So, I finally had my MRI this past Monday. That was much less exciting than I thought it would be, though it is still pretty cool. Laying still for each of the scans is bloody difficult, and it doesn’t really help when the technician reminds you. I almost ended up with a pretty good cramp in my leg as I realized that what I was doing was tensing all the muscles in my leg. Of course when i realized that in the middle of a scan I didn’t think I should really relax since that would probably cause motion in the scan. A very interesting experience.
I had the follow-up appointment with my doctor this morning to go over the images from the scans. This was kind of a “mixed blessing” diagnosis. I suppose the good news is that there didn’t appear to be any damage to my meniscus or any of the ligaments which means that there is no call for surgery at the moment. He did see a small spot on the scan that he thought was too small to be a problem and it only barely showed on two slices, so it didn’t seem to be worth going after surgically at this point.
On the other hand, what he did see (and hadn’t been able to feel due to swelling) was that my patella (kneecap) is not tracking properly. In fancy medical terms it is patellar subluxation of the left knee. The treatment for this includes a funky new brace that is supposed to help actually keep the patella where it is supposed to be as well as 4-6 weeks of physical therapy. IN the hours since the visit to the doctor and wearing the new brace I have already started to feel a difference. I am sure that the fact that the swelling has finally started to go down makes a big difference as well.
So, I spent a lot of time psyching myself up/out over surgery and at least for now I don’t need any. This is a good thing. It seems like there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and maybe even hope to get some skiing in this season. We shall see how it all goes. The fact that the swelling and pain are going down is a really nice thing!
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