ANA Discussion Forum
AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: wendysig on May 10, 2009, 03:49:43 pm
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Hi All,
I'm having a little pity party for myself in spite of trying not to, since so many of you have worse problems. I've had problems with my knees for a long time due to several old injuries and have now been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees. One of the things I've greatly enjoyed and that has really helped my balance problems (ballet exercises) is at least temporarily off limits to me and since Staten Island is so hilly (I've been told to avoid walking in hilly locations) that is a royal pain in the rear. I live on a hill that runs for about a mile and my house is in about the middle of it. I now have to drive to a park just to take a decent walk. On top of that, I've also been told the three - four miles I like to walk is too far. It's also back to PT for me to strenthen my thigh muscles. The doc offered me prescription pain meds (my knees have been killing me) but I turned him down. I hate taking pills unless I really have to, besides, I have plenty of stuff left over from my AN and BAHA surgeries. I've done some exercises I'll have to do in PT and find they are fairly painful. UGH! This makes me feel like an invalid and I hate that feeling. Sorry to complain so much about something not AN related, but I really just needed to vent.
Wendy
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Happy Mothers Day....I hope you feel better soon.
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Hi Wendy,
I read your post and immediately thought of my daughter, who at the age of 17, broken both her leg in single car accident and dislocated both of her knees. She has a torn PCL in the back of her right knee, but not bad enough for surgery - some football players even have this. Anyway, i can imagine your pain, and yes, you are allowed to have a pity party, we will listen!
I am so sorry you have to give up the ballet, i am sure that was helpful for your balance. (my daughter did this too, before the accident.) I also find it hard to believe that you should avoid walking 3-4 miles - wouldn't that strengthen your legs and knees? My daughter has started riding a bicycle and apparently it helps her knees and thigh muscles.
Do you take glucosamine? My husband swears by this and arthritis runs in his family.
My thoughts and prayers that you find some relief for your pain.
Sincerely,
Sue
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I'm sorry too, Wendy. That's so disappointing, esp when it seems exercise would help, and the weather's getting nice and all that. I hope you can get some relief and that the PT's can help you know what works, and after a bit of a break, maybe you can get back to walking and the ballet. And don't feel bad for venting; running helps me with the balance problems and I'd be upset if told I couldn't do it. I guess it's hard to give up things that are good for you.
Keri
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Wendy,
It's ok to get down some times, I do, just dealing with an AN is enough so when something else comes up its hard to handle as small or as big as it may be.
So hang in there, it's ok, just to let you know that I recently had a bout of nausea that lasted from April 27 nonstop until May 4th and then it stopped. It was caused by my AN, fatigue, my job and the fact that I threw my parent a 62nd anniversay party on the 26th of April. I find that if I do too much I pay for it the next day but in this case over a week.
LisaP ;D
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Wendy~
This just stinks - I am so sorry. I am with Sue - I would think that exercise would help...Have you gotten a 2nd opinion about what you can do to help the problem? I hurt my knee running & have just started YOGA & LOVE it - there are so many variations so if you have one part of your body that is hurt or weaker, you can do that instead.
Always feel free to vent!
K
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Is it possible for you to find some place to swim or do water exercises? That's a lot gentler on the knees. But it can be inconvenient to find a swimming pool and the expense can be limiting also. Walking is free! I am sorry for you and the current situation. I'm sure you feel like your choices are being taken away from you...NO FUN. >:(
Hang in there,
Sue in Vancouver USA
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Good suggestion, Sue!
K
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Sue and K - Thanks for responding - I am planning on calling the YMCA later today. It's not right around the corner but not unreasonably far away. I spoke to my husband about this latest problem and thought this might be the answer. The Y offers a lot of activities, swimming among them and as you both point out a gentler form of exercise and great for all over body toning and strengtheninig. I know how to swim but am not a strong swimmer -- maybe I should look at this as an opportunity to improve my swimming skills rather than a setback. When one door closes another opens.
Lisa - ANs do have a way of sucking the strength out of you when you overdo things. Sorry to hear you had not been feeling well, I remember reading about your long bout with nausea and am glad to hear you're finally feeling better. Thanks for letting me vent my frustrations.
