Took a spill last night, banged my knee--update

[BlueEyedSorrel]

Short story: had a lesson last night (not on my horse, on a school horse). We had a spook in which horsie went one way and I went the other. It SHOULDN'T have been a big deal, the type of fall you can shrug off (14.2hh-ish hony, soft ground, not going all that fast), except that I landed on right knee, with my leg sorta bent under me. I'm not sure how I managed to do that, except that I have never been the most graceful person. I thought I just bruised it, got back on and rode another 30 minutes (trying not to hyperventilate the whole time;)). When I got off the horse, it was "OH S**T this hurts." I somehow managed to drive myself home and hobble into my apartment. I don't think I broke anything (no swelling, no loss of range of motion, can bear weight on the leg plus it doesn't hurt like my last broken bone), but OMG it hurts to bend my knee, especially on the lateral side. It's more a muscle pain, than a bone pain, if you know what I mean. I am trying to rein in my over-active med student imagination about all the structures in the knee one can screw up. My little bit of knowledge is truly a dangerous thing right now.

So I'm home, eating the advil like candy and waiting for my dr's appointment (and likely x-rays) this afternoon. Getting to lab requires a 15 minute walk across campus, which is not going to happen without crutches. My advisor is OK with it--he's a horse person, so his attitude is more "these things happen, let me know what's going on when you know" than "why on earth do you do this dangerous sport?" I now realize it was really dumb to get rid of the pair I had for the last injury.

And poor Pixie didn't even get her carrots and grooming last night:(, since I normally leave that for after my lesson and walking through the mud to get to her paddock didn't seem wise. I felt so bad driving right by Pixie, with her standing by the fence going "Yay, treat time:D....wait...you're not stopping....Mom? Mom? Treats?:confused:"

I'll post more when I have a definitive diagnosis, hopefully something that does not involve surgery or extended rehab.
BES

[Quinn]

Crap! Really hope you're feeling better soon. Those unplanned dismounts can suck.

http://community.webshots.com/user/ballyduff

[MSP]

No sense in guessing! I hurt my knees in a non-horse related fall on tile. I still can't kneel on them but I can walk and ride! It was pretty incredible pain for some time but eventually it got better.

Hope its nothing!

[jengersnap]

Jingles! 4 months later and I'm still feeling soft tissue damage from a fall at a gallop on the beach. Hope the films come back clean and lots of anti-inflammatories help.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

OH NO!!!

Hope you're cleared for take off - speaking figuratively, not literally.

Uh, I have crutches you can borrow, but I hope it won't be necessary!!!

[Trevelyan96]

Oh no. Sorry you're hurting, and hope x-rays show its just minor and will heal quickly!

[Lori B]

Ouch. Jingles. Knees are the worst. Hope you are insured.

[kmsf]

Jingles and hopes for good news!

[La Gringa]

Ice is your friend, if it's swollen.

Keep it elevated and ice the heck out of it, until you can get it looked at. Hopefully it's just a strain. Knee injuries suck.. I have had both mine scoped and just last August had my right one replaced due to an old HS injury, playing field hockey.

[indygirl2560]

Jingles!
I dislocated my right knee twice from soccer last year(violent slide tackles) and may have torn something in there as well. So now my knee doesn't track correctly, I have apparently tendonitis, and I have to go to physical therapy every week. I have an MRI next Tuesday...Luckily, I can still ride, although my knee almost locks up sometimes and I have to be careful how I dismount.
I hope you'll be ok! Since you're a med student you probably already know how helpful R-I-C-E can be(rest, ice, compression, elevate).

[NowThatsATrot]

Jingles! I busted mine over a month ago now and we STILL have no idea what's wrong with it. X-rays show I have the knees of someone 40 years older than me but MRIs are inconclusive, blood tests are negative, and no one can tell me WHY it hurts so much. At least you know how you injured it --mine just started throbbing one day!

[kookicat]

Jingles! Knees give me the creeps- so important, and so much to go wrong!

[Bluey]

Jingles! I busted mine over a month ago now and we STILL have no idea what's wrong with it. X-rays show I have the knees of someone 40 years older than me but MRIs are inconclusive, blood tests are negative, and no one can tell me WHY it hurts so much. At least you know how you injured it --mine just started throbbing one day!

