My knee Operation...

I am finally having surgery on my knee next week and I can’t wait. Strange you might think but I have had to wait over a year for this day. 

I have always had problems with my knees since I was 12. Both kneecaps would randomly and unexplainably fly out of their sockets leaving me a sprawling mess on the floor. I have even spent drunken evenings with the police after falling into the road after dislocating it! 

At the age of 21 I finally underwent a patella realignment which stopped the dislocations for 12 years, but then 2 years ago I was enjoying a quiet lunch with my boyfriend at Bluewater. We were ready to go home and were right by the car park entrance and I had an urge for a Crispy Cream. We all have those right? On the way through the packed food court I slipped on a shiny wooden floor and dislocated my right knee. I fell to the floor in front of over 100 people, crying in pain. 

This was the start of a long battle to get back to the active person I once was! A trip to A&E revealed that I had chipped a bit or bone off and it was floating around - nice! I saw the surgeon and was booked in for an arthroscopy in October 2008.  They removed all the ‘bits’ and also drilled a couple of holes in my cartilage for good measure. It was a bit thin apparently!   

I had a follow up appointment in December where I informed the doctor that everything was fine. The very next day a familiar ‘click’ was back. Also a huge lump had appeared just under the skin! I called the doctors secretary who booked me in to see the surgeon but of course the lump disapeared and the click was supposedly normal after surgery! 

6 months later I am back to see the surgeon and I am told to do more physio.  I was still worried so I saw my GP who agreed to order an MRI scan. This took place in spring 2009 and the results showed nothing. It doesn’t seem to matter how much I tell them there is something wrong they don’t seem to listen. The scan says it’s fine so it must be! 

Its summer 2009 and the loose bit has finally broken off. It now moves freely around my kneecap. It isn’t painful only uncomfortable. Every so often the lump goes under my kneecap and I can’t straighten my leg. This can last up to a week and becomes uncomfortable after a while believe me! 

I had my next surgeon’s appointment in January 2010 and after telling him repeatedly there was a free floating lump he just wouldn’t believe me. I didn’t know what to do and was getting more and more upset. The doctor was putting all his faith in the old scan and wouldn’t listen to what I was saying. I remained on the bed after he had walked away and managed to manipulate the lump out to a place where he could feel it. Painful!! His face fell when he felt it and he couldnt apologised enough for missing it! I am now booked in for surgery next week. Watch this blog................................