Needy Knee

SUMMARY: Can barely walk

Well, if this isn't the year for my joints to be a mess--

In January I made a mess of my shoulders by trying to shovel & move a truckload of wood chips to the backyard by myself, compounded by then falling over a wall and landing so that my shoulders absorbed all the shock. Doctor's verdict: impingement syndrome, here are exercises to keep it limber and to strengthen when it stops hurting enough to do them--which has never happened.

Then my knee, which had been bothering me off and on (and more an more of the often & on), went completely to pot at the Haute TRACS 4-day trial, the first time it swelled and became so painful I couldn't do anything. Original doctor thought arthritis and suggested one exercise to strengthen thighs--which I've had trouble doing because knee bothered me. Regular doctor ordered xrays a month ago and said "they're fine" so I still don't know if arthritis or soft tissue or what, but phys therapy was waiting on first taking care of my ankle--

Which I twisted July 20 but didn't see the doctor for a month after i kept yanking it and yanking it.

SOOOO I've had one PT appt, for the ankle, and it might have helped, but frankly I never did twist it again after the xrays (hmmm, maybe the xrays gave it superpowers after I was bitten by a radioactive mosquito! or something!) and although it's definitely still stiff and vaguely sore, it's nothing like my shoulders waking me up at night or being in misery when I'm loading & unloading my car, or my knee--

which this weekend for some reason decided to get much worse again. I did virtually nothing on it monday & tues, not my usual walks or training with the dogs or anything, then woke up yesterday morning with it much worse again, then I tried to do an agility demo in a small area with good old jake, hobbling most of the way because I just couldn't run at all and then something kinda went Pop partway through, and after that I could barely walk at all.

I did manage to get referrals for shoulder and knee PT from my doctor this week as well as the ankle, and although PT appts are being made 3 to 4 weeks out, the lady who saw me for my ankle is giving up her lunch break today to see me for my knee. I'm so grateful-- can walk on the level mostly OK if I move slowly and carefully (trying not to limp because I think that's why my LEFT hip is sore today), but can't go up and down stairs except one at a time.
CRAP CRAP CRAP

I did call the trial secretary for this weekend and she hasn't printed the final catalog yet so I could withdraw both dogs and get my entry fees back, but I don't WANT to. Have arranged a part-time handler for Tika if I do go and my knee bothers me--she practiced with Ashley (Luka's dad) in class last night and they did good--but it's really much more fun to run my own dog, and there's no point in going if I can't run Boost myself and if I can't run Tika for her one Snooker run hoping to finish her ADCH.

Guess I'll have to decide today whether to take the risk that I'll be mobile by Saturday morning.