Sue and Keri - Thank you for your responses. The doc has no objection to my walking, just the conditions and the length of my walk. He feels that the route I'm taking (lots of hills) , which I find kind of fun and challenging, is doing me more harm than good and a mile is plenty vs. three our four miles.. Until recently, the past two weeks or so, my walking didn't really seem to be effecting my knees but they are badly inflammed. He explained that walking uphill is a little hard on the knee joint, but walkiing downhill is even worse since it puts a lot of pressure on the joint. One of the reasons I chose the route I've been walking is the hills. Walking downhill especially is a big challenge to the vestibular system. especially when you walk quickly. I feel like the improvements I've had with my balance are mostly because of my walking and ballet. He also wants me to stop ballet because of the stress it puts on my ikness. I have to advmit some days my knees really hurt after ballet, but I've felt the benefits outweighed the pain, since it is short lived as a rule, plus, my daughters' dance teacher has been so wonderful about making time for me. I have also found that if I stop doing either of these for very long, my balance problems get worse, so the prospect of my balance getting worse again is kind of depressing. On the other hand, the doc told me he feels that much the pain I'm having is because my inner thigh is not as strong as my outter thigh and is causinig my knee cap to track incorrectly, so maybe, I'll at least be able to take a ballet class again someday. He also said if PT doesn't help improve the pain, we can discuss an injection of something called Sinvisc One which replaces the fluid in the knee that lubricates the joint. He also recommended glucosomine condriotin (Spelling?).
I've been looking for a silver lining in all of this and the only one I can come up with -- and it's a good one -- is that maybe I'll finally get back into really good shape by working hard in PT and swimming if I decide to join the YMCA. I'm also thinking that joining the Y could be a fun thing to do as a family -- when I mentioned it to my older daughter (14 going on 15) she said a few of her friends are members too. I would much prefer that she spend time at the Y than Wendys or the mall, even if its's time she spends with her friends instead of me. ;D
Thanks again,
Wendy
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Ditto on the water exercises! I have had osteoarthritis for many years and would have given up a long time ago had it not been for the deep water fitness classes I took. We wear belts and cannot sink in deep water ..... doing all of the typical "land" exercises, only in water .... no jolting to the knees from gravity, etc. Our instructors have always geared the class so that each individual can pace him/herself as needed .... push yourself as much as you can or want to, etc. This is through our local YWCA .... the YMCA did not have the program.
Here's hoping you can find a class nearby. Or, simply buy the water belt and a noodle and do your own thing in a pool somewhere. I'm sure there must be exercises galore on the internet (did not take time to check).
Clarice
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Hi Clarice -
Thanks for your advice. There is no YWCA here just the YMCA. The water exercises sound like they could have promise so I hope they offer them here. As you say, there are lots of exercises on the internet too. It's just a matter of making myself do them. Since I find the exercises the doc mentioned to me painful I doubt I'd do them faithfully without someome like a PT pushing me though.
Wendy
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Hi, Wendy ~
Of course I was dismayed to learn of the osteoarthritis diagnosis in your knees. Ouch! However, I'm pleased to read that you're seriously considering the water exercises at the YMCA. I know they have excellent programs. My (now adult) son learned to swim there. I wouldn't assume that ceasing your ballet class and long walks will immediately generate balance instability. It might have some effect but as long as you keep active your balance should at least remain stable. If your knees are being damaged by the ballet and lengthy downhill walks, you really don't have much choice but to pull back on those activities, as you intend. I hope this situation is temporary and that the swimming exercises will be effective as well as a way to stay connected with your teenage daughter. Please post updates. Thanks.
Jim
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Hi JIm,
Thanks for your reply. Although I'm hoping to eventually return to ballet I'm also hoping I'll get to enjoy the YMCA. I am not that much into exercising for the sake of exercising and ballet and walking are things I've come to enjoy. Although I enjoy swimming to some extent it's not my favorite sport either, but I guess we all do what we have to do. Hopefully the payoff will be being able to return to the things I really do like to do and of course, a lot less knee pain.
Wendy
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Hi Donna,
Thanks for your reply. I've always been impressed with the strength of your spirit and now even moreso. It is amazing that you have arthritis in your hips and still stay as active as you do. I haven't seen you post about Jim lately, but hope he is still doing well. Please know that you that you and your family continue to be in my prayers.
When I went to the doctor last week, although the diagnosis did not come as a complete surprise, as I have had knee pain of varying degrees for some time,but it is only very recent that it has suddenly gotten much worse. I did find actually getting the diagnosis somewhat depressing anyway. I have decided not to let it keep me down though. I bought new braces for each of my knees yesterday and found a park with a pretty level pedestrian path, some slopes, but no real hills and made an appointment to start PT. I am not sure what the local YMCA has to offer for water exercises but plan to go there today to check things out. At the very least, they do have a pool, so I will at least be able to swim there.
I tend to believe my arthritis is injury related. I fractured both of my knees when I was nine years old -- I was playing tag with my friends and ran out into the street and I had a collision with a kid on a bike. Since then I've reinjured both of my knees in falls (possible AN related?), once badly enough to loosen the knee cap in my left knee and end up in a cast for six weeks. I've never heard of eatiing for your blood type (I'm A+) but will look into that and see if it is a help. Quite a few people have mentioned Glucosomine condoitin and I plan to pick that up today too. Potatoes and eggplant are two of my favorite things, so I hope I don't have to give them up. I really HATE taking pills, which is another reason I am unhappy but like I said to Jim in an earlier post, we do what we have to do to keep going, and hopefully get better. Anyway, thanks for your advice, I can use as much as I can get, especially from people like you who know what I am dealing with.
