My prize is a lateral meniscus tear.
I talked to the doctor today, and she didn’t express any urgency. I have an appointment for a consultation two weeks from today, and until then I’m supposed to take it easy and rest. I’ve been getting restless already, I’m going to be going stir crazy for two weeks, and I have no confidence that there will be anything to do once I get in.
In other sad news, we just learned that our family doctor, Cara Nachbor, has died. Both Mary and I liked her very much — she was a warm and cheerful person, almost 20 years younger than us, and although we’d heard she was having some health problems, she never let it show in her dealings with her patients. Rather, she always seemed energetic and enthusiastic, so it’s a shock that she died so suddenly.
I’m not going to complain about having to lie about for two weeks.
Dead at 49. All deaths suck, dying before even middle age is worse. I wish I could find some comforting words.
Fucken knees, man.
I was thinking, wouldn’t it be ironic if it turned out to be a spider bite gone hypertoxic, or whatever the term is? But life isn’t neat like that.
Maybe you put your foot down wrong to avoid stepping on a spider?
More likely, it was just one of those dumb things, like slipping and twisting the leg on something slippery, like water on the floor while getting out of the shower. Or maybe it was slippery mud while trying to get a look at a spider?
I know, fekkin knees. I have a slight meniscus issue myself, not as bad as PZ but annoying as heck.
As I diagnosed based on my own personal medial meniscus tear. They suck. Bring on the robotic surgery.
OK, blew my knee out in 68 had lateral fixed in 72 and medial in 75. Was able to run, play soccer, and have sort of a normal life since then. However, it still can pop and knock me down for a few days. The way I’ve found to deal with this is to go to a sporting goods store and get a knee brace. It can make a huge difference in pain and let you move around again. Remember, free advice is worth what you pay for it.
Ouch! Meniscal tears are no fun. Most can be managed conservatively, though.
Do you remember how you tore it? Most people can think of a distinct event, usually a forcible rotation of the knee, but surprisingly (to me) some can’t pin down any specific incident.
chrislawson, https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/06/25/i-done-gone-did-it-again/
“I was doing so well this summer! Regular light exercise, joints working smoothly, no aches or pains…and then last night, something went bad in my right knee, with no warning, no sudden snap, nothin’. I have a very specific, localized pain on the lateral aspect of my right knee, just one spot smaller than the palm of my hand.”
Seems to me that its genesis is uncertain.
I myself, in my mid-60s, at times wake up with a pain here or there, very mysterious.
(Usually, it goes away after a day or three, but it can be quite ouchy before that)
John Morales:
Not so. It’s very clear PZ jinxed himsel as he predicted he would.
Something to cheer you up.
My Wild Backyard:
“The World’s Most VENOMOUS Spider Isn’t From Australia”
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=ifPp6HwY62U
Brazilian killer bees, Brazilian spiders…
Walter, point. Too true :)
“Do you remember how you tore it? ”
It’s a little bit like with disk bulges in the spine. You accumulate lots of microtrauma, small insults, that add up over time, and when a critical mass is reached, things give out, no major trauma event needed. I put myself in a bed for 2 weeks once by sitting down on my towel on the beach. These menisci just slowly degenerate and desiccate over time, and then one day it happens.
25 years ago arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus was automatic but that led to problems down the road. Conservative treatment with rest and physical therapy seems to be the norm now, and I believe that’s best for starters.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, PZ, but as a torn meniscus sufferer myself (2019), the sad truth is you will always know that knee is there. Over time, the pain will subside as the meniscus heals. But, there will be a dull ache or sensitivity that will always be present. You’ll be able to walk just fine after a few months, but your running and rugby playing days are over. What you need to watch out for is overconfidence. In a year or two you may be gardening, lifting a heavy object, standing from a crouch, or even stretching for something at an awkward angle — you’ll forget about that knee and, Bam!, you’ll feel it want to give way again. It may be a mild twinge of pain, or it could be extreme. I reinjured mine again two years ago. It wasn’t as bad as the first time, but I learned my lesson.
Aw, double condolences, PZ. And double commiseration.
I’ve had a bad lateral meniscus for 20+ years. I even remember how I did it; I went bowling with my kids and put too much pressure on it during our second game. The knee in question was out front, bent and supporting my weight at a time when I was super-morbidly obese. The MRI just showed it was shredded in the posterior horn. Surgery was discussed, but the evidence had begun to pile up that it really didn’t help. I have had periods of years without pain, then I would twist wrong and set the damn thing off, and suffer and limp for a year before it settled down. You might have a better outcome if you keep your weight down (it really helped me!) and are strict about following doctor’s orders concerning rest & ice. NSAID’s would be great, too, but I think I recall you have a contraindication. Still. Good luck, and get well soon! (Be careful with your grandkids visiting!)
And likewise, I had a beloved MD die on me about 10 years ago. Ed Redard was the kindest, gentlest man I’d ever known. He diagnosed my cancer, and got me through the early years with compassion. But you did learn to make your appointments for either first thing in the morning, or first thing after lunch. He would give all his patients all the time they wanted—which was wonderful, unless you had the appointment at 1130 because he was ALWAYS running late by then.
Ed was a runner. One rainy night, his wife called him to dinner but he didn’t answer. She went to the basement and found him dead at the end of the treadmill. The whole medical community in Sacramento was gobsmacked, including me. He was a colleague as well as my doctor. I miss him to this day. So, I grieve with thee for your own PCP and extend condolences to everyone affected in Morris.
Hey, you’re doing great, PZ. I finally get to meet with a neurosurgeon on Tuesday, after being unable to walk since January. I have 2 ruptured lumbar disks, and it’s coming up on 6 months of being crippled without any medical care. I suspect my upcoming appointment will accomplish nothing but to set another appointment. I just hope it’s not set for another 6 months out.