meniscus tear getting worse? painful!!

[meowcakess]

A little over a month ago i noticed that my right knee will completely lock up in the middle of the night while i am sleeping and it is *extremely* painful. I didnt seek medical attention right away because it didnt affect me during the day. But i went to see my doctor last week because my knees started to hurt during the day. She diagnosed me with meniscus tears in both my knees ( i am going to get an x ray and mri to get an official diagnoses). I have noticed the pain is getting worse every day. I am not athletic but i have been walking around every day,and i have stairs in my house. I am worried that walking and stairs is going to make my knees worse and tear my menisus even more (i really dont want to have surgery). Does this seem like a reasonable worry ? Or should i not worry about it and go on with my normal activities? Its weird because 2 weeks ago they only hurt a little and it really is getting worse every day. My knees really really hurt by the end of the day now!! It feels like someone is jabbing screwdrivers in my knees and twisting them around. I have to go back to work tonorrow and i dont know what i'm going to do. ):

[psychdegree]

How was work today? Sorry my comment was short..I was on lunch break. But the recover after my surgery was 3 weeks...w the good surgan I was walking good w in 3 days...the 1st 72 hrs was the worst. But until then take it easy! Don't push your self to do anything..even walking far..even shopping (that really did me in) try ur best to keep some type of anti-inflammatory med in you & ice it every change you get. It will hold u off from surgery till u can get it. I keep for getting its both knees. So just be very careful..if they haven't done test except feel ur knees than they don't kno how bad it is..they thought mine was just a tear than got in & I had the plica. (But the 1st idiot doc didn't see..some how during the surgery..t I also had chrondomalasia on my knee cap which is where the bone was no longer smooth but rough n looks like the surface of the moon) so I had to get a second surgery bc the pain never went away fully..but the tear was already repaired. Above all make sure u have a great ortho surgan or they can miss stuff & someone will have to finish the job!

[psychdegree]

I would not quit for sure! I never stopped going to school..yet as soon as they found out what was wrong it was summer & they did the surgery within a month of finding out. Its not gonna get better if you take time off and it may not get worse (the pain def will get worse, but the tear probably wont depending on how bad it is and how thick or thin) I would make the choice directed by your pain. If it gets so bad you cant bare working on it then yes, take a leave of absenese till its fixed or see if you can work part-time (maybe some in the am or pm) but I would wait for the xray (and or mri) before doing anything about work and then see if it will make it worse then yes. But as for now it may feel like the tear is getting worse when really its just getting more and more irritated bc of the continuous use. Dont listen to your mom..ive had to be outta work for things like this twice real close together..your not handicap nor will be..just see if they'll lighten your load.

[meowcakess]

Did you take any time off of work when you injured your knee? I have to go back to work tomorrow and I am nervous. 1) I have to tell my boss, and I JUST recovered from 2 D&C surgeries which put me out off and on for a month... I know she will understand but I am so embarressed and feel so useless. 2) I don't want to injure myself more! 3) It hurts ):
My mom is telling me that I might have to quit my job, so they can hire someone more useful. I dont know what I'm going to do if I have to quit.

[psychdegree]

Wow u sound just like me! I work at a preschool too..yet now its my hip not the knee. Anyway yes the pain did each day really. I could never get comfortable either..I laid w a pillow between my legs n tht helped some..icey hot works good to if u can use it. Keep ice on it (20min on then off each hr) when u get off work. Mine happened after a hunting trip & just never stopped..not one day. Also get some ibprohen n take 4 (800mg every 6 hrs) tht will also help. Mine came outta no where too..luckly it was just one knee so I could use one crutch when it got bad. Try ur best not to sleep on it..not either side bc the weight of ur body will really aggrivate it. I had to learn to sleep on my back w my feet up for 3 weeks straight after the big knee surgery so its hard but doable. If u do all this is will help till u get ur surgery n I would get it. But doin this will ease the symptoms. I kno its so irritating there's no way to walk or lay w out it hurting & & if u must take the stairs walk up n down like a 3yr old. Both feet at a time..not each foot to a step. If it gets worse b4 the month..like really bad..call them bc they kno how fast this can become worse.

[meowcakess]

Thank you so much for the repsonse. I went and got an xray today on my knees. I had to get an xray first before i can get my insurance to cover an MRI. Did your pain progress rapidly? I feel like in the course of a week my pain has gotten significantly worse (today i have my legs eleveated but i cannot find a comfortable position without pain). It started out with one of my knees stiffening in the middle of the night and slowly turned into a small amount of discomfort during the day. Now, the past few days it is very painful and uncomfortable! I am feeling so confused and stuck because my bedroom where i am living it up about 20 stairs and there are no bedrooms downstairs. I work at a preschool with a lot of stairs and part of my job is carrying kids up and down the stairs. I just dont know that to do. My follow up appointment with my doctor is in a month.

[psychdegree]

I actually had this in my left knee twice...the 1st surgery repaired it..yet I also had a plica band (scar tissue growing around the knee..caused after the tear) It really is worth worrying about (or I should saying acting on) Bc I put it off for 5 months and by then I could hardly walk my college campus. Stairs, up or down, anything really that make the tissue move more will only tear it worse..maybe not each time you walk up them, but it will always caused more imflamation. I am not an athlete either, I was only attending college last year, but I did sports in high school. It never got better on its own..only worse. From what I learned this area has very little blood flow to heal on its on..its like a rip on paper (example) hard to repair that by leaving it alone..resting only helps the pain. Its best to get it removed early...trust me! The longer you wait the more painful it will get. The surgery is honestly not that bad (the plica band was big, but the meniscus tear was/is very minor to take out) they cut 3 small holes and its done..takes maybe 30-an hour..my mom said that how long she was in the waiting room. You will be SHOCKED at the difference after! It feels brand new after your recovery time. I dont know how big or old the tear is but if he offers surgery (Id get an MRI to know for sure after going thru this twice) take it..in the long run you will thank yourself for taking care of it early. Also wrap your knee in an ace bandage everyday! It with help support it and keeps some body heat in which helps with the imflammtion..I still wear mine and couldnt work w out it!

[meowcakess]

And today they hurt from the moment i woke up..