Will I Run Again ??

It's So Far Away.

It is now 26 weeks since my knee was drilled to pieces by a couple of doctors who carried out a procedure with no warning or discussion of what they were about to do.

The MRI scan clearly showed the damage, but due to total incompetence of the surgeon's senior registrar, I was not informed of the possible outcome prior to surgery. I have met with the surgeon since and they have apologised for this happening and have admitted there was a complete break down in communication. I have been asked if I want to proceed with an official complaint. I have refused to go down this route as that will not help my knee.

Do I sound bitter?

I have got a knee that is, after 6 months, in constant pain and I couldn't run 10 yards if my life depended on it!

I went into hospital for a small meniscus tear and was told I would be running, working etc in 2 weeks. I ended up on crutches for 8 weeks !

After the surgery, I was told that I would possibly have needed something done within the next 10 years or so and they decided to do this procedure while doing the small repair. I would have rather continued along with my knee the way it was and, when I was unable to do activities, then get treatment to it. I wasn't given that option and the doctors went ahead and carried out a procedure with devastating results.

Having now explored the outcome of micro fractures to the bone, the success rate is very poor and in a lot of cases the patient ends up worse off. The internet is full of people saying don't get this done unless you really have to and some of the stories are pretty horrific. Why do such hit and miss procedures?

That is what has certainly happened to me and I am very bitter at the service I have received from all concerned from start to finish. What will happen now? More surgery to repair the damage that has been caused? Probably sometime in the future, but I am very reluctant to go down this route due to the situation I now find myself in.

Where am I with exercise?

Cycling is now my main means of exercising and it is now only in the last 2 months that it is mainly pain free. I have been cycling up to 25/30 miles sometimes but my main routes are about 10/15 miles and I do this between 3/4 times a week. I am also walking 4 miles a few times a week.

Running is just a memory at this moment and I really mean I couldn't run 10 yards without severe pain in my knee at the compacting motion. Walking some days is terrible but I am getting better days with the walking and if I look back to January it has improved vastly.

I now walk with a limp but I am working hard not to do this and a lot of people have said recently that I am not limping as bad.

The day before I went into hospital I ran 5 miles and only went ahead to get the small niggling repair done as the doctor said it was a basic 20 minute procedure and I would benefit from the repair and it would allow me to run pain free again.

Will I ever run again ?

At this moment in time, I very much doubt it.

I have been running since 1975 and I am missing it greatly.

At this moment, I can do no sports that involve moving quick or running with my family and couldn't even contemplate a game of tennis with my daughter.

Yes, I am very bitter at the way I have been treated and I am now left with a knee that is 100 times worse than before I went into hospital.

"It's going to take time" is the standard answer from anyone in the health service.

Anyway it certainly is a long road back now!