Tendinitis and staying on plan

Happy Sunday all.

This has been a really ****ty weekend.

I know I've talked before about the problems I have with my knees...and ankles. Since October of last year. It's a sort of "traveling tendinitis" (patellofemoral pain syndrome) and comes and goes. I have been getting acupuncture and some therapy from my chiropractor which may help some. My left knee has been painful and not as sound as it could be for a few weeks when going up and down stairs. I do it very slowly and gingerly, one step at a time. Very suddenly on Friday night it switched over to my right leg, the top and just under the knee cap. Probably because I've been overcompensating on one side, and then by the time that side clears up, it flairs up in the other knee. This time it's worse - excruciating to bend, and I've spent the whole weekend so far putting liniment and ice on it...standing and walking is really no problem, but sitting unless I have it stretched out straight is nearly unbearable. Makes it quite the effort to go to the bathroom! And I've gone totally off the rails on my eating for the last couple days. I'm still eating low carb; no crappy-foods, but the volume is much more than I want it to be. Obviously self-soothing with food is something I really need to continue working on.

So I missed deep water cardio yesterday morning...it was out of the question when I can't flutter my feet with either leg. And that's a bit of a downer as I really do enjoy that class.

It seems to be a tiny bit better today, but it's still affecting my mobility (and mood). Thank God for my husband...he's such a help fetching me ice for my ice bag, helping put liniment on my knee, running up and down the stairs to get stuff for me that's in my bedroom. Friday night it hurt so bad that it woke me up at 2 am and I couldn't go back to sleep until around 5 am then only slept for a couple hours. I woke my poor husband a couple of times to get me an ice bag and what not. I've taken ibuprofen a couple times as it's a choice between that and oxy. I make sure I have something in my stomach and take a couple tums with it...and I'm still taking omeprazole every day, so I'm hoping the ibuprofen doesn't destroy my stomach. Aspirin and tylenol don't make even a dent in the pain and I hate the effect that oxy has on me, so ibuprofen it is. I'm taking it only when I can't stand the pain...only a couple times so far and at least 7-8 hours between.

I was so sure that losing weight would make a vast improvement but I'm nearly 80 lbs down and it doesn't seem to be making a bit of difference, even with the proactive therapy (acupuncture, chiro, massage). I'm going to make an appointment with a physical therapist who fixed me a few years ago...he does trigger point therapy which is really painful during the treatment but is incredibly effective. I'm just really praying it will help...the next step would be an orthopedic specialist / surgeon.

I'm really down about this and just needed to vent.

I'm so sorry, it sounds like you're going through a really rough time. When I've had enough calories for the day, but I still want to eat something, I find sugar-free jello useful. You're down 80 pounds already; that's fantastic!

Why are you waiting to see an orthopedic specialist? Even if you see one, it does not mean you have to have surgery right now.

I've seen orthopedic specialists three times locally.

The next one I see will be in the same city I had my surgery in, and only if the trigger point therapy doesn't improve things. Patellofemoral pain syndrome isn't a "bone on bone" mechanical condition, it's more of an imbalance of the patellar tracking during knee flexion and extension; thus causing the inflammation and pain. The overcompensation on the "good" leg eventually causes the flair up to switch over to it once the "bad" leg improves. It's like I'm stuck in an endless loop.

Trust me, I'm doing everything I can to get this resolved.

Thankfully PFPS is something that responds very well to a specific exercise regimen that a physical therapist can provide you with. A PT should also be able to give you exercises to keep the good leg from flaring up while the bad leg improves.

I'm sure he will give me specific exercises...I will be SO happy when it's resolved. I was going to get a trainer at the gym to work with, but I'm sure that getting them from my Physical Therapist is a much better idea.

Thanks again Gwen

Well your post was not clear. It sounded like you were self-diagnosing and were waiting to see the orthopedist as a last resort.

Both of my daughters have medical conditions and I always go to the doctor first and then research our options.

I have knee pain also and for me I have to keep my weight under 140 to feel better. I did not feel relief at 225 either (my highest was 339). I am currently up 10 pounds and I can definitely feel it in my knees which is why I need to lose it.

I highly recommend seeing the orthopedist sooner rather than later. Any orthopedist *****commends surgery as a first step is one that should send you seeking a second opinion anyway. It would also be wise to see a podiatrist as many leg/hip problems can originate in the feet.

A physical therapist should be giving you a robust home exercise program to help as well, so I hope yours is doing that - not just doing trigger point therapy.

Yep, did the round with the podiatrist as well, Dec-Feb. Special insoles, four injections in one foot and two in the other. No more problems with the feet...it just moved up to the knees.

I learned, after weight loss, that I needed new insoles as apparently orthotics are made differently for those over 250 pounds or so.