Paying the price for doing too much sport when I was younger...advice needed please

[nipper]

I have been suffering with my knees really badly for about the last three or four months, especially when coming down stairs I hear a 'crunching' noise a bit like a coffee grinder. I went to see the doctor back in November who advised a blood test for rheumatoid arthritis, which came back clear.
Come the new year, the aches have got worse especially my right knee and it has now spread into the top of my fibula. I have now decided to change nappies whilst sitting on the bottom stair with my legs outstretched either side of the changing mat, as I thought that kneeling down was making it worse. I actually try and avoid kneeling down now, as I can never manage to get up.
Anyway, went back to see the doctor this morning who is sending me for an xray and follow up appointment as it looks as if I might have osteoarthritis (which isn't detectable with a blood test). Basically, it's wear and tear on my knee (I walk to school and back twice a day, walk the dog and I am now paying the price for doing lots of high-impact sport when I was younger, I'm only 41 though!)

Long-term prognosis - painkillers or a full knee-replacement. Has anyone had one, because I'm just trying to get my head round having major surgery and how it wouldn't really fit in with childminding. As for the upcoming xray at the hospital, I really don't want to close, but dh would probably come with me to appointment, so should I warn parents that it could be on any day and just have dh keep an eye on mindees while I go in and have it? I'm sure they would be fine with it...he has a crb check for my setting and is a prep-school headmaster (also in charge of safeguarding at his school)

[Goatgirl]

Hi,
Sorry to hear you are having problems :(. Hope things improve soon xx.

I would call Ofsted and register your dh as an assistant so that it wont be an issue. Presumably he has current paediatric first aid? he'll need that to be left alone with mindees. Also bear in mind the 2 hours/day limit on this. Hopefully the xray will just be a few minutes though!

No personal experience of very painful knees, though I do have creaking and that 'will they give way' feeling :rolleyes: which seems to have improved with strengthening excercise and iron supplements for another condition. I do have friends and relations who have had various knee ops for different conditions though and based on very mixed results, would err away from surgery as long as possible. My friend has been told she will need full knee replacements in both knees at some point (knee condition since childhood), but they are trying to keep her going without the op to give the replacements technology more time to improve. She is in her early thirties and has found most help from a private physiotherapist who helped her with the correct excercises.

Good luck with the x ray investigation: whatever the result, it will be good to have a starting point so you can do some more specific research :thumbsup:

[hectors house]

Sorry to hear you are suffering, hope you get some relief soon either from pain killers, anti inflamatories, physio - have you heard of Bowen technique - it worked a little bit on my frozen shoulder - definitely had more movement in it after about 6 treatments. Could you use one of those garden kneelers for changing nappies?

My Sacroiliac joint is playing up at the moment I found swimming helps and I rub deep heat on it at night when I can't sleep.

I would register you OH as an assistant, it doesn't cost anything and mine for my daughter came back really quick - he could come with you to appointment and just stay in the car with the mindees - probably safer that way as hospitals are dangerous places.