Dear fellow pipers,
After several months of bad pain in my left knee, I finally met with a good orthopedic surgeon on Friday. After a thorough exam and x-rays, he told me I have severe arthritis in both knees, not just the one, and in my left hip. I probably also have a torn meniscus in the left knee. He said I am looking at walking with a cane and injections for three to five years--then I will probably have to have a total knee replacement in both knees. Any advice from any of you for living with bad arthritis and chronic pain? I had assumed I had an injury to the knee that could be "easily" repaired, not a bad case of degenerative arthritis that couldn't be fixed without major surgery. So I am in a bit of a new world, and trying to learn as much as I can. Pain is a good motivator...
Luckily, the arthritis is in my lower joints, not in the all-important pipe-clenching jaw, so I can still puff away without problems. Smoking Cornell and Diehl Pennington Gap as I write this post. Best to all and thanks in advance for any advice.
Best,
Joe
After several months of bad pain in my left knee, I finally met with a good orthopedic surgeon on Friday. After a thorough exam and x-rays, he told me I have severe arthritis in both knees, not just the one, and in my left hip. I probably also have a torn meniscus in the left knee. He said I am looking at walking with a cane and injections for three to five years--then I will probably have to have a total knee replacement in both knees. Any advice from any of you for living with bad arthritis and chronic pain? I had assumed I had an injury to the knee that could be "easily" repaired, not a bad case of degenerative arthritis that couldn't be fixed without major surgery. So I am in a bit of a new world, and trying to learn as much as I can. Pain is a good motivator...
Luckily, the arthritis is in my lower joints, not in the all-important pipe-clenching jaw, so I can still puff away without problems. Smoking Cornell and Diehl Pennington Gap as I write this post. Best to all and thanks in advance for any advice.
Best,
Joe