25 March 2010 - So, this knee......

I have no idea what is going on with my right knee. I know there are some cartilage issues with it and I know that my patella is a bit out of whack and I know that I had a small tear in MCL last year.  I was told with rest and time that it would heal itself.  I'm sorry Mr. Doctor, but no, it won't.  It's worse than ever!  Right now there is some pretty bad pain in the back of my knee and it feels like it's all internal.  If I'm not careful while walking, my knee will give out on me right when I put my full body weight on it.  When it does give out, it almost feels like a hyperextension with my knee wanting to go the opposite way of its intended design.  I don't think this is gout, either.  I can poke and prod and even hit my knee (within reason, of course) and there is no pain.  There is a little swelling, but it's minor and nothing like the swelling I've had when I was experiencing an attack of gout.  There is also no redness and I never felt the 'twingy' feeling before the onset of the pain in the back of my knee. 

I'm going to give it a couple more days to see if it gets any worse or if it just goes away.  This knee is the one that I've already had three surgeries on.  This is also the knee that usually has the worst gout attacks.  I can't remember any traumatic injury that has occurred to my knee in the last few weeks.  So, I just don't know.  Maybe it is gout related, though.  I only say this because I'm having some minor twinges in both ankles and my right elbow is starting to act up.  My big toes also feel a bit gouty. 

This is a bit of a setback for me.  I've been very patient and very good with my diet the last few months.  I was hoping I could start up a regular exercise routine again soon.  It seems whenever I do feel good enough to get back on the eliptical machine or to go for a walk or hike, something else pops up, and as a result, I'm unable to workout for days at a time.  My goal is to get myself in better cardiovascular shape and to drop 25 pounds in order to get out this summer for some glacier skiing in Austria and to do an epic hike or two in the Alps.  It all leads up to being able to do some real backcountry skiing next winter. 

I'll continue to be patient and hope that these little flare-ups run their course in due time.  The knee thing, though, still has me puzzled.  Another surgery might be in order - at least this has been mentioned to me on more than one occasion......