Thursday, September 9, 2010

A Painful Lesson

You may recall a prior mention of my knees hurting after being on the treadmill?  Well, the truth is that my knees have been bothering me for several months. I started noticing a crunching sound when I would walk downstairs. And although I used to be able to do a  half-hour on the elliptical, I was finding myself aching after 15-20 minutes. To the point where I really did have to stop. 

Yesterday, I went to the orthopedist to get it checked out.  Turns out I have chondromalacia patellae in both knees. Most likely aggravated to this point because I got bold enough to increase the intensity of my work-outs so I could lose some weight. Hah! No good deed goes unpunished. 

My doctor says I should not go the gym for at least two weeks.  Additionally, no yoga, no Zumba, no kneeling, no squatting, limit stairs, walking only on flat surfaces, no hills. Which means I can't even walk around the block where I live! This, just when I was at the point of being ready to sign up for a personal trainer and really get things going.  The intial treatment was an injection of cortisone into my right knee. If it works for the right, left will be next - in two weeks. The doctor warned me that some patients experience increased knee pain after the injection. I didn't think much of it because honestly, the pain has been more on the level of irritating and frustrating rather than debilitating.  So I came home feeling quite sorry for myself (wallowing in a little pity party actually) because I was just getting serious about my personal fitness and the Universe has to go and throw this huge boulder in my path. As the evening wound down, my pain level increased. By bedtime I was riding a wave of pain with an undertow of serious depression.  I didn't sleep well. I couldn't get comfortable.

I woke up stiff and in pain. I got woozy trying to get down the stairs for breakfast.  All those things my doctor told me not to do? Couldn't do them even if I wanted to! I emailed my office to let them know that I would be working from home and would call in for our meeting.  I brought my laptop up from the basement so I wouldn't have to negotiate the stairs all day.  I iced my stupid knee. I worked. I called in for the meeting. I worked some more.  Then I got mad. What the heck Universe? I mean, come on, I'm trying to get fit and now this??? Seriously, I was pissed off. Which is a good thing. Depression makes me unable to function, freezes me in my tracks.  Anger, on the other hand, spurs me to action. And next thing I know, I'm thinking around this freakin' roadblock. Over it. Through it. Under it. Whatever. I'll be damned if I'm going to let an effing knee thing knock me off the path to fitness or sideline my journey! Sorry, that's the way I talk when I get angry.

We'll see how the knee feels tomorrow.  And assuming I can walk again, I'm heading to the gym.  No, I'm not going to do anything to aggravate my knees or worsen my condition.  But I can talk to a personal trainer. I can do upper body strength training.  Maybe there are some core strengthening exercises I can do that won't aggravate my back or my knees.  Surely there must be something I can do beyond sitting on my ample backside?!

So yes, yesterday's lesson about not giving up too easily apparently stuck.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your knee. I feel that way sometimes to - trying to make changes and the Universe decides lets not make it easy. lol Hope you are able to work out the upper at least & back to feeling better soon! :)

Amy said...

Good for you!
I understand all about knee pain - I had a severe sports injury a long time ago and it will always cause problems even after a couple of operations. I have let it dictate how I behave far too often and I'm inspired to hear your determination ... go for it!

quiltingfool said...

Welcome to my world! Only mine is, as you know, back problems. Well, your mojo must be contageous because today I did more in the great garage cleaning project and actually moved some stuff, rather than just sitting in a chair re-packing things. So far no problems, but since we're leaving for Hawaii a week from tomorrow, maybe this is not a good time to challenge my back? Accomplished a good bit, but I think now I'll wait until AFTER the surgery to get ambitious again. Don't want to screw it up before Hawaii. And you be careful. You don't need to make things worse either, however noble it may feel right now. OK?

Anonymous said...

Ouch! So sorry to hear about your knee. Cortisone shots can be so painful. I'm in the same boat with a back problem that just flared up again. I'm so mad that I didn't catch the warning signs and let it get out of hand again. No gym for me either for at least two weeks. Bummer!

Unknown said...

Oh Cheri, I'm SO sorry about this. I know first hand about the Universe throwing me curve balls just when I feel I'm on a good and right path!! I'm SO glad, though, that you are finding a way THROUGH your roadblock... and it is temporary as long as you don't push it. You absolutely can do upper body and some core strength training and that will keep you on the road to fitness, even while your knees are on an enforced vacation! Keep me updated! I'm cheering you on.

scrappyjacky said...

So sorry to hear this,Cheri.... good for you with the determination....but do be careful at the same time.

Sian said...

Oh, Cheri, that sounds completely miserable. I can tell how fed-up it has made you feel - I hope a bit of a vent has cheered you up a bit :) You sound so determined too, I'm hoping things look up for you soon.

humel said...

Oh, you poor thing xx I do hope the pain has subsided now, and that the treatment is effective so at least this has been worthwhile! And good for you thinking of ways round it so it doesn't knock you off your stride :-)

Cheryl said...

Oh I'm so sorry! Knee pain is the worst. I hope it feels better soon.