Wendy
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Hi Wendy,
Just reading about your OA in your knees. I see your looking at the YMCA...not sure where on the island you live but the JCC on Manor road by Susan WAgner High School has a great pool there as well as the college.
Which Doctor did you see? Where are you going for PT....you know that is what I do for a living right....lol
Let me know if I can help you in anyway with exercises or something like that. But I recommend pool exercises to all my patients...it is the best exercises b/c of the water it takes all the stress off the joints and you will be able to get more out of your exercises. Well keep me posted, sorry took me a while to chime in but haven't been on in a while.
Stay strong..
Dawn
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I had my first PT appointment today and it went much better than I anticipated --no painful exercises. The therapist I had my consultation with was very nice and suggested starting out slowly with stretching exercises rather than the harder ones I expected. Things are looking up! I also always thought I had fat knees until today, but he told me it was actually swelling -- who knew?
Wendy
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Dawn,
I know you haven't been around in a while and had been meaning to PM you tp see what is going on with that thing in your head. I hope you are okay and have found a resolution or at least some better way of dealing with the symptoms your tumor is giving you. Did the docs ever decide if it is an AN or lipoma? If so, what is their advice?
I am actually on the other side of the Island (I live in Huguenot) and the YMCA on Richmond Avenue, while not around the cornere, is closer much to me than the JCC on Manor Road. I haven't gotten over there yet (things have been a little crazy around here lately) but understand the Y also offers a discount to members of the FDNY (my husband is with FDNY) so I hope this means family members too -- every little bit helps.
Wendy
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Hi Wendy,
How is PT going for you? I have heard of that group although I don't know much about who works there these days. Hopefully you are getting better and your husband too.
As for me, no they still don't know which type it is...AN or Lipoma....I have to go for another MRI in August. I have an appointment at Cornell on MOnday with Dr. Steig b/c I also have Chiari I malformation and they think that may have been the cause of most of my symptoms so I need to follow up with Neurologist for that and see what they can do for the headaches.
I have some balance issues especially when making sudden turns or trying to walk and talk to someone behind me....lol and of course the Headaches are every single day. So I'm hoping to get some good news on MOnday.
Keep me posted on your therapy. If they don't fix you up I know 2 great therapists by the outer bridge that help a lot of people.
Talk to you soon
Dawn
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Hi Dawn,
PT is going very well. Vernie is great and amazingly, after only a few sessions I actually have gotten some relief from the pain in my knees. Much of the edema is gone and I think that is one reason my level of pain is more tolerable, although how I feel also depends on the weather to some degree. I also mentioned to him that my right hip sticks out a bit due to another old injury and both he and the PA at the doctor's office (Dr. Reilly -- the PA is Tom Doty) PA agree that I will need more physical therapy for that even though it doesn't hurt, they feel it is causing me to put more pressure on my left leg and aggravating my already troubled (my left knee is much worse than my right knee) knee. I've been vigilant about doing my exercises and Vernie said my knee already looks straighter than it did when he first saw me, so I assume that is also why I am feeling better. I have to say that, ironically, my AN has helped me deal witih my knee problems. If I learned anything in the past year, it's that patience is the key to dealing with many problems and being vigilent and having the determination to accomplish something is invaluable. Celebrating even small victories, such as even slight pain relief, are rewards in themselves that keep me going.
As for Rob, the insurance company says he has exhausted his benefits for his back problems (they only allow a certain number -- whatever OrthoNet determines is needed -- of visits in a 60 day period for any given problem) but he is appealing that. If that fails, Vernie has suggested that he come at least once a week for treatment and to learn exercises that will help his pain. One session is the same cost as two co-payments, so this would certainly be reasonable and I have urged him to do it. Hopefully he will.
I hope you get some good answers and relief from your headaches. Do you know how a chiari malformation is treated? Good luck on Monday and let me know how you are and what the docs have to say.
Best wishes,
Wendy
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Hi Wendy,
so glad to hear your doing better. Dr. Reilly and Tom Doty are both in the group that I work for, all the patient's like Tom a lot, he is very approachable and takes the time to answer the questions.
I'm not too sure how the Chiari is treated I saw there is a surgery or I think just monitoring it...I will find out on Monday when I go see Dr. Steig. Hopefully he will have some answers for me as this is the 2nd time I'm seeing him....the first time he never addressed the Chiari and only talked about the AN (which who knows if its an AN or a Lipoma....lol) Anyway I look forward to Monday and praying for some help with the headaches.
I'll keep you posted and keep me posted on your therapy progress....glad its working for you
Talk to you soon
DAwn