My Body is Falling Apart-Whine Alert!

[altagirl]

DH had his ACL repaired last January and I went to his appointments with him with his surgeon. We were talking about cartilage and meniscus issues and he said something like "we're getting close to some breakthroughs on treating meniscus issues". I was like wait, my last knee surgery was i don't know, 15 years ago. And my surgeon said that exact same thing back then. DH's new surgeon said yeah.... some of those earlier options REALLY didn't work. And he didn't express confidence that any current treatments were past the "it is worth a shot and might help" kind of confidence level.

So my take is that while there are new treatments, and they do work for some (to varying degrees), they also don't work at all for others. So not having day to day pain, and not feeling like my knees are cramping my lifestyle, do I want to subject myself to that? Most of the options are hardly painless. Or the less painful ones like PRP have been not particularly useful for the folks I know who have tried, and I just don't have the extra money to be throwing at that. Now if I was unable to do things or in frequent pain? I'd be a lot more willing to try those things. I'm bone on bone for sure but it doesn't hurt so it makes me hesitant to rock the boat with my knees.

 

[MissySki]

DH had his ACL repaired last January and I went to his appointments with him with his surgeon. We were talking about cartilage and meniscus issues and he said something like "we're getting close to some breakthroughs on treating meniscus issues". I was like wait, my last knee surgery was i don't know, 15 years ago. And my surgeon said that exact same thing back then. DH's new surgeon said yeah.... some of those earlier options REALLY didn't work. And he didn't express confidence that any current treatments were past the "it is worth a shot and might help" kind of confidence level.

So my take is that while there are new treatments, and they do work for some (to varying degrees), they also don't work at all for others. So not having day to day pain, and not feeling like my knees are cramping my lifestyle, do I want to subject myself to that? Most of the options are hardly painless. Or the less painful ones like PRP have been not particularly useful for the folks I know who have tried, and I just don't have the extra money to be throwing at that. Now if I was unable to do things or in frequent pain? I'd be a lot more willing to try those things. I'm bone on bone for sure but it doesn't hurt so it makes me hesitant to rock the boat with my knees.

Oh yeah, I mean my thoughts are more targeted to if I were in debilitating pain and/or what I love to do activity wise were being impacted to an unacceptable level. I certainly wouldn't seek out alternative treatments just for the heck of it. If I were being very impacted, then I sure do think I would try things like PRP and stem cell therapy. AND also make sure to go to the best expert one can find with the best track record of success in whatever treatment. That is another frustrating thing with some of this stuff, NOT all processes and materials are created equal. I know in particular for PRP that different doctor's offices use so many different protocos and concoctions mixed in that can SIGNIFICANTLY change the price of what you are doing. But whose protocol is best and most effective, if at all? Good luck finding that out. I know people who have done PRP for skin treatments and hair loss for example, and that is ALL OVER the spectrum in pricing and efficacy. Some see little to no benefit and others see a significant benefit. But are they responders and nonresponders to the treatment, or is it due to the different protocols? It's complicated. And therefore, prudent to not seek out all sorts of less standard treatments unless it's really causing an issue OR if you are at a tipping point and perhaps said treatment can help further damage from occurring in the first place.

 

[tinymoose]

I don't think I'm disregrading and we can agree to disagree. The point I've been trying to get across is OA of a compartment of the knee is not equal in treatment or outcomes. The knee has has multiple compartments. I'm a certified hypochondriac and over-googler. There's not a whole lot to be found for patellofemoral arthritis outside a complaint group on reddit complaining about lack of research/treatments and a few sparse studies. I"m not saying I'm perfect or infallible BUT the research I did do on PF OA (I'm getting lazy) indicates surgical repair is suboptimal vs other compartments, which aligns with what my surgeon told me (i.e. salvage repair). Now maybe all these other treatments are miracle workers, I dunno. The way I see the patella compartment which is why I think it's tricky to treat, it's tight and compressed with little room for error. It's literally the entire hinge for your knee. The lube that makes it work. And when it doesn't it doesn't. Maybe I'm tired by other health issues and parenting declining parents (and if this isn't you I'm glad you're not there yet). But I'm tired and fed up with life in general so this isn't a knock on you but I did some cursory google and found not much and what I did find aligned with what my surgeon told me so I'm just holding for now.

 

[skibum4ever]

@contesstant I just hurt my right hip. Hope you're doing better.

May I join "Team Whine"?

 

[VickiK]

You don't need permission or a qualifying run to join Team Whine.

I caught pneumonia after my January Mammoth trip. Am recovering but still coughing. No skiing for me until April-Maybe...

 

[contesstant]

@contesstant I just hurt my right hip. Hope you're doing better.

May I join "Team Whine"?

Pull up a chair! I'm sorry you hurt your hip. You've had quite enough in the past several years. My knees seem to be settling down. I am able to do my regular workouts again, although I am careful about too much range of motion for my knees.

You don't need permission or a qualifying run to join Team Whine.

I caught pneumonia after my January Mammoth trip. Am recovering but still coughing. No skiing for me until April-Maybe...

You can pull up a chair, too! That's no fun at all. I ended up having a sneaky sinus infection after catching the most innocent upper respiratory virus. Like, I really wasn't even sure I was sick. It's still annoying me. I hope you are on the mend!

 

[VickiK]

Thanks, @contesstant . I still have congestion in my airways, which is probably why I get really tired by late afternoon.

