the last 2 weeks i have noticed severe pain in my left knee area, the pain gets so bad i can't hardly stand on it, and it seems to swell, do you think maybe ihave water on the knee, or could artheritis cause this severe pain. doc is on vaction till next week.

south249 :confused:

Hi, I think you may want to ask your drs office if he/she has anyone covering for them. Usually they do not just leave without coverage. If the pain is extremely severe, swollen, feels hot to the touch, you may want to see if either the dr who is covering can see you, or try the ER.
Is there a problem with bending, straightening the knee as well? Does it feel "locked"?
It could be various things. When I tore the meniscus (cartilage) in my knee, it swelled up, could not straighten it or bend it, and hurt bad enough so it was hard to walk, or sleep. In the meantime, you may want to try cold packs and elevation, until you can see a dr. and try an OTC anti-inflammatory for the pain.

His Cover Dr. Is Only In On Tursday And Friday. If It Gets To Bad I Will Go To The Er. I Did Not Fall Or Anything. I Just Woke Up One Day And It Was Hurting, And Now It Looks Swollen And Bending It Makes Me Wanna Jump Thru The Roof. Have You Ever Had Water On The Knee, Do You Think That Could Be A Possibility? Thanks For Answering My Post.

Hugs

Hi Again.
Well that's exactly how mine started. I left work on Friday absolutely fine. Woke up Saturday (first day of vacation) with my knee the size of a large cantaloupe (all squishy kind of) and in lots of pain. I live on the second floor and the stairs I almost had to hop up & down on one leg. I don't know exactly what "water on the knee" is in medical terms..but I would think swelling is caused my an accumulation of body fluids, so could that be the same thing??? I don't know. Before mine started, I noticed some
clicking, in the knee when I walked.
Hope you find out soon what the problem is, and let me know how your doing.
Have you tried cold packs yet? It does help....I put it under a wrap-around knee brace, so I could move around without having to take it off everytime I had to get up.
Best wishes,
Hellas

I Have Ice On It As We Speak. See 2 Months Ago I Fell And Hurt My Other Knee, When They Took Xrays At The Er They Told Me There Was A Tumor On My Distal Femur. Well Immediately What Comes To Mind, The C Word. I Never Went And Had It Checked, Because The Knee Healed And I Felt Fine. Then This. I Have Never Had Problems With My Knees Before, But I Am 48 So I Guess The Old Bones Maybe Falling Apart Ya Know. But I Am The Tyoe Of Person, Call Me Crazy If You Want Lol, But If I Have The C Word, I Would Rather Not Even Know, Just Let Me Live My Life Until The Lord Calls Me Home. Maybe Thats Wrong Thinking. But I Watched My Dad Die From Lung Cancer, And I Just Would Rather Not No. I Watched The Kemo Kill His Spirit Day By Day. Sorry To Go On And On. But I Will Let You Know Honey As Soon As I Know Something. If Theres Anything I Can Do For You Let Me Know. I Am A Praying Person. Hugs Gale

Hi Gale, I understand your fears...I really do. I watched my Mom die of cancer when I was 22 yrs old. And I saw the chemo do the same to her as your Dad. And if the xray you had showed a tumor, without further testing there is no way to determine if it was that thing we all have in the back of our minds (the big C). And the reason I joined these boards was because of a back/rib problem I have. THe MRI of my spine showed a Benign Hemangioma (benign tumor)in one of my vertebraes. So my point is, not all tumors are cancer.
In the fall you took, you could have done damage to the knee that's giving you problems now. I fell down the stairs maybe 6 yrs ago. Broke my left foot...my left knee had the torn cartilage 2 yrs ago. Same leg. But the knee never hurt at the time. I was 48 when my knee went too. Maybe it is just age.
Are you sure you wouldn't want to get these things checked out by your dr? I get scared too. I don't want them to find things that are going to make me feel worse. But if we worry about them, that makes us feel worse. And beleiving in God (and I do too) then we know that God doesn't give us a spirit of fear.
But I can't tell you what to do. I just don't like to see people hurting. So I will keep you in my prayers and hope you will let me know how you are doing.
You have a good night and God Bless you, Gale.
H. :angel:

hi sweetie i am back. I just got the x-ray results today in the mail, and a referral to go to an orthopeidc doctor. do you know what a demonstrable joint effusion is ? there is also fluid within the suprapatellar burea. degenerative finding in both knees, a lesion found on right distal femur. if you know what any of this means can you please tell me.

