To be disappointed my scan was normal

[cantdothisanymor]

I saw a physio ages ago and was told I likely had a torn meniscus.

I’ve finally had the scan and the report says all is fine, just a small cyst. It could be a ganglion or a parameniscal. But it’s all fine.

I’ve got an appointment booked in with an orthopaedic consultant to discuss the scan properly but I’m almost sad that I just have to live with this pain now. For the last year I’ve been in agony, every step hurts, and now it turns out it’s just me being a baby.

I could cry, I really thought that I was about to find an answer and a cure. But this is just how I live my life now. I can’t imagine another 70 years of this agony.

But you haven’t been told that everything is fine and left to get on with it. You’ve got an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon, who will be able to work out how to alleviate the pain you’re in from the cyst. Be glad you haven’t a torn meniscus at your age - they rarely heal well, and often need repeated arthroscopies to clear out pieces which tear off and foul the joint. A cyst should be much more successfully treatable, a single arthroscopic procedure should deal with it, if it’s within the joint capsule.

Your reaction is irrational and disproportionate. Do you have any mental health issues which would cause this extreme negativity and blowing things up out of proportion? You are still only part way through the investigations for your pain, and haven’t discussed treatment at all yet.

This is not true. They can be painless cysts but they can also be very painful. I've looked after loads of patients who have had them surgically excised as they cause pain.

I think you should go to your private consultation. It may not require an expensive fix, it may be that it can be aspirated. Or if it does need surgery, some private consultants will agree to add you to their NHS waiting list if they operate on both.

You aren't a baby or an idiot or any of those other things you have called yourself. Many people experience pain and scans don't find the cause of it- this doesn't mean they aren't experiencing pain.

Don't be silly. Of course there's something wrong. You are in pain. That means something is wrong. This specific scan was not successful at finding out what. That doesn't mean there's nothing wrong with you and certainly doesn't mean you have to live with the pain for the rest of your life. You may be seeing the wrong specialists - nerves are funny things and sometimes our brains don't interpret the sensation in the "expected" way so the scan may not have focused on the right thing.

One of two things is going on:

1. you have an unexplained condition like a small tear they cannot see - and this is causing you pain
2. you have a ganglion cyst - and this is (somehow)

causing you pain

either way, YOU’RE in pain and you’re not fucking making it up. You need to trust yourself more and advocate until you get whatever’s causing you treated

I have a friend who had a meniscus tear they didn’t find, she also thought a bit like you (thought it was in her head) then ran on it and it tore further. But it was a blessing as it was repaired and she’s now fully healed, can run and crucially is NOT in pain.

OP, my DH had awful knee pain for years, stopped him doing any exercise or walking any distance. He was late 20s. No real clear answer why, no physio helped, but the pain was awful and made him really depressed. The medical advice was to just rest it and do nothing, which was awful when he was so young.

He saw a new physio who made him close his eyes and put pressure on different parts of his body, while making him lift his leg. Normally that would have been so painful - but he felt nothing.

It turned out that after a genuine injury, his brain has rewired how it interpreted pain signals. And it had to relearn what pain was normal, but he felt better in a month.

It wasn't because he was being a wuss or making it up, there was a genuine issue, but it took about 5 physios to suggest this and actually help.

Your pain is real, and a problem - I just wanted to share in case the solution may be similar. But even if it's not, your pain is still real and isn't just you being stupid.

I mean this in the kindest way possible that the only thing making you seem stupid here is your weird replies.

I think you need to take a step back OP, your reaction is quite bizarre. From v bitter experience I fully understand chronic illness and pain, yet scans and tests coming back 'fine'. I didn't once feel like an idiot or baby tho - I knew 100% i had the symptoms, but whatever was wrong wasnt being picked up. I just kept on pressing for answers tho.
I had problem with my hip that left me almost unable to walk. The scan showed a cyst. The cyst was benign and painless BUT it was pressing on the tendon which was causing the pain. The cyst was aspirated and it pretty much solved the issue.
Even if the same problem isnt causing your pain SOMETHING is, so refuse to stop exploring what it could be and what can be done

so what are you going to do about this then? Calling yourself a twat and an idiot isn’t helping is it? Go and ask for further investigations

Could it be your back? I have pain in my knee. Had it for years, had worn a brace, thought it was arthritis and I would need a joint replacement. Turns out it is referred pain from pressure on my sciatic nerve. Lots of physio and a daily exercise program have massively improved it.

Good God you are loving this ‘poor poor me’ martyr scenario aren’t you

I’ve not read all the replies @cantdothisanymor but have seen your responses. Regarding a pain clinic referral, if this is suggested, it can be made by your GP & from experience they’re more than happy to make them rather than a patient continuing with strong pain relief that might not be achieving anything. Please keep this in mind. There are other options available - this isn’t the end of the road.

