Mollee's knee

So, if you know Mollee, you know a little bit of drama.  You also know we've dealt with "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" a little bit.  (this is how I start my story to protect myself)

Throughout the Summer, Mollee complained that her knees hurt.  I asked the doctor about it and because of her age and because it was both knees, he really felt like it was growing pains.  I was good with that diagnosis, and, basically, told her to suck it up.

Now she is playing soccer, first time in her life to play a sport.  She has complained a few times about her right knee and I've really just listened to her complaints and done nothing.  On Tuesday, she had a game, but the coach didn't start her because she said she was hurting.  This didn't sit well with me, but I'm desperately trying to pick my battles and I left the "discussion" up to her dad.  Jason questioned her about it, told her if she wants to be part of team, then be part of the team.

On Friday, yesterday, when Jason picked her up from soccer practice, she was on the sidelines with a bag of ice.  Apparently, she didn't practice.  This really didn't sit well with me.  I don't like drama.  I was nice, but I told her sometimes you've got to just push thru the pain.  Obviously, that has worked so well for me - I have not ligament attachment in my shoulder and can pop it out of place at request, my right ankle is ripped to shreds and I've been banned from running b/c I let it go so long, and I had a massive sinus infection earlier this year for three months because I "pushed thru the pain".

So, this morning, I called the Dr and took her in to see him.  After making her do a lot of different stretches and wiggling around her knee cap and asking a lot of questions, he said she actually has two different problems going on -  Chondromalacia Patella, which is a softening under the kneecap that messes up the smooth gliding of the kneecap, aka Runner's Knee.  And Osgood-Schlatter Disease, which she has a huge bump under her knee cap (guess I could have actually looked at her knee?), it is where your thigh bone attaches just under your knee and can cause painful inflammation. 

Yep, I'm not going to win a Mom-of-the-Week award, but, we know know the problem, or problems.  Both happen often to adolescent girls that start to play sports and don't have strong enough thigh muscles to keep everything in proper place during activity.  To add fuel to the fire, she has extremely flat feet, one problem I can actually credit to her father. 

So, she has to wear a brace for soccer to help hold her knee cap in place.  She has to do physical therapy exercises every other night.  She has to take an anti-inflammatory before games for a few weeks and she has to put arch supports in her cleats. 

And will I believe her next complaint she has?

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