hugs
gale

GALE!!! :wave: I was worried about you kiddo! I'm glad you had your knee checked out. I am sorry but I don't have a clue what all that is. Sounds like maybe changes in the knee structure, from maybe wear & tear, age, etc. ??? There is a board about knees or knee surgery I think. They have all probably had a lot of xrays & MRi on the knees. Maybe someone there knows something about those terms.
Geez, I hate it when they throw these things at you with no explanation for us laymen.
I'm really glad you're back....hope someone here can explain those things in the report for you. Keep me posted, & got you in my prayers.

HI HELLARULES, HOW ARE YOU DOING? WELL THE DOC GOT BACK THE XRAYS, AND IT SHOWS A KNEE EFFUSION AND FULID IN THE KNEE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THEY DID TO TAKE YOUR OUT, WAS IT REALLY PAINFULL? IT ALSO SAYS THE KNEE HAS DENGENERATIVE PROBLEMS ALSO. I GET IN TO SEE THE SPECIALIST NEXT WEEK.

HOW ARE THINGS GOING FOR YOU? HAS THIS EVER CAME BACK, THE FLUID AND STUFF, OR WAS IT ONLY ONE TIME? WELL I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROCEDURE THEY HAD TO DO ON YOUR KNEE. TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS.

BIG HUGS
:wave: SOUTH249

Hi Gale, Well when I had the problem, the ortho sugested artroscopic surgery. I waited it out and never had it done. But one of the guys at work had it done on Friday and was back in on Monday. He said there wasn't much pain with it.
My knee got better on it's own after a few months of the swelling & not be able to bend it, but the problem with the torn cartilage is still there & may act up again. I watch what I do, and I get twinges here & there, but nothing like when it first happened.
I would think the specialist will want to do an MRI of the knee, to see better as to what's going on, as xrays pretty much just show the bony structures. I'm sure he will be able to tell you exactly what all that medical jargon on the xray report meant.
Is the knee feeling any better? Does the vicodin help at all. I was taking it recently & found it mostly just made me "dopey" feeling. Barely took the edge off my pain.
I hope your knee is feeling better, so you can get around and all. It stinks to be laid up & not able to do what you always have done.
Wishing you the best at the specialist visit. Let me know how you're doing, OK?
Sweet dreams.

Hi honey so glad to hear from you again. Well some days are better than others. If I am not on my feet to much that day, I still have the pain but not as bad. If I do alot that day, it swells and the pain us unbearable. I am a chronic pain patient because of a car accient almost 4 years ago, in which the case has not been settled yet, but will be this summer. Any way I have a herniated disk in my neck, and one in my lower back along with a bulging disk and spinal arthritus, so I am one big pain lol. Anyway I have to call in the morning for an appointment with the orthopedic doctor, I am hoping he can get me in right away.

Its weird because back in January I fell and tore cartiledge in the opposite knee, at that time they found a tumor on my distal femur, I am sure he will check that to. Anyway I have never hurt the left knee. I did though hurt it in the car accident, but would it act up 4 years later? Well I will keep you updated and I hope to hear from you soon. you are such a breath of fresh air to talk to. Take care and I will keep you informed.

Hugs
gale :angel:

Hi again, I think it could show up later. I fell down the stairs, and broke a chunk of bone off my LEFT foot about 3-4 years before the LEFT knee went on me. Coincidence? I just think it tore the cartilage a little then, and then years later the tear got bigger. That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it!
I saw your other post & glad some people knew what all that xray stuff meant. Bet it makes you feel a little better knowing more about the effusion & degeneration. Not that it still isn't painful, but takes a load off the mind a little.
I hope you can get in sooner, too. By the time I could get in to see the ortho, my knee had gotten better on its own. If i'd been able to get in sooner I probably would've had the surgery.
Hugs Back!

DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU HAD TO HAVE THE SURGERY? WAS IT BECAUSE OF THE FLUID OR WHAT? WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THIS DO THEY NORMALL DO SURGERY? THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO CUT OR ANYTHING RIGHT? QUESTIONS i KNOW I HAVE ALOT OF THEM SORRY HON.
HUGS
GALE

I had a torn meniscus (cartilage). This cartilage is between the thigh and lower leg bones and is a kind of like a cushiony donut. (I think with the degeneration it affects the cartilage at the ends of the bone, which is a different type of cartilage.) So when it tore, the thigh & lower bones kind of bang together & make a clinking noise. The fluid was just the body's way of reacting to the inflammation caused by the tear (injury).
The arthroscopic surgery is the one where they make 3 little holes and go in with surgical tools that have lights, and camera, & other surgical tools attached to something lie a little flexable tube. Quite miraculous really...I'd actually want to watch if I had to have it done and they would let me.
Don't be sorry for asking questions, but make sure you write them all down so you can ask the dr when you go. (They hate it when I drag out my list of questions, but...what the heck...how else am I going to know what's going on?
I wish I had better answers for you, but I don't have many real answers I'm afraid.
I only know about the knee problem I had...but if I never get it fixed, I may have more problems with it in the future.

Gale???? Are ou Ok hon? Just wondering how you are doing. I thought you were seeing the specialist this week. Hope everything is AOK with you. HOpe they had some answers for you and certainly some help so ou don't have to have all the pain in your knee.
Just wanted to check in.
Hellas.

Hi Honey, I Am Doing Good, Went To The Doctor And He Is Sending Me For Mri But Can't Get In Until July, Because I Will Only Go To The Open Mri, I Have Bad Calustraphopia. I Haven't Had Any Sweeling At All, And Then This Morning It Is Swelling Again. I Take Naprosyn And That Usually Helps. Well Please Keep In Touch Honey. I Will Let You No When I No Something.

Hugs
South249

Hi. Glad the knee feels a bit better. Can't blame you in the MRI. Lots of people get weird-ed out in the tube one. Me, too, but did it anyway. Was the dr able to help with your questions? Hope so. THings are a lot worse when you don't have answers/
Keep in touch, kiddo. Be praying for you.
Hellas.

hi sweetie, well I went to the drs. they drained the knee, but it still hurts bad. so he is sending me for an mri and then will see if he needs to go in microscophy with a camera to see whats going on in there. will let you know what happens. please keep in touch.
hugs
gale

Hi Gale,
Just wondering how you are doing. Haven't heard from you in awhile & just noticed your last post. Guess I missed it. Hope you are doing ok, and I know the MRI's are kind of scary,but if you can tough it out, it can explain a lot. At least with the knee you still have your head out in the open. That helps with the claustrophobia.
Wishing you all good things.
Hellas

Well, first of all....that 'Big Caps' on every word is hard on the eyes....just thought I'd mention that man...sorry, just being honest!

Anyways, hope I don't seem like a rude person for saying that, but here's what I really want to say.......Wow, the description of the swelled up knee with the squishy feeling is exactly what I experienced a while back, and out of nowhere too, but as I posted on another thread, I believe I have pretty serious knee problems, so it shouldn't have been a big surprise to me.

I'm wondering if either of you have a similar problem with the knees going in more than normal, like almost knock-knees, but not really.....well, anyways, my knees SUCK....and I hate the way they look, my legs and all....can't stand it, and I need to seek help!

ok, so I thought there was just the first set of posts there, but noticed after I posted, that there was like 3 more pages, so oops, my bad....sorry about that.

Anyways...yeah, I posted another thread about my knees and legs, and I hope that someone can help me, or at least give me small hope that maybe it is fixable!