Listening to this for the persistent cough issue...https://youtu.be/w5V78rT8RG4?si=RFGY11VwXupVL33g.
Starting a formal breathing practice sounds like a good idea, so does running an air filter at night in my bedroom.

 

[marzNC]

Thanks, @contesstant . I still have congestion in my airways, which is probably why I get really tired by late afternoon.

Listening to this for the persistent cough issue...https://youtu.be/w5V78rT8RG4?si=RFGY11VwXupVL33g.
Starting a formal breathing practice sounds like a good idea, so does running an air filter at night in my bedroom.

Have you ever used a spirometer? It gives a visual indication that's helpful until you can feel what a deep breath should feel like. My mother was taught how to practice with it after she had a partially collapsed lung (age 95). My husband has used it post-op. Idea is to use it for a few minutes a few times a day.

AirLife™ Volumetric Incentive Spirometer - 2500 & 4000 mL

Help patients monitor their breathing and aid their recovery with the AirLife™ Volumetric Incentive Spirometer, available in 2,500 and 4,000 mL sizes.

www.vitalitymedical.com

Relatively cheap and not meant for long term use. Hospitals just throw them away so patients can take it home when they are discharged.

 

[VickiK]

Yep I use a spirometer, and it does seem to help. I also use a nebulizer with a saline/weak hydrogen peroxide solution for 10 min and that helps.

 

[contesstant]

Thanks, @contesstant . I still have congestion in my airways, which is probably why I get really tired by late afternoon.

Listening to this for the persistent cough issue...https://youtu.be/w5V78rT8RG4?si=RFGY11VwXupVL33g.
Starting a formal breathing practice sounds like a good idea, so does running an air filter at night in my bedroom.

I bought an air filter for my bedroom at night and it 100% helps. When I travel without it, I have a lot more nasal congestion.

 

[Tvan]

Small tantrumy whine:

We were up early today to drive off to ski and I had a sudden pain in my left scapula. I said bad words and got in the car. We ended up turning round two miles down the road when it became clear that if I couldn't lift my own boot bag or turn to put on my seatbelt without pain, I was probably not going to be able to ski today.

i had high hopes for this season, but with my fall from the chair lift (which was completely not my fault and I’m still mad about it) and now this stoopid back pain, it feels like my body is telling me otherwise.

Instead of skiing, I’m sitting in my recliner reading “Sand Talk” (highly recommended if you like “Braiding Sweetgrass”) and taking Aleve.

Clearly, I need to be in better shape. That starts now.

 

[MissySki]

Small tantrumy whine:

We were up early today to drive off to ski and I had a sudden pain in my left scapula. I said bad words and got in the car. We ended up turning round two miles down the road when it became clear that if I couldn't lift my own boot bag or turn to put on my seatbelt without pain, I was probably not going to be able to ski today.

i had high hopes for this season, but with my fall from the chair lift (which was completely not my fault and I’m still mad about it) and now this stoopid back pain, it feels like my body is telling me otherwise.

Instead of skiing, I’m sitting in my recliner reading “Sand Talk” (highly recommended if you like “Braiding Sweetgrass”) and taking Aleve.

Clearly, I need to be in better shape. That starts now.

Be kind to yourself, it sucks but it isn't your fault and sometimes things just happen. It is of course also perfectly reasonable to be pissed that someone else had a negative impact on your ski season, it's really unfair and frustrating. Your body could have responded the same way whether you were in great shape or not though, those types of weird slow falls can be sneaky impactful. If you do feel that you could use a little more work in the fitness area, then hey maybe this can be a silver lining pushing you in that direction for future benefits next season!

 

[Tvan]

Thanks, @MissySki - I really appreciate your supportive comments! Last winter was a bust for different reasons, and it feels like I'm sidelined again this year and its very frustrating.

I have been working on getting my body weight back to pre-pandemic levels, so this is a good push to continue with that as well as upping my fitness. My 64-year-old-body does not respond the same way to exercise that my 50-year-old body did. Time to level-up my game.

But not until my back stops this current spasm. :(

 

[contesstant]

Small tantrumy whine:

We were up early today to drive off to ski and I had a sudden pain in my left scapula. I said bad words and got in the car. We ended up turning round two miles down the road when it became clear that if I couldn't lift my own boot bag or turn to put on my seatbelt without pain, I was probably not going to be able to ski today.

i had high hopes for this season, but with my fall from the chair lift (which was completely not my fault and I’m still mad about it) and now this stoopid back pain, it feels like my body is telling me otherwise.

Instead of skiing, I’m sitting in my recliner reading “Sand Talk” (highly recommended if you like “Braiding Sweetgrass”) and taking Aleve.

Clearly, I need to be in better shape. That starts now.

I swear, our bodies just revolt more and more as we age! My physical therapy for my shoulder joint has morphed into treating my chronic headaches and neck pain. I have learned new things about how to strengthen my postural muscles in my neck that have an almost immediate impact on my headaches. It's rather amazing! It's having an overall impact on my shoulders in general, feeling better. So, if your pain continues, do not hesitate to seek out physical therapy. Oh, and I also have had two sessions of dry needling and the chronically tight upper trapezius muscles are relaxed for the first time in DECADES. It took some serious guts for me to allow the needling, as I got woozy and had to lay on my stomach and do deep breathing to tolerate it. But the result has been so worth it!

 

[Tvan]

Yup. I have both a chiropractor appointment and a therapeutic massage on a monthly basis to help keep everything lined up. Both appointments are scheduled for this week, thankfully!