When it comes to knee injuries, it seems like if you want to have some variety in your diagnoses, all you have to do is visit a few different doctors. Every one I’ve gone to now has told me I have something new. Here’s a quick rundown so far:

2004: I had an MRI done in Japan and was told there was nothing wrong. Get some exercise, the doctor advised.

2011: This next MRI (in France) showed a small amount of osteo-arthritis. This is what I’ve been assuming – and documenting here – for the last 3 years.

Late 2013: After finding out that my old ‘sports doctor’ retired, I searched down another one and he immediately informed me that it was not the joint, but a patellar tendon problem. All I wanted were the shots Dr. Shaky used to give me, but instead I left the office with my mouth hanging open in disbelief and a prescription to see a physiotherapist.

2014: My visit took place last Friday and my Physio turned into an Osteo (he is both, it seems). He proceeded to tell that no, it definitely isn’t a tendon issue. My bursae are inflamed and it was not really a ‘knee problem’ at all, but a likely ‘imbalance’ of some sort further ‘up the chain’, with the pain just landing in the knee.

He spent an hour on me, poking, prodding and twisting the left side of my body till I was, apparently, balanced. Then he sent me home, told me to drink lots of water, avoid squatting, and take 3 days off the bike. If I am better then that’s it, if I’m not (after a couple of weeks), then come back for more.

I don’t know what to think, so I am not thinking at all. I have been living with this knee pain for a decade now and if a €50 (covered by my insurance, too, so probably free) Osteo session fixes me up I won’t know whether to jump for joy (because I’ll be able to for once) or shoot myself for not having done it earlier. If you don’t hear from me in the next week or two, you’ll know the answer.