Knee's

I have struggled most of my life with my knees. When I was 11 years old I was at the grocery store with my dad when I fell. I was walking and all of a sudden my knee gave way and I was on the ground. That was the beginning for me. From that day on I started the process of being extra careful with my knees. I wasn't able to play sports because I had to be careful.  When I was young I didn't fully grasp what that meant for me.

I can remember times when I would be coming out of my room and I would feel my knee give way on me, I would say "my knee fell", it was the only way I could describe what I was feeling.

When I was in grade eleven I was sitting on the floor with my friends during lunch break, when the bell went for us to go back to class I was getting up when I fell over. Some of my friends helped me to the bench and the my mother was called to get me. 

I couldn't put any pressure on my leg, I couldn't walk! My mom brought me to the emergency and the next thing I remember is having surgery. It turned out that I had dislocated my knee cap so bad that it was on the side of my leg when I stood up, and in doing this I also tore almost everything in my leg that was attached to my knee cap. It was one of the most painful things I have ever been through and I am just grateful that I had it fixed right away. I ended up spending most of my summer that year in a full leg straight cast. During my time in that cast I fell again only this time doing the same damage on my other leg. I was back in for more surgery on my other leg just over six months after my first surgery. 

Since those first two surgeries I have had two more to clean out some of the extra tissue (bone growths) on both my knee's. I have seen lots of surgeons and been through hours of physio therapy and had dozens of ex-rays on my knee's. At one point Chris and I had to move because the house we were living in was making it very difficult to walk. I also talked with doctors almost five years ago about the possibility of having more surgery to fix some of my current issues and to help with the pain I live in daily. We decided with my doctors to put off these surgeries until I was done having children and then look at how my knee's were doing then.

About two years ago shortly after Jaclyn was born I tore some cartilage in my left knee. I have talked to a doctor about having it repaired but I was uncomfortable have surgery when Jaclyn was so little, I was also dealing with my thyroid at the time. I have managed to keep from having surgery and would like to avoid it as long as I can. However that may not be that long. Over the last two years my torn cartilage has been in a place that doesn't cause my daily pain but when it moves I am in A LOT of pain. Thankfully this only happens every couple of months, when it does I am in bed or on the couch until it moves again and then I can go on with my daily life. 

As some people may already know we are getting ready to move and I am in the process of packing our house up. Last night Chris and I made some really good progress on our packing and at the end of the night my knee did it again, it locked up and my torn cartilage moved on me. Chris helped me get into bed and I have been sitting here ever since. I am having difficult time standing up on my own right now as I am unable to put very much pressure on my leg. The worst part is that in the past when this has happened the kids and I spend a week on the couch watching movies and reading while my knee fixes itself for the short term. This time I don't have time to sit on the couch for a week. I have so much to do in getting ready for our move in two weeks that stopping does not seem like an option. You could say that I am a little frustrated and concerned right now!

If you are the praying type, please pray that God heals my knee's and that I am able to walk again. Also that we are able to get everything done in time for the end of the month. Thanks!!

Knee's