The ol' knees don't stop clicking and maybe I'm imagining things, but they feel funny constantly. None of it hurts, but I can't help but think that healthy knees couldn't attract my attention teh way they do. My broken finger annoyed me for a year but I never notice it anymore because... well. It just plain isn't broken any more. Is it a false comparison to assume4 my knees aren't healthy because I notice them? I should have been just as paranoid about the finger, shouldn't I?
So I've been reading about bad knees for quite some time and by the sounds of things there are a few options out there, but the future is uncertain thanks to health insurance's tendency to want to get things done on the cheap. Hopefully, Dr. Coolidge and whatever specialist he refers me to one day will be able to convince the insurer to cover the sensible treatment.
The first option that looks interesting is hylan, which sometimes goes by the trade name: synvisc. You inject some of this junk into the cartilage area where it acts as additional cushioning between the leg bones. Supposedly, a treatment with this goop can buy you six months of relief. Six months sounds like a long time, but unless they do it at the same time as my dental visits, I bet making this appointment would be a major pain in the posterior. The main advantage of this is that it is minimally invasive and I would guess that it would require minimal recoup time. Still, I'm a long term kind of guy...
The only other treatment that sounds reasonable to me is.. get this... TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT. During this procedure, the kneecap, cartilage pad and parts of the leg bones are supplemented and replaced by a combination of plastic, metal and ceramic. I'd be part machine. This new artificial knee is designed to last 12 to 20 years. It is only recommended once all your cartilage is gone. Instead they'd probably insist on my taking pain medication and maybe one of the less promising therapies including steroids, partial knee replacements, and cartilage transplants.
The steroids are basically anti-swelling chemicals your body makes naturally. They last about as long as the synvisc and decrease in effectiveness with successive rounds. They also wreak havoc with your metabolism and normal bodily functions, just ask any retired professional athlete.
Partial knee replacement seems like it has all the disadvantages of a total knee replacement but won't last as long. Maybe it's cheaper?
Finally, cartilage transplant grows some of your own cartilage and fills holes in your cartilage but what I suspect is going on is a sheering off of pieces from the end of the pad. This seems to be unlikely to be a useful procedure for me.
The constant advice that seems to sift through all the medical literature and articles I see is that the natural knee components of bone and cartilage are very special and valuable. We lack a truly effective replacement and my best move would be to protect what knee structure I have by strengthening the joint through swimming and cycling exercise.
Ideally, it sounds like I should want to just get new biological knee parts.
It might be more than just wishful thinking.... stay tuned.
Dyingauthor's Note:
As weightlifting has fallen y the wayside and I don't do much cycling, it may seem that I'm even lazier than I truly am. To get a better idea of how well I'm taking care of my body, starting thsi week I'll be reporting any significant exercise I do. Some of the exercise I do may be preventing me from wanting to or feeling the need to do the cycling or weights.
* DM
Next: Dyingman's Future Body - Part 2 Death Postponed
Fitness Goals:
60 beats per minute resting pulse.
10 minutes hard cycling. (intensity 5 out of 10)
Weights: 3 days - 100 lbs. - 6 cycles of 5,5,5,10 repetitions (2 cycles/day)
Current Fitness Record: (since last entry)
2 x < 2 min cycling - average intensity 3.5 - 65 cycles (Pulse = 126 at last check 2-2008)
0 day - 65 lbs. - 0 cycles
Miscellaneous Activity:
Swam 12 laps backstroke
Dancing - 30 minutes
Pulse: 64
Blood Pressure: 108/76 5/29/08
BMI 25 (overweight)
Workout Partner's Progress: Position Vacant
RECENT SYMPTOMS : None.
ONGOING SYMPTOMS: Clicking knees, Pain in right knee when kneeling and shifting knee to the right. Hyperhidrosis.
DIAGNOSIS: Unknown injury to right knee, possible impact from small stumble (c. 2006) onto landing of concrete stairs. Injured knee joints from sprinting (c. 2007)
DRUG REGIMEN: Aspartame. (3 diet sodas daily) Caffeine (three cups of coffee daily. two colas.)ONGOING TREATMENT: Tri-Annual dental visits.
PROGNOSIS FOR FOLLOWING WEEK: Good health.
POTENTIAL TREATMENTS: Fish Oil supplements. Axillary vacuum curettage.
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