One knee of mine did the same last August, swollen, red and hot and hard to put weight, non supporting at times, out of the blue.
Dr xr-ayed and said no arthritis, give it time.
January did an MRI and a big Baker's cist is there, so they injected it, but it didn't seem to have helped any, so now one more x-ray, to see if they are any changes and on to a specialist.
Should have started there.

Riding doesn't make it better or worse, but getting on and off is embarassing with only one good knee.

I would not wait, have it looked at VERY GOOD now.
Don't keep letting whatever is wrong go, without at least knowing what to do about it.

[tikihorse2]

Jingles! Do have yourself checked out, just to make sure it's something that won't have permanent effects later. You want to be able to keep riding. :yes:

Feel better soon!

Kim

[NowThatsATrot]

One knee of mine did the same last August, swollen, red and hot and hard to put weight, non supporting at times, out of the blue.
Dr xr-ayed and said no arthritis, give it time.
January did an MRI and a big Baker's cist is there, so they injected it, but it didn't seem to have helped any, so now one more x-ray, to see if they are any changes and on to a specialist.
Should have started there.

Riding doesn't make it better or worse, but getting on and off is embarassing with only one good knee.

I would not wait, have it looked at VERY GOOD now.
Don't keep letting whatever is wrong go, without at least knowing what to do about it.

Sounds VERY similar to my situation. I'm trying to get it looked at ASAP -- I actually had to give up my position as a WS to come home and get it taken care of, but now we have a SNAFU with insurance putting off the orthopedic referral. Woo.

[BlueEyedSorrel]

I was lucky--it is just a muscle strain. I did have any imaging done...the nurse I spoke to on the phone thought it might be warranted. Dr thought based on the physical exam it was not necessary. I'm supposed to do rest, ice, ibuprofen and stay off my feet as much as possible for 5-7 days (and of course, no riding until the pain is gone). If it's better or at least significant improved, then we can assume it was strain. If not, then imaging/referral to ortho will be considered. Still, I am much relieved, since I was preparing myself mentally for ACL/meniscus issues.

I stayed home from work yesterday, hobbled in on crutches today, figuring that I can sit on my rear end just as easily at lab as at home, and if it starts bothering me, I can always go home early.

Since the last time I had a fall, it involved my advisor's horse, most of my colleagues are assuming that it involved his horse again. I have spent a good part of my morning setting the record straight:lol:

Thanks for the jingles! I knew I could come to COTH and not hear "This is your second fall in 5 years--maybe you should consider dogs instead," as one of my department's assistant prof's said this morning:rolleyes:.
BES

PS Normally I'd be out at the barn on a Friday night. Since that'd be a bad idea even with dry ground and an especially bad idea with sticky goopy mud, I'll be home.....which means I can watch the wonderful Cesar Milan/Parelli episode. Things happen for a reason, you know:rolleyes:.....

[NowThatsATrot]

Hopefully that's all it is, a strain. Knees are so tricky!

[Hunter Mom]

I'm glad to hear it wasn't serious. Knees are such finicky things.

[jengersnap]

Glad you updated. Sounds like frozen peas will be your new best bud for a while. Curl up on the couch together with some popcorn and enjoy the show. I know when I showed my bruises from my first good fall to the doc (I was there for a regular checkup), he told me maybe I should just walk the horse instead. I don't listen very well.

[Angel Undercover]

Glad it's nothing serious. Make sure you go back if it doesn't improve, I tore my meniscus and it was not caught right away and I become very complacent in going back when it didn't get better. I'm only 22 and have lots of problems with it. Doctor has said I need surgery but I keep putting it off. :(

[Bluey]

---"PS Normally I'd be out at the barn on a Friday night. Since that'd be a bad idea even with dry ground and an especially bad idea with sticky goopy mud, I'll be home.....which means I can watch the wonderful Cesar Milan/Parelli episode. Things happen for a reason, you know..... "---

What a way to get to stay home one evening.:eek:

Take good care of that now, so you can go back to riding without any problems later.:)