Dr. Kieke said there is an area under my knee cap that is "rough", which is causing pain when it comes into contact with areas it shouldn't. This explains the stabbing pain one minute and none the next. The root problem comes from the patella not "tracking" properly. He said there are four stages of severity, I, II, III, and IV. Stages I, and II can be treated in his office without interference in training. Stages III and IV usually require surgery. This was his exact words: With the amount of grinding and popping in your knee, you're definitely higher than stage II. He assured me this is a common sport injury and the surgery is nothing major, just a scrapping of the posterior side of the patella and some rehab. Our next action is an MRI of my knee to confirm his diagnosis.
Here's the problem. They checked my medical insurance and it covers 60% of my Koala visits AFTER a $2000 deductible is met. It has something to do with Koala being considered "alternative medicine". The insurance company is treating them as a chiropractor. He offered me a "cash" discount, but it's more than I can afford over the long haul. I'll probably have to see a "real-doctor", so the insurance will cover me. I should know something soon about the MRI coverage. Hopefully the news will not be as bad.
There was a small bit of good news. They said I could run, UNTIL there is sharp pain. If I experience pain they said I need to stop immediately. They also noted the same problem in my left knee, but its only at stage I.
They said all of this is due to tight calves and quadriceps from the lack of stretching.
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6 comments:
run till it hurts? well that doesnt sound like good advice to me but i am not a dr.
i mean what if you are out running somewhere and then you start hurting and have to walk back a bazillion miles?
man o man...that just sucks bill!! i hope everything works out splendidly for you though!!!
big hugs!
Bill- if you're looking for a good "real" doctor, I recommend Dr. Chorley. He's at Texas Children's but he sees adults. He is a triathlete and one of the doctors that helps with Houston Fit. He helped me a lot with my ITB issues. So maybe check and see if he is on your plan. He's an orthopedic surgeon.
Ouch, sorry to hear the bad news. For what it's worth, you might try a second opinion...I say that mainly because I like to think of surgery as a last resort.
But I don't know how long it's been bothering you or how bad the pain is. You do what you think is best! :)
Sarah speaks the truth - no surgery until you're way sure.
Big hugs! No, wait, never mind, not manly. Pulling for you, though.
Steeeve
Sending you good vibes from Sugar Land!
Bill, Dr. Kieke is great, but I agree with Cassie...try Dr. Chorely. He and Dr. Keike are the Houston Fit "Tree Doctors"...I've seen Dr. Chorely once before for some back pain I was having and he got me back to running in no time.
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