Finally I asked my family physician (aka primary care physician) about it, and he sent me off to an orthopedist. This is the same fellow who put me back together some years back when I fractured my hip. So I was a bit concerned that he might want to operate. But no. He took x-rays and determined that the knee is actually pretty sound (I’ll comment on that in a moment), but the pain was caused by bone rubbing on bone. He asked me if I wanted a cortisone shot. How long might that last, I asked. Possibly the rest of my life. So I had the needle, and the relief has been almost immediate. Let's see how long it actually lasts.
As to my ‘sound knee’, I could claim that I’m inhabited by a ghost because when I stand up, I c r e e e a k.
Funny headlines --
There's a good use of public funds!
They'll never find it. Too good a job.
Wow! What a surprise!
And here they were looking for candy canes.
I know a guy here who's had cortisone shots for his shoulder. He's a cook in the local prison, works in the Territorial Army, and has had some big dogs so that shoulder gets some wear and tear. His latest dog is a charming Old English sheepdog, so doesn't pull like the rescue German Shepherd did.
ReplyDeleteHope the knee keeps feeling okay.
Very glad it helped.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you my story: I had a doctor give a cortisone shot for a shoulder injury. Two years after the first, the guy debated and hemmed and hawed over whether to give me what was by then the fourth shot--without telling me why he was hesitating.
Turns out that cortisone can eat away at the cartilege if you have too many, and they often won't give that fourth shot. I had a scan done afterwards, and yes: the shots had done exactly that and made the original damage worse.
So be careful. And I'm really glad yours helped you!