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eskielover · Jun 26, 2009, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wisewoman

Well, I was going to speak with my doc about a regular script for break-through pain but I twisted my knee quite seriously and fell with all of my weight into the twist. Doc told me ER where the x rays showed no fracture. It is torn ligaments and spraining on inside of knee. I am in an imobilizer which helps knee but walking funny gets my lower back and sciatica going.

Ok, I'm the expert on knee injuries....lol. Blew out my ACL (initially tore it) playing racquettball.....go get em.....beat the A player on the challenge court sort of thing......yep....I won the game & limped (got carried) off the court. Oh I know the pain.....there isn't anything worse.....like a knife stabbing in the knee. I went for 5 years with it torn......used a simple knee brace when I would play racquettball.....but wasn't playing much during that time as the pain was so bad. It finally got so I couldn't even climb stairs or kneel down (the getting up was impossible). Just after I moved into my new house, I went to an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in sports injuries......found out that ACL's don't repair themselves, they only deteriorate once they are torn.....so 5 year after the injury, they went in & did the surgery.....there was no ACL left to repair. So just a warning.....don't wait around thinking it will get better.....if they suggest surgery....jump in it cause it only gets worse.

The surgery for that was before they did it arthroscipically....now it's so much easier & they put you on that machine that makes the leg move right after surgery....not in the cast for a month like I was which allowed scar tissue to form & have to be broken up before I could move my knee again. 6 months of PT.....but I was out down hill skiing at the end of those 6 months.....intermediate slopes in Jackson Hole Wyo......with a knee brace specially made for my knee. Was even back playing racquettball after that also (with the same brace). Then just my luck, I tore the meniscus (of course playing racquettball) in the other knee & had to have surgery on that. It was much easier.....3 days & I was up & around.....where I was on crutches for 3 months with the ACL......that was better than another person I know who had that surgery at the same time.....she was in a wheelchair for 6 months (she was right out of highschool & had torn her ACL in track).

I never used pain medication for my knee injuries......but my migraines....that was another story. I have been on a high dose of the duragesic fentynal patches for 6 years now.....same high dose all that time.....never needing an increase & we tried a decrease with no luck......so I am status quo for now. It doesn't make me drousy. I can function just like I when I wasn't on meds.....probably a bit slower, but it's not noticable. I ride horses all the time.....I just feel normal after the 8 years of suffering with constant migraines.

Hope you can find a workable combination of meds......I like the patch as I don't have to take meds at a set time....the dose is constant....unless I get overheated......but even that isn't bad.....I just have to take it easy during the hot time of the day.

Take care of your knee....if you have any questions.....please give me an ask......would hate to not share any information that might help.

How are you riding the mammoth Donkey with the immobalizer.....think I would stick with driving right now....hopefully it isn't the leg for the break....lol.

Debbie