Just an update:
I had MRI's of both knees and there are no meniscal tears, but degenerative changes in the menisci. I now know why I have OA under my kneecaps. My patellar tendons are long and my patellas don't track properly, and have worn away the cartilage to the bone as a result. All the marathon racewalking probably hasn't helped.
I also found out that an intermittent problem I was having with my left leg/hip was due to early arthritic changes in my hip. Yes, he took another look at my L hip today after I gave him additional information and he gave me that diagnosis. He was annoyed that I even wanted to talk about another problem.
The lesion on my distal left femur apparently is a chondroma (apparently benign cartilaginous tumor). Not sure what to think about that, but he was in such a hurry that he didn't feel the need to explain much more to me.
Bottom line: He told me, " You're a mess". He said that I was too young for knee replacement and wrote a PT order for my hips and knees. I am to follow up in 2-3 months with a MRI of my hip if PT doesn't help. He then left the room.
I am already emotionally ragged after putting one of my cats to sleep yesterday, so this Doctor's awful bedside manner and callous dismissal has left me extremely upset and beat down. I don't know what to do or think at this point.
This is the 4th OS I have seen in the last year and a half. I have had one PA and one OS offer patellar resurfacing, one OS was willing to replace my entire knee, and now this last one wants to be conservative because I am "too young", yet acknowledges that I have problems in the knee.
I think I have prattled on long enough. The one bright spot in this is that I know why most of my arthritis in localized to my knee cap. I guess it won't hurt to got to PT, so will do that. Any thoughts/advice are welcome, as I am at a loss right now (literally and figuratively).
Angela