- J
- Many of you know me already. If not, my name is Christina and I live in SD., with my 2 amazing kids. The last time I was on here was 9 years ago when I had cancer. I never thought I would have to be in this situation again. Thankfully, I am still cancer free. Thank God for that! However, once again, life has other plans for me. It's not easy to overcome that sense of pride or embarssment when it comes to asking others for help, but sometimes you have to.
- I've been in remission for 9 years. I have learned in those 9 years, how hard chemo and radiation can be on a persons body, even when you have completed the treatment and beat cancer. For anyone who knows me and what I've been through medically, knows how much my body has been through since. One of the biggest struggles I have had to deal with is chronic pain. A person never really knows what it's like until you go through it. Chronic pain changes you as a person. It dictates your every move. It changes you on many levels. Over the last year, I have become someone I don't recognize. Pain has become who I am.
- So much has happened in such a short amount of time, so I'm going to try and keep this as short as possible. Early last year, I noticed, I was having more pain in my knees than I normally did. By July, I noticed that I had days where putting one foot in front of the other became harder and more painful. I had days where I would have to leave work early or not be able to go in at all. I knew my knees weren't the best, but this wasn't normal for me and it was progressing very quickly.
- By the end of the year, I was diagnosed with moderate Osteoarthritis in both knees, along with complex meniscus tears, bone spurs, tendonitis bruising inside the bones, etc. Osteoarthritis has a significant genetic factor, and with my family history that put me at a greater risk. Osteoarthritis usually doesn't occur until later in life, but the Orthopedic surgeon thinks that because of my history with cancer and genetics, that it reared its ugly head early. Things have gotten so bad that I am lucky if I can work more than 2 days a week or even stay for my entire shift. I can hardly walk and when I do the pain is severe. I have never experienced this kind of debilitating pain.
- I have had several injections that have only provided short term pain relief, that in all honesty didn't relieve much pain. I'm sure there are many people who can relate to that. I had a knee ablation done in both knees, which is called, Genicular Nerve Ablation. For a week I couldn't work. I cried every day for hours. I had debilitating pain that came in waves and I ended up in the ER. I'm not sure what went wrong. I'm guessing it had something to do with a nerve. I had contacted the physican that did the procedure 3 different times, and never got a call back. Thankfully after a week it went away, but ultimitly it didn't help.
- I had many conversations with my Orthopedic surgeon, on how I didn't feel that it was just my osteoarthritis that was causing the pain and the constant struggle to put one foot in front of the other. The answer to that was, I just needed to keep moving and continue with injections. I had tried OTC medications, prescription medications, physical therapy, home remedies, knee braces, you name it, I tried it. Nothing really worked, and if it did, it was temporary. With my diagnosis, the end game, is total knee replacements for both knees. Which at my age, they are hesitant, because replacing the replacements can be more complicated. While I understood all of this, I still couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't just my osteoarthritis that was causing all of these issues.
- My general physician referred me to a pain clinic to see if they could help in any way. So in February, I visited the pain doctor. All I can say that if it wasn't for him, i'd still be going through the same motions and the same feelings of helplessness and hopelessnes. He was shocked by how many inections I have had to both of my knees, and was upset with the care that I was recieving. I had felt that way for awhile, but I felt so stuck, that I didn't know what to do. He suggested that I get a second opinion and felt that something more could be done, and that given everything that was going on with my knees, that it wasn't just the arthritis. Finally! I finally felt validated with everything that I was thinking and feeling. I can say that I was to the point where I had, had enough, and I was ready to get the total knee replacements.
- 2 weeks ago, I went for my second opinion. The surgeon explained in detail what was going on inside my knees. Most things I already knew, but now I know more than what was told to me before. I do have a moderate case of Osteoarthritis. I have a tear in my meniscus that is a root tear. This means that the meniscus is no longer attached to the bone on the inside of my knees. In that same area I do have some bone spurs, a cyst, stress fractures, tendonistis and brusing inside the bones. This is for my left and my right knee. Of course the end game is total knee replacements, and while age is always a factor, so is quality of life, which mine has dwindled away for months now. So the other parts of my knees are ok. So it has been decided that I am a good candidate for partial knee replacements. Again, that validation meant everything to me.
- On April 14th I am having the first round of partial knee replacement on my left knee. I can't stress how ready I am for this. I am ready to get my life back and while I know that I will never be pain free, to hopefully not have the amount of pain I have had is a hope I am holding on to.
- I am asking for any kind of help. Again this isn't easy for me, but at this point I don't know what else to do. Being a single mom and not being able to work like I was able to and now having to have time off to heal, I need all the help I can get. Anything that is donated will go towards rent, bills, grocery items and any living expenses that are a nesessity for my kids and myself and nothing more. I want to think everyone in advance and know how greatly appreciated your help is to me. If anyone has any questions for me, please feel free to get ahold of me. Again, thank you!
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