365 True Things: 292/Knee

Back in July, I complained about my right knee hurting. But then it stopped hurting.

A couple of months later, my knee started hurting again. This time it didn't stop.

But this time it was the other knee—my left knee. I kept hoping it would get better. And it sort of did, though it may be just that I've gotten used to it.

It's generally stiff: I can't bend it too far, or kneel on it. Sitting cross-legged is uncomfortable. Walking downhill hurts a little—it's not exactly painful, but it's not comfortable. Walking uphill, in contrast, is just fine! So there's that.

Not my knee:
for illustrative purposes only

A couple of weeks ago I went to see a knee doctor, and after poking and prodding my knee in various ways and asking, "Does that hurt?"—it consistently did not—he said, "Well, I think what we're looking at is mild arthritis." He ordered an x-ray, and sure enough: he showed me the rough area versus the still-healthy bone.

Drat. I'm too young for arthritis!

The good news is, using it won't hurt it, and I'll be damned if I'll stop walking.

More good news: I have a high pain threshold.

He said my basic therapy now, until it gets worse, is analgesics—and I don't want to go that route until it's absolutely necessary. He also suggested heat and cold, but I tried that during the early days (when I was in denial and thought maybe it was a sports injury) and it didn't seem to make much difference. Though it does feel good, so I might get back to that: a little evening sitting-and-reading-or-watching-TV therapy. It's free and won't hurt, may even help.

So for now, I limp a little while going downhill. I'm careful about how I hop into bed. I sometimes sit in my easy chair to meditate, rather than on my cushion on the floor. If I must kneel, I kneel on the right knee. And I try not to complain . . .

Far on down the road, I expect surgery might be wanted. But I don't need to think about that for a while. For right now, I'm fine.