Days of Our Knees

You've been following the saga of my left knee here, right?  Well, who knew that this was going to be a long running soap opera?

So, on our last episode, you will remember that I had arthroscopic surgery to remove the severely torn meniscus on my left knee.  Disregard the fact that I didn't even know what the hell a meniscus was six months ago.  I found out pretty darn quickly and then it was gone.  Hello and it was nice to know you.

Now, I was told by many folks that meniscus surgery featured a relatively easy recovery.  You're walking pretty quickly.  You can return to a gym several days later.  What?  You have an audition for the touring company of "A Chorus Line?"  Er, no problem.  "One singular sensation..."

As soon as I woke up from the anesthetic, I was thinking that lots of those testimonials bore as much weight as my left knee was able to withstand.  I popped off the gurney.  I was given crutches that I never used.  I walked unaided wherever I needed to go.

Two weeks later, I had my first real test. The stairs leading down to Row L in Loge Aisle 120 at Dodger Stadium.  Opening day of the 2012 baseball season would feature also the opening of my new life without a left meniscus.  Despite the fact that there was no bannister, I was up and down those stairs very easily.  I was fine throughout that first home stand.

Not so on the second home stand.

Hey, what happened?  Did they move my seats?  This is suddenly a long walk.  Or maybe the pain just below my knee is making it seem so.

By the third home stand, I was back using my cane to climb down the Dodger Stadium stairs.  It seems that the United States of America isn't the only thing suffering a severe regression in 2012.  So was I.  Surgery, my ass.  Or should it be....surgery, my knee!  

I had been diligent about my required physical therapy.  I was still working with my trainer twice a week.  Why am I walking worse than I did the day after surgery?  I had a follow-up visit with my doctor, but that, unfortunately, provided no answers.

"Well, it has only been a couple of weeks.  Recovery from meniscus surgery can be slow."

What?  That's not what you told me.  That's not what dozens of soon-to-be-ex-friends testified. 

One of my therapists had suggested that the problem might not necessarily be connected to the actual and former home of the left meniscus.  His theory was that this was muscular.  I mentioned this notion to my doctor.

"Hmmm, maybe."

I realized that he wasn't necessarily going to agree.  To be shown up by a thirty-year-old former gym rat.   But he certainly didn't refute it.  I was due back in another month.  If I was not improved by then, there would be a cortisone shot reserved with my name on it.

More massages, ice treatments, and exercises with the therapists and my trainer.  I was fine going up any stairs.  But, the trip down I needed to hold onto something or somebody.  A trip to Disneyland was endured and I was grateful that Walt installed lots of benches when he built that place back in 1955.

Finally, there was a breakthrough, thanks to the brilliant thinking of my therapist, Susie.

"I think this is patella tendonitis."

Huh?  What the hell is that?  A seafood dish in a Spanish restaurant?

"It's very common after meniscus surgery.  I'm surprised your doctor never mentioned that."

Um, no.  Nor did about fifteen friends who will no receive Christmas cards from me this December.

Susie wanted to try something.  A procedure of taping just below my knee that effectively would "unload" the exertion being endured by the tendon below my knee.  After the surgery, it was forced to work harder and now I suppose was doing its own version of an Occupy movement.  Susie applied a few pieces of tape but the results were almost immediate.  The pain went from a 9 to a 3 overnight.

There was a Dodger game the next day.  I went down the stairs with the cane raised over my head.  I certainly didn't move down them quickly, but I think this was going to become an Olympic speed race anyway.  I certainly was moving better.

My other therapist, Justin, got with the program and taped me as well.  And Christina, my personal trainer, pointed me in the direction of her favorite fitness store where they sell special straps that help people deal with patella tendonitis.

All this and my doctor still doesn't know any of it yet.

The strap has helped to make me almost pain-free and, hopefully soon, I will also be patella tendonitis-free as well as left-meniscus-free.

Meanwhile, I Googled the following.

"patella tendonitis following meniscus surgery."

Oh, my God, from everything I read, this is as common as a cold.

Who knew?   Apparently not my doctor.

Dinner last night:  Grilled Taylor ham, beets, and corn.