Follow Up To My Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment
[ Thursday February 24th 2022 at 11:10 am ]
Today's medical appointment was stressful although the doctor has really warmed up to me (even at the start of the appointment). I started crying while talking to the doctor. I hardly ever cry. I was wanting this the regenerative medicine to work.
My doctor was thoroughly prepared for me. I put together a summary of how my knee and right ankle responded to the treatment in November, the group of new symptoms the knee is presenting and the impact this is having on my life. (A few years ago an orthopaedic surgeons administrative assistant told me the doctors sometimes need reminding that their patients are people.)
I own a knee anatomy model. I brought it with me because my skin was in the way to show the doctor where it was hurting and I can bend the knee model in ways I physically can't to demonstrate what happened when my knee buckled.
The problem with my right knee is so unique the doctor had never heard of it before. I have a strong feeling he enjoyed learning something new.
What I've described in my knee amounts to having a hang nail that keeps getting re-injured several times a day. There is a special type of knee brace that forces the knee joint apart. The doctor wants me to get one of these custom made. Then he wants to repeat the regenerative medicine treatment procedure. This time he wants to insert the needle into the cartilage that is torn and flood the area in the hopes my knee will actually heal. I'd be wearing a knee brace for 6 weeks.
He is completely willing to send a referral back to the knee surgeon when all is said and done with the results to consider if I need an operation. The probable surgery is incredibly unpleasant and only has a 30% success rate. There are other more aggressive knee surgeries that can still happen. As unpleasant as it is I tend to go from least aggressive to most.
The doctor wants me to go to a specific clinic for the knee brace. I went there to get an appointment after finishing with the doctor. No one was at reception. I took 2 staff member business cards and will e-mail them when I arrive home.