B.C.

My super fit brother William, he goes to the gym many times each week. He eats very healthily, he is also, nice and slim. He has always been healthy all of his adult life. In the past he has had minor ops for his sporty and gym activities. Because he is sporty, from time to time, has had to have minor operations. He recently had to have an operation on his knee.

About three days after William had his operation, I had a pain in my knee! I have never had a pain in my knee before; in fact, I didn’t even know which knee William had the op on.

I tried to ignore it, but it was difficult. The pain was at the back of my knee. I went to the site number three, to work there for the day and was hobbling about, and Elspet asked me, “What wrong?” I said, “I don’t know, it started soon after my brother had an operation on his knee, but my pain is behind my knee.” She told me what she thought it was, and I replied, “I choose not to google it, as I didn’t want to scare myself.” But after she said the name, on my way up the stairs, I googled the words, and read about it, I had not heard of it before. It never ceases to amaze me, that I could live this long, and not have heard of this. But I suppose on reflection, every part of our body has a name, and if that part of the body is unwell, it is given a name too.

The following day, was my day off, I decided to go on-line and book a doctor’s appointment. I joined the others with trying to book an appointment, and hoped I would get in, there is a section where you have 500 words to explain, what you want to say. I said all that I wanted to say. By 11am I still hadn’t heard anything so I rang the doctors and asked, “Do you have any news for me?” She said, “You are on the Doctors list, he will ring you today.” I said, “OK.” At 1.30 the doctor rang me, he asked me a few questions, then he said, “Can you get here for 3.30pm?” I said, “Yes.”

I went to the doctors, he asked me to, “Sit on the bed,” With my legs hanging over the side, he said, I am just going to move your legs to check for arthritis,” He moved one leg and then the other, then he said, “You do not have arthritis,” I said, “Thank goodness for that.”  He then pushed his finger into the front of my knee, I said, “Ouch,” He said, “Does that hurt? I replied, “Yes.” He then asked me, “To stand up.” He then pressed the back of my knees and said, “You have something called, Baker’s Cyst.” I said, “That is what my co-worker said it was yesterday.” He told me more about it, and prescribed Ibuprofen Gel. He also referred me for a scan, just to confirm. I went for the scan a few days later. The doctor had told me, “You have it mild,” I said, “I wouldn’t like to think what the pain would be like, stronger than this!”

I don’t like taking medication, and if I can get away with the minimum, I will take the minimum. The only exception to that rule, was when I had shingles! I declared that the worst pain I have ever had in my entire life!! I was told by the Doctor, “Take these tablets every four hours.” The pain was SO bad, after 45 minutes I wanted more!!! It took a year for the pain to go.

The scan hurt, as she rolled the item over the back of my knee. She told me, “Ring up 7 days after today and your doctor will give you the results,” I said, “OK.”

After I went to the doctors, I said to a few people, “Have you heard of Baker’s Cyst?” Out of 10 people I asked, only 2 had heard of it. The pain, when it is bad, feels like a 10 out or 10!! My leg felt weak, like it was going to bend at the knee, the wrong way! I realize when I sit on certain sofa’s it hurts a lot when I try to stand up, I tried not to have the Ibuprofen three times a day like the Doctor said, but on some days, I wanted to apply the gel more than three times in one day. Sometimes, I would put the gel on bedtime, thinking it would help me when I stood up, but it didn’t help. At other times I tried to just use it first thing in the morning, so that it would help me throughout the day, but the pain was just too much. On other days, I felt fine, and thought, I am getting better. Only to be in agony, with the pain a ten!

I had not read the leaflet that came with the gel before I started using it, but I thought I know, that will all medication there are side effects. I hadn’t noticed anything different in my body.

I am sure that I had read somewhere years ago, that gels like this, can make the skin thin. I decided to stop using it, and try to think positive thoughts, but that was on a good day.

I rang the doctors to get my results from the scan, but the receptionist said, “I am not a medical technical person, so I can’t give you the results, you need to go on-line, tomorrow morning at 8am.” I said, “OK.”

So, at 8am I typed in on the NHS booking appointment, and typed in all the information they asked me to, including in the space for 500 words, I asked, “Could I see a doctor today, as my knee does not seem to be getting better.” I added that I would also like the results from the scan, that I had rang up for them, but told to contact you through the NHS appointments.” I said, “This is my day off, and I told them what I did for a living.

Unlike the last time, the Doctor did not ring me, instead I got a text on my phone to say, “An appointment has been booked for you to see a doctor on Monday,” And the time, when I am at work then, there was the option to change the date and time, so that is what I will do tomorrow.

I have bought bath salts with Epson salts, and have been using that to try and ease the pain, I think it all helps for the mind too, but don’t know if it is helping or not. I am not in the bath long enough for it to be making a difference.

Between the Doctor and myself, I should get there.