a solution, at least temporarily. My daughter asked me if I'd be able jog with her again. I believed it was possible.
Then I researched HA treatments and tempered my expectations. As far as I could gather, they were effective to some degree in about 65% patients.
Nevertheless, I began the three-week course of injections in both knees with hope. After all, why wouldn't I be one of the 65%? On October 28 I had the last injections and expected to see results in two to four weeks. I should add that I was also using ibuprofen and aspirin, countless variations on Ben Gay, and drinking four tablespoons of cherry juice concentrate every day. One friend suggested I eliminate those outside pain relievers so I'd know that the HA injections were the cause of the inevitable miracle that was to come, but I wasn't interested in doing a double blind study. I just wanted to make the pain go away.
On November 22nd, Thanksgiving morning, Cindy and I hiked up Hadley Mountain on the southern edge of the Adirondacks. It was a beautiful cool morning, the trail was a moderate two-mile ascent, and the views from the top were spectacular. This was meant to be a celebration of the treatment's success, but it ended up being a painful reminder that the treatment had failed.
In my follow-up appointment with my doctor it became clear to me that I'd used up my hope with him. Even so, I agreed to set up an appointment with a knee replacement specialist to better understand my options.
After that follow-up appointment Cindy called asked how it went. I said (and I don't use this word lightly), "I'm fucked." Here's the thing about pain. It's part of you. You can't sleep, and on bad days, walking, going up and down stairs, getting into the tub, getting up from a chair, the toilet, into and out of the car are excrutiatingly painful and difficult - you get it. At times it hurts so much you cry. You have to do something.
The meeting with the surgeon is next week, but I haven't given up. The upcoming blog entries focus on a new hope and a gamble. I have consulted with two U.S. and one Mexican clinic that provide stem cell treatments for osteoarthritis. It's experimental, expensive, and promising. Here we go again.
This blog is about my ongoing journey to find an alternative to a knee replacement through platelet and stem cell injections. Stay tuned.
