To be disappointed my scan was normal

I had something similar - no ganglia’s but meniscus irritation but no tear. It’s finally getting better with physio

You are just making this up.

You have not made a fool of yourself OP and you have not taken painkillers for no reason. Pain is not normal and is the body’s warning system that something is up. Stick with this and don’t give up.

Ganglions aren't always painless - I had one in my wrist that was quite painful.

There IS something wrong with you - you're in pain. You just have to keep pushing for the right diagnosis and treatment. I know it's a slow process and can grind you down, but there's no reason to be this defeatist or to think you've been "stupid" etc.

Look into Glucosamine supplements - they really helped with my knee issues.

OP excruciating pain in my knee took a long time, referral to a rheumatologist and blood tests to diagnose. It was rheumatoid arthritis. I was told that what was showing up on the scans was likely a cyst - it wasn’t. It was a pocket of excess synovial fluid in the joint which the rheumatologist later drained. I realise you’re very young but RA does happen to younger people. Can you ask for a referral to a rheumatologist to get checked out ?

They operated on my son’s knee
i used my workplace private cover for his face as it was classed as plastics and the waiting list was huge, I was worried about the scar on his face, and I had the choice

the NHS absolutely were willing to remove the second one

They haven't told you that. You're just leaping to conclusions. Draining a cyst isn't a big expensive operation so I'd be amazed if they didn't try that given the amount of pain you're in.

Because she believes Dr Google over strained medical professional

Ganglion cysts aren’t always painless. I have one on my wrist and at times it nips the nerves and its agony. They themselves are painless but they can interfere with surrounding structures.
knee pain is not nice company. I struggled for years, I’ve little meniscus left but they wouldn’t operate as at the time I was about your age. The only thing that ever helped me (I’m now 38) was starting to work out regularly and building the muscle in my legs. More muscle has taken the pressure of my knee cap. It’s sore to start but if you go easy and build it up it might help.

You're fortune-telling.

What is the Fortune Telling Cognitive Distortion?
Fortune telling is a type of cognitive distortion where people habitually predict negative outcomes without good evidence. This distorted way of thinking is responsible for anxiety, depression, and chronic worry, and is a frequent treatment target in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Instead of making informed predictions based on realistic data, a person engaging in fortune telling assumes the worst will happen—and treats that assumption as fact.

Why We Predict the Future—and When It Becomes a Problem
As human beings, we rely heavily on our ability to anticipate outcomes. This kind of prediction is often necessary and adaptive. For example, if we drink sour, expired milk, we reasonably expect to get sick. When we board a flight to San Francisco, we expect to land in San Francisco. These are rational predictions based on past experiences and a sound understanding of how the world works.

The problem arises when our future predictions become skewed by fear or insecurity, and we start assuming failure, rejection, or disaster—even when there’s no clear evidence to support that conclusion. That’s when normal forecasting turns into fortune telling: a cognitive distortion that overestimates negative possibilities and underestimates realistic or neutral outcomes.

Look into neuroplasticity. Its a real thing where your body perceives danger and creates pain signals. The pain is 100% there and 100% real btw. Your body needs to learn how to turn off the over sensitive alarm. Look up John Sarno or Dan at Pain free you. Lots of free information and advice. Its been a game changer for me.

You can buy Co Codamol over the counter at pharmacies, low dose but might keep you going til you see Consultant

I don't understand why you say the scan found nothing when in fact it found a cyst. I ran your report through Chat GPT without any prompting or mentioning pain and it said:

What happens next?

Treatment depends on your symptoms:
If the knee is only mildly painful, doctors often recommend physiotherapy, activity modification and monitoring.

If the cyst is causing persistent pain, catching, or limiting activity, an orthopaedic specialist may discuss draining it or arthroscopic surgery to remove it, though many never need an operation.

Ask for blood tests- not everything shows up on scans! Investigate your symptoms and read up on forums to see what sounds similar. This is how I got diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis- ultimately my scans showed up my messed up spine through work damage but I asked for specific blood tests which showed up À.S and explained all the other unusual symptoms I had! Good luck- you really have to fight for answers nowadays. Pain is a reaction to something in your body- it could be an anti inflammatory disease you have! X

That is absolutely understandable, @cantdothisanymor - constant pain is exhausting and depressing. But hopefully your consultant will be able to help you with the next steps, and this is one step towards a diagnosis.

It might also be worth talking to him about pain relief, in case there are better options available for you.

I wish my scan was normal. 🤨 my meniscus tear was 1.5 yesrs ago and im 4 months post surgery now with plenty of pain and suffering still

“. I’ve been in this much pain because of a ganglion cyst, which is a painless benign cyst.”
Well It obviously isn’t painless because you’re in pain. Just because the scan didn’t show anything else doesn't mean it isn’t this cyst causing the pain and the orthopaedic surgeon will know how to deal with it. Stop beating yourself up.

Let the doctor see this. Cry in front of him. Do whatever it takes. You deserve to be listened to and taken seriously. I cried to the consultants secretary to get my steroid injection speeded up. And I wasn’t faking it.
i couldn’t take it anymore! Xx

OP loads of people have cysts drained and/or removed. Unless pathology post removal shows cancer, or the cyst is in a particularly awful spot, they are rarely life threatening, or even serious.

Personally I have had one done on my neck because it rubbed against my t-shirt and one done from my breast, because they wanted to double check it. I have no idea why you are so sure that the "The NHS won’t operate on a benign, painless growth" because they sometimes DO, and have for me twice, so unless you have been specifically told by the orthopaedic specialist that they won't operate on YOUR growth, you have NO IDEA whether that is true.

I think when you see the doctor you’ve got to really lay it on thick. I know the horrible sickening pain. Can you take someone with you to help you not be fobbed off? X

They will do that, if clinically indicated which your pain would warrant.

having worked in an orthopaedic clinic, this isn’t a “normal” scan. It’s found a potential cause for your pain. It would absolutely warrant discussion of treatment options with an orthopaedic surgeon for management - whether that’s steroid injection, surgery or rehabilitation of some sort.

I understand how upset you feel not to have the answer you expected but you have an answer - this isn’t a “normal” scan.