History
I was 55 years old and about 8 stone in weight when the injury occurred. I had been advised by the GP, who I was seeing at the time, that after I had had bone density tests indicating osteopenia in my left hip, I should take up some form of weight-bearing exercises to try and waylay osteoporosis. She said "Jogging is good", so I jogged.
I jogged around the Council housing estate, very slowly for short distances at first because my breathing couldn't cope with it. Over 2 or 3 months I gradually increased the distance and was jogging twice around the estate which took about 20 minutes. I wanted to increase this to 30 minutes to ensure that my heart and lungs were getting enough exercise too, so I was in the process of very slowly adding in an extra circuit when the injury occurred. This was to be my last jogging experience... ever!
The same GP who suggested jogging now advised "... that's the trouble with jogging; never mind walking is good..." so when I was able, I would walk over town and get some milk, or fresh fruit and veg. I don't like walking for the sake of it, but for a purpose it's great. However, over time I found that I was not able to walk as far, so I would cut down the distances that I would walk. I would walk to the local supermarket rather than go over town. When that became too much, I would walk over town and get the bus back home. There were various strategies that I adopted and as things got worse to the point that if I walked anywhere, I could never be sure that I would be able to get home.
I saw different GPs and local consultants, and had x-rays taken of my knee. I was sent to the local orthopedic triage, where I was passed on to a physiotherapist who was known to the receptionists as 'the little girl', perhaps because she was very young and maybe inexperienced. She went through a checklist procedure with me and found all of my problems, some I knew about and others I had not noticed. She gave me exercises to do, but I could not cope with the 'straight leg raise', SLR. At my second appointment, she advised me to continue with the exercises and keep trying the SLRs and discharged me.
The last time I saw a GP from my original surgery, I said that I thought that my fibular was loose. He grabbed hold of my leg, pulled it across his lap, and wriggled the fibular around. He said that he would ask, again, for an MRI scan of my knee... but nothing happened...
I saw a variety of others including these:
-
3 GPs from my original surgery,
-
a clinician, who asked me if I had dislocated my knee, sent me to the podiatrist, and then left...;
-
a neurologist who had MRIs taken of my spine, neck and brain, but found no reason for issues with my leg, and did in fact say that '... on that day she walked normally...', an opt-out if ever I heard one;
-
a locum non-surgical consultant who found no orthopedic issues, but was more interested in neurology (?);
-
an orthopedic consultant who saw me several times, but would not send me for an MRI of my knee, even when asked by the GP... not impressed... he did however, at my request, send me for an MRI of my ankle;
-
I discussed seeing an experienced knee expert with the chief executive of the local NHS trust... but was offered a choice between an experienced foot expert or a new orthopedic consultant... I plugged for the foot expert, but never got to see him, only his registrars. They did, however, arrange for an MRI of my knee... at last...;
-
I was sent to physiotherapy for my knee and my ankle, and had a very good physiotherapist, but just as things seemed to be happening, the sessions were stopped with no explanation...;
-
Eventually I was passed onto a local knee expert who wanted to send me to see a London neurologist... I GAVE UP...!!! However, in a letter he did acknowledge a small, inoperable tear in the lateral meniscus... and 'other problems'.
-
I changed to a different GP surgery and applied to a London NHS hospital... but encountered further problems...
Anyway... after a London MRI scan on my knee, a tear in the lateral meniscus was acknowledged:
-
MRI scan showed 'a small degenerative tear involving the inferior surface of the posterior third of the lateral meniscus
-
and Grade 4 chondromalacia of the medial patellar facet'.
Surgery to repair the lateral meniscus was scheduled. I was offered, and took, a short notice appointment. But this has hightlighted further problems...
My hospital review
I am sooooo cross...
My appeal for DLA has been refused because '... the level of disability described by [me] was not supported by the medical evidence [supplied]...'
They were unhappy about the wording in my lastest correspondence from you that I had '... no history...' ... Errrr, excuse me, but if your 'fellow' asks me what is '... the main problem...' , where am I expected to discuss the 8 preceding years since the injury...?
And if he says that I can discuss it further at my next appointment, how is it possible if that fellow/student hasn't studied the very things that I wanted to discuss, and can't even make reference on my MRI in this regard... AND he wouldn't discuss my ankle because they only '... do knees and hips...'...?
And, to make matters worse, how can I argue this matter when the letter was apparently signed by the fellow who did the arthroscopy... and I'm telling the judge and panel that I never had a consultation with that surgeon after the day of the arthroscopy... and that, clearly to me, he signed comments made by another fellow...
And I was given a locum physiotherapist whose brief, I believe, was the rehabilitation after an arthroscopic repair to a tear in the lateral meniscus... yet, as far as I was concerned, the tear in the lateral meniscus was a 'consequence' of the injury, not the 'cause'... I am now left with gait-training exercises that I believe are re-enacting the very conditions that caused my injury...
After speaking earlier this year with a very nice lady from PALS, there was, apparently, a problem in that the letter from my new GP did not have the letter attached from my previous, local NHS Trust consultant. I gave them a copy of one letter which I had received, but it was itself very minimal, because he had only asked me what was the first problem I noticed after the injury...
I chose to go to ... [you] because I believed that you are the best... and you had a Sports Injury clinic (to which I have only just had access after questioning the reason why not)... However, I still believe that your skills at surgery are exceptional... BUT all this 'admin' is not acceptable, and, I believe, not the way that consultants should be trained. I know you are short of time, however your letters are given great credibility in the eyes of the law... but this is a mockery...!!!