Well, today was the big day. After a barrage of appointments, referrals, x-rays, and consultations I finally had my appointment with San Diego's premiere artist of arthroplasy; Dr. Mark McBride.
This consultation was the top of the ladder; this was the pinnacle of professional advice. Unknowing of what his recommendations would be, I was mentally prepared with various counter-arguments, justifications and emotional pleas. I just couldn't bear another, "come back when you're 50 years old" recommendation.
By the time of my appointment, I had amassed an arsenal of knee-related questions. These were derived from an extensive review of the literature (see separate tab), my inherent over-cautiousness and the need to be completely informed before making such a serious medical decision. More importantly, my fiance was by my side, acting as my second set of ears and primary source of support.
Dr. McBride is a great guy. He gets it, and when I say that, it means he understands his patients beyond his own scope of medicine. We went over my X-rays and MRI; basically resonating the same spiel I've heard numerous times now. Remember that "not-so-sweet spot" pain in my knee at 90 degrees? Apparently I have a gaping hole in the gliding surface of my cartilage, most likely from the basketball incident (see my post about the convex lateral compartment). It makes so much more sense now.
Nevertheless, we discussed what I was doing currently and what I wanted to get back to activity-wise. This was a simple answer: all I want to do is ride my mountain bike, hike, backpack and swim. That sounds reasonable right? I've come to terms with my limitations and understand that high-impact activities like running, basketball and tennis don't have a role in my future knee. Hell, I really can't do those things now.
My concerns were well received and his response was simply this: you can spend the next 20 years incapacitated on the couch dying of heart disease, or we can fix your knee and you can maintain your heart-healthy activities. This was music to my ears, since that's exactly what has been resonating in my mind this whole time. He said that I would benefit from a combined lateral knee replacement and patello-femoral resurfacing (I'll discuss this in detail later).
Claire and I jumped for joy as we left the doctors office; our lingering concerns now have a viable option!
This consultation was the top of the ladder; this was the pinnacle of professional advice. Unknowing of what his recommendations would be, I was mentally prepared with various counter-arguments, justifications and emotional pleas. I just couldn't bear another, "come back when you're 50 years old" recommendation.
By the time of my appointment, I had amassed an arsenal of knee-related questions. These were derived from an extensive review of the literature (see separate tab), my inherent over-cautiousness and the need to be completely informed before making such a serious medical decision. More importantly, my fiance was by my side, acting as my second set of ears and primary source of support.
Dr. McBride is a great guy. He gets it, and when I say that, it means he understands his patients beyond his own scope of medicine. We went over my X-rays and MRI; basically resonating the same spiel I've heard numerous times now. Remember that "not-so-sweet spot" pain in my knee at 90 degrees? Apparently I have a gaping hole in the gliding surface of my cartilage, most likely from the basketball incident (see my post about the convex lateral compartment). It makes so much more sense now.
Nevertheless, we discussed what I was doing currently and what I wanted to get back to activity-wise. This was a simple answer: all I want to do is ride my mountain bike, hike, backpack and swim. That sounds reasonable right? I've come to terms with my limitations and understand that high-impact activities like running, basketball and tennis don't have a role in my future knee. Hell, I really can't do those things now.
My concerns were well received and his response was simply this: you can spend the next 20 years incapacitated on the couch dying of heart disease, or we can fix your knee and you can maintain your heart-healthy activities. This was music to my ears, since that's exactly what has been resonating in my mind this whole time. He said that I would benefit from a combined lateral knee replacement and patello-femoral resurfacing (I'll discuss this in detail later).
Claire and I jumped for joy as we left the doctors office; our lingering concerns now have a viable option!