My GP won’t - they’ve been utterly woeful. Besides codeine they don’t view it as their problem at all. I also don’t want to spend the rest of my life on strong painkillers and patches. I wanted this sorted so I could move on and forget it.

OP pain is really complex and doesn't always involve something structural, or if it does it may only be a small part of the picture. Some people have meniscus tears on MRI and have no pain at all. It's dangerous to rely on imaging alone. Have the orthopaedic follow up and see what they suggest. How you perceive your pain will have an impact on how you manage your recovery.

You really need to wait and see what the consultant says.Even if they don't usually treat ganglion's on the NHS in your area, I think they'll do this one, even if only to rule it out as the cause of your pain.

Yes, your GP CAN refer you to pain clinic and you don’t have to be bed bound for referral. if they say no then you go and see another GP because they are wrong. Yours sincerely, a pain clinic Nurse

you might just get lucky and find that the ortho consultant knows a bit more about knees than you do…. cysts are commonly caused by meniscal tears and not all meniscal tears are visible on MRI. The radiologist can only report what they can see and static imaging does not always give all the answers. The orthopaedic consultant can correlate that scan with your examination findings and symptoms.

I’m a little bit confused by your attitude. You say things like you are “a baby” a “twat” and your “pain has been invalidated”. Are you in a lot of pain or not? If you are then you are neither of those things regardless of the MRI result. It could be you have a low pain or something else. And for the record I had a cyst on the wrist and it was so very painful even though it was benign and once I got my result I didn’t think well it’s just a cyst I’m such a baby I went great what can we do to fix it?

edited to add: I’m also assuming you’re not a doctor so maybe let the specialist let you know what his/her thoughts are before jumping to conclusion.

I watched a TV programme a while ago. Dr Rangan Chatterjee was talking about a girl who had had an injury and was still feeling pain even though the injury had long healed. She saw someone who helped her reprogramm her brain to not feel the pain anymore.

I’m in pain but my knee is fine, I think that’s what’s so tough. I really had a light at the end of the tunnel in my mind based on what I’ve been told by the physio etc., and a clear plan. Now I have nothing besides knowing it’s all in my head

Doctors (should) treat the patient not the scan results. Speak to the clinician about the impact your pain has on you, they shd be able to come up with a plan that helps.

But it isn’t in your head though is it! You’ve took the first scan as the final outcome without even seeking more info on your pain, you literally have an appointment booked to see a consultant

This message didn’t clarify anything it made it more confusing. If you’re in pain then your knee is not fine!! Just because your mri came back clean it doesn’t address the pain - which it clearly needs to be addressed. Unless you think it’s psychosomatic - but even then it needs to be treated.

OP, as others have said, give the consultant a chance. MRIs aren't magic. They don't show all conditions and those interpreting them aren't infallible - mistakes can be made. You are not a baby. This level of pain is not normal, particularly in someone your age. You're allowed to continue to seek answers and help.

If it gives you hope, I had knee problems 4 years ago, which are now significantly better. I suspected it was a torn meniscus, but I don't know for sure. Since there really isn't a solution to it other than surgery (which wasn't an option for me then, given I couldn't afford to be off my feet or on crutches at that time), I just carried on with life. My symptoms were excruciating pain when it first happened, unable to bend my leg at all for a few months (literally, had to be straight all the time, which made stairs tricky), it swelled to twice the size of the other leg and was constantly painful. Within a year I could bend my knee when walking, although still in pain. I couldn't bend my knee to sit cross-legged for a couple of years. 4 years later, I can bend it to sit cross legged, walk normally, and it only hurts if I sit with it bent for too long. (I'm not suggesting you shouldn't seek treatment, by the way, just trying to say that just because you're injured and in a lot of pain now, doesn't mean you will be forever.)

@cantdothisanymor here is a calm clear explanation for your scan results which it would be a pity for you to miss

OP I haven't read the whole thread but I want to tell you about my experience with a ganglion cyst in my finger. For a year I lived with constant pain in one of the fingers on my dominant hand. Some days I couldn't grip properly, had a horrific burning pain and thought cutting my finger off would solve things. Finally my gp referred me to the plastics and orthopaedics department at the local hospital but said 'they won't do anything as it's not serious'. (I live with chronic knee pain and am waiting to get old enough for a replacement but I've learned what I can and can't do.) Anyway off I go and the consultant took one look at my not serious scan and x-rays and declared surgery was required. I actually had it the next day as there was a cancellation! He removed the cyst, I have a small neat scar and no pain (caused by the cyst pressing on the nerve).