My knee is fucked and I go on holiday in three days....

[vipersnest1]

History: osteoarthritis and right knee has no cartilage left behind the kneecap. I also am hyper mobile.
Over the past couple of days my left knee has crunched a bit which hurt at the time but I didn't take much notice of it despite it hurting. (I get lots of aches and pains so am used to somewhere on my body hurting all of the time.)
Late afternoon today it's been really hurting - hurts to stand up and sit down, hurts to fully straighten my leg horizontally when sitting - and by hurt I mean agony. It's swollen over the top half of my kneecap and above it.
I'm currently off work as I had prolapse surgery last month and have booked a holiday (minimal lifting BTW). I'm due back in a couple of weeks.
WTF do I do? Ignore it and hope it's ok? I've taken some anti-inflammatories and a strong painkiller so could continue to dose my self up until I have time to get it looked at. I really don't want to lose out on my holiday!

City break probably would stay home, beach break should be fine

Buy a sturdy knee brace, my knee is buggered but the brace really helps.

Are you flying? That might not be possible

Knee braces. Have a look on Amazon. I think I have a brace for nearly every joint. They're useful (hEDS here)

Beach holiday @Doggymummar.
@Hoppinggreen, why is it a problem?
@Gettingbysomehow, do you mean an elasticities one, the ones with a hole for the kneecap or the ones that have a hinge and metal?
Sorry for the questions but I really need this holiday as it's been a shitty year and I could do with the break.

Try and get a physio appointment who can give you some exercises to strengthen the knee and do some physio on your knee. Similar happened to me and it made me feel more in control about how to manage the pain when away.

I'd start with going to minor injuries and getting it looked at.

You will need to navigate around the airport unless you can get assistance and then sit in a cramped space with your knee bent for several hours. When my knee has been buggered I don't think I could have managed a flight but you know what you are capable of best

No minor injuries here - I would need to go to A&E and be triaged before possibly being sent to Ambulatory Minors.

Probably a good idea!

@QuestionableMouse, I think that's what I'll need to do, but I think I'm going to wait until tomorrow morning - I really don't fancy the idea of the drunken / drugged Saturday night crowd.....

Your knee sounds similar to mine (oa, lack of cartilage etc). When mine goes, I wear something similar to this.
Mine has gone before hols before and I still went as it was a lazy beach one - limped to a lounger and drank cocktails with a little bit of swimming. Felt better at the end of the trip 😊

As a fellow hyper mobile suffer of bad knees, with pretty much no cartilage left I agree you should get it looked at.

If you are flying and think you can manage it, book special assistance and get a knee brace (hole in the middle and adjustable straps) and some crutches. Special assistance are generally brilliant and super helpful, you need to book with your airline a couple of days in advance.

I once rolled over on a sun lounger on holiday and the bottom half of my leg stayed pointing in its original direction - special assistance and a wheelchair through the airport on the way home saved my bacon!

Can I ask those with knee issues for you o wow why your knees ended up like this. When yous were younger did you do any sports or anything like that

I would go to chiro -sometimes knee issues can be made worse if hips are not aligned

Get special assistance at the airport, they will help you through queues etc. Take walking poles. Get some strong drugs from GP.
Avoid anything which you know you react to from an inflammatory perspective eg dairy

For hyper mobile people the knee cap (like everything else!) is loose, so damage happens over time.

@turkeymuffin, I usually do, because I struggle to stand (neurological symptoms in my legs), but didn't this time because I thought I would be ok - the airport I'm travelling from is tiny. 🙄

@AlannaOfTrebond, the leg staying behind sounds extreme!
I'm not sure I need crutches but I certainly need something if only to stop me shouting when I move.
As I said before, I'm used to pain (currently waiting for some of the nerves on my lumbar spine to be burnt out amongst other issues), but I'd put this as a 9 out of 10 when I feel it.

Chiros are quacks and can make problems worse. They can also kill you.

Ring 111 first and see if they can get you booked in.

Also, do whatever you can to get an aisle seat, with the offending knee on the outer side.

Both my knees are fucked….the only reason I can go on breaks and walk ( slowly) around are thanks to NEO-G knee pads…they are blue with 3 straps and a hole for the knee ….. about £17 each from Amazon ….. can’t recommend highly enough… good luck and hope you sort it for your hols….

I think you need looking at, sorry.
the swelling could be an effusion, which can turn nasty.
I had one and couldn’t weight bear for around a month.
i also have osteoarthritis in my knees.

Thank you all for the replies. It's calmed down now so I will see how it is in the morning when the ibuprofen and dihydrocodeine have worn off. (Yes, I did go for the heavy duty painkiller!)