New Diagnosis

Near the end of March, I was finally given a diagnosis... or several diagnoses. A conversation I do not entirely buy into because the doctor seemed to have an ulterior motive to convince me that physical activity is bad. The word overuse was, well, overused.

Knee- Degenerative arthritis behind my patella, which was probably caused by my loss of cartilage over the years (my joint space is severely narrowed at this point). It has also caused tendinosis (a chronic degeneration of tendons) around my knee; I'm basically causing micro tears in the tendons that are trying to support my knee, thus leading to reduced strength.
  My Opinion: This is incomplete. I accept the arthritis, it was kind of predestined because of all the damage I've taken and the initial loss of cartilage. However, it was strangely surprising that it ended up just behind my patella, but it does make sense since that's where they took out a piece of bone. As for the tendinosis, everything fits... except from what I've read about it, stopping the activities should have let it heal long ago. And my leg has only gotten weaker and more painful. I will concede that it could still fit because tendinosis is still highly misunderstood.

Ankle- Mild degenerative arthritis in the joint and down into my foot a bit, which may have caused or been caused by my sprained foot 3 or 4 years back (you all remember my purple boot...?) and would explain why I seemed to have never entirely recovered from it.
  My Opinion: This one I accept. I've had a weak ankle since my knee went out when I was 13 and it never really fully developed to the point of being completely reliable, so it makes sense that something would develop on the inside when I finally started moving around.

Hip- After all this time, it seems there IS a small tear (not recommending surgery though) and a cyst to go along with the tear, which means I can't ride a bike and shouldn't go upstairs because that is just the movement that will affect it.... I was given a couple simple exercises and it should heal in a year or two. There is some damage due to my having an oval ball joint rather a round one. And tendinosis in my gluteus minimus and medius tendons... right where I keep straining my hamstring, so that connection much be where most of the damage is occurring.
  My Opinion: It should heal in a year or two?! It's been almost year and a half! And I was in physical therapy for a couple months (where she was trying to treat a possible tear since she couldn't rule it out). Again, with the tendinosis, it's only gotten worse.

In the end, I did get some answers... just not an all encompassing answer that will tell me where I'm going from here since everything that had a healing time should have at least gotten a little better by now rather than head further downhill. I am ready for my next opinion.. from someone that works with athletes and doesn't try to convince me to stop any and all activity because I might be "overusing" the next joint.

And I will leave you with the conversation that was the final convincing I needed to tell me I was seeing the wrong person:
Doctor: How would you feel if you couldn't be active anymore?
Me: Well, it would take a lot to get me to completely stop.
Doctor: But how would you feel?
Me: Being active is something that keeps me going, keeps me sane(ish).. and I think I've proven in the last year or so that I can find a modified activity and people that can help me stay active.
Doctor: (sigh)
Me: (in my head) How many people have you approved to go on disability just so they could sit on a couch and avoid living just because it hurts or could cause some kind of damage? I've done the sitting around thing and all it got me was weighing over 200 pounds and another surgery. Being active gave me some great memories and friends, less pain (yes, less pain.. I sit at a pain level of 3 or 4 most of the time now with my whole leg in the game. It was a 4 or 5 with just my knee before I got active), avoidance of another surgery (got to go to physical therapy instead!), and a healthier body.

And yes, I know I accelerated some of the damage by running and biking and whatever else I got into, but I wouldn't change anything if I got to go back. When I started running, I kept thinking about the doctor telling me I had limited miles on my knee.... and what better way to use them than to raise awareness for the Heart and Stroke Association, and now for Relay For Life and anyone else that will pull me in. And I'll keep moving for as long as I can, as far as I can go. I always figured I'd keep running until my knee gave up; it lasted longer than anyone thought and I even found a way to keep going after that happened. Like I said in my initial fundraising campaign, they said I couldn't do it, but I'm too determined and stubborn to listen. I'm going to cross a finish line.

And another one.. and another one.....

This particular finish line will come, I just have to keep fighting for it.