Let's start right at the beginning - What is Chronic pain?
Chronic pain is often defined as any pain lasting more than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is a normal sensation that alerts us to possible injury, chronic pain is very different. Chronic pain persists—often for months or years. It is a persistant unpleasant discomfort that is often resilient to medications.
I have had knee pain since I was 4years old. At that point in time my parents were told it was growing pains and I would eventually outgrow the symptoms. I remember my Mum sitting and massaging creams and things into my knees from this age in an attempt to ease the pain an help me sleep, I would often wake during the night crying with pain in my knees. It never got better!
When I was about 12 the doctors agreed that it probably wasn't growing pains and sent me for xrays and scans and various tests. The results of this came back that I was suffering from Osgood -schlatters disease. This resulted in me not doing much in the way of PE at school, I had to give up dance and gymnastics that I had done for many years and I spent most of my teenage years on crutches as I couldn't walk and weight bare for long periods of time and my knees would give way without warning.
This continued well after I left school and started work, I had to stop working in the nursing home as it was putting too much strain on my knees and got an office job of which I was sacked due to time off with knee problems and not being able to go in. When I was pregnant I had even more problems due to the extra weight I was carrying and again had to use crutches.
Things seemed that they had settled down in my late 20's, I still had problems and pain but was only occasionally, and more so when I had over done things. My doctor said I had mild chronic pain syndrome and the only way to ease it was pain meds and rest when I had a flare up.
In January 2013 I was dancing on the wii with the kids when I twisted my knee - I collapsed straight away and the pain going through my knee was something like I had never felt before. I spent the net few days resting, using ice packs and taking pain killers. It seemed to be easing up a little and I was able to walk abit more. The week after I twisted it I had gone outside to the rubbish bin and I slipped on the ice on the path and was unable to walk and weight bare and ended up in a&e. After 2 xrays being given crutches and a thigh to ankle knee brace I left a&e.
I saw a consultant 2 weeks later and was no better, I was given more stronger pain killers and told to rest as much as I could. This went on for 4months and I was put on morphine patches and they decided to send me to a physiotherapist - this took a further 6weeks for an appointment and by this time it was a few days before I was due to move house so the physio didn't do anything. Once I was registered with a doctor in my new area the sent me to the chronic pain clinic who confirmed that I was now suffering chronic pain. I was referred to a surgeon and 6weeks after seeing him he operated on my knee in April 2014. Apart from the fact I can now walk short distances without crutches I am still in as much pain every day as I was.
Some days are struggle to even get out of bed as I am in that much pain, others I can do some things. I am not lazy I am just in constant pain, I am always tired as I am unable to sleep much at night due to the pain I am in, the constant pain has affected my mood and I am clinically depressed and I have seen a counselor about it, I have a short memory due to being so tired, I amnot able to do all the things I used to do and its not just me that is suffering but my family too. I found this 2nd pin and it is very acurate and I would like to share with my friends and family.
I have been referred back to the surgeon who has requested another MRI scan on my knee, thinks steroid injections into knee may help and has sent me bac to the chronic pain clinic. It is just a waiting game. I never thought I would be disabled at the age of 33 and not able to do much, I have had enough of constant pain and not being able to walk places with my kids etc. I have hired a mobility scooter for our holiday and I plan to buy one so we can start going out places again.
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