My Right Knee

In 2008 I started getting aching stiff  right knee joint, then in October 2008, the pain came upon me very fast and strong, making me in agony and completely immobile.
The symptoms take the form of immobile right knee, Difficulty walking, Severe pain over knee joint, Burning pain in inner knee, feel like knee is going to give way, referred pain on left knee through incorrect walking, Swollen Feet and ankles, inability to get comfortable in bed, I have spent 3 weeks sitting downstairs all night.
Later Bob told me I fell downstairs but I have no recollection of that whatsoever.
The pain grew and grew until work became a struggle, I am struggling taking the dog for its twice daily walk, I have to cut back on our family Sunday afternoon walks, also cut down on my guiding, eventually I had to give up my beloved yoga, I am left with virtually no quality of life everything that I enjoy I have had to give up or cut back on, my weight has gradually increased because of lack of exercise, I have difficulty going up and down stairs it is an accident waiting to happen, I also have difficulty getting in and out of the bath, I cannot have a bath because I couldn’t sit down in the bath.
I have also been having tingling in my fingertips.
Then after months of suffering I finally realised it was not going to go away by itself and went to the GP and saw Dr Ghag on the 12^th February 2009, who referred me to the hospital for an X Ray and to see orthopaedic consultant, and tests on my finger nerve endings.
On the 26^th Feb I had a series of blood tests which were clear, and on the 26^th Feb I had an X Ray.
On Tuesday 10^th March I was prescribed Co-codemol to which I reacted badly, on the 11^th March I returned to the Doctor and was prescribed Diclofenic, to which I had some improvement.  On the 14^th April I ran out and decided not to immediately get a repeat prescription, so I could see the true state of the pain, to which I suffered quite badly.
On the 11^th March the results of the X-Ray came back, I was diagnosed with early stage of Osteo-Arthritis, although I do not dispute this, I am not convinced this is the whole story, because:- the rapidity of the onset of pain, osteo arthritis is degenerative, and the onset of the pain is gradual,  Weather and cold has no effect,          morning is my best time the more I do the worse the pain gets.
On the 5^th May I went to the hospital for tests on my finger nerve endings, and was told I had trapped nerves on my right hand and early stage on my left hand, this can be treated through my GP.
On the 11^th May 2009 I saw the orthopaedic consultant Dr Colman, to which I attended a most unsatisfactory interview, yes I had osteo arthritis, but he wouldn’t do anything because of my weight, if I lost a considerable amount of weight he might be prepared to do a knee replacement when I am 70, he would refer me to have an MRI, at this stage the nurse butted in and said she had difficulty getting in the MRI when she had one and I am bigger than she is, he then said there is a possibility of torn cartiledge and the MRI would reveal this, in this case he might be able to do keyhole surgery, if he felt like doing it because of the fat.  I asked him what I could do in the meantime, he shrugged and said Struggle On. I was embarrassed and humiliated, he was quite nasty in his attitude, never even invited me to sit down.
I am very upset and depressed about this appointment, I have tried hard, seriously and unsuccessfully to lose weight for many years, I lose quite easily 1 stone then I stop and nothing seems to work from then on. It is now Thurs am I have not had a meal since Monday lunchtime before my hospital appt, but I am at a loss as to what to do, radical steps are needed.  I have cried a lot everything feels so helpless, to live like this for the rest of my life, is there.
When the MRI scan comes I felt disinclined to keep the appointment for several reasons, it appears unlikely that the Doctor would do anything whatever the results, I am claustrophobic and the thought of going in the machine makes me panic, what the nurse said about me struggling to get in the machine, and the likely pain of trying to get into position.

I eventually had an MRI scan on 31st May 2009 it was excrutiatingly painful, how my knee was forced to straighten up, but i survived, the consultant never gave me results after weeks of waiting the GP chased it up and it was confirmed i had Osteo Arthritis and torn cartiledge, he never asked to see me, offered treatment, or pain management.

My GP did put me on anti inflammatory Diclofenic and weightloss aid, xenical, but i cannot say i felt xenical really helped, but i never got the nasty side effects i was advised i would get.
Although my knee is at times still painful it has been much improved during the past few months, i can't walk as far, i cannot stand for long stretches, but i struggle on, as advised!!
Knee pain is a problem in the family, my paternal grandmother, Granny, always suffered from a bad knee and so does my paternal aunt, Auntie Marge, and now my Dad does as well.