Getting old bites!

OK, I'm not even 40 yet (at least not quite) and I'm falling apart! My eyesight is tanking, my fingers hurt when it rains, I could swear I'm having hot flashes and my knees are KILLING me! I always had high hopes of being one of those MILFs with a hot bod and an attitude! (The attitude I've got!) Sadly, the knees, not to mention the kids, have kept me from the serious exercise I need to achieve that rockin' MILF bod by the time I'm 40! Time is ticking away and I'm getting desperate. Desperate enough to see an orthopedist. I went in yesterday to have my knees examined and XRAYed, fun, fun! I was pretty sure I knew the diagnosis, after all, my ENTIRE family has arthritis. So you can imagine how shocked I was that my sore and crunchy knees were not arthritic! I was quite pleased to hear this, but then started to get a little nervous. If it wasn't arthritis, what the hell was it and how the hell do I deal with it? As it turns out, I have puny quads! Yes, you read right, PUNY QUADS (and that's a quote, thank you very much!) It turns out that a lot of women my age with young children have this problem. You spend your time running after children and not "Sweatin' to the Oldies". AND we also have a tendency to squat down or kneel to deal with our rugrats therefore exacerbating the problem. That problem being this, my "puny quad" does not keep my patella raised up out of the joint properly, so it settles into the joint cavity and begins to rub (hence the crunchy, nasty, snap, crackle, pop sounds). Kneeling and squatting makes it worse.

Good news? NOT arthritis and the prognosis for full recovery is good!
Bad news? Intense physical therapy 3 days a week for 4 weeks with a possible MRI to be scheduled later!

OK, I don't mind DOING the therapy. I do mind having to pay a co-pay everytime I go! That's close to $400 in one month! Not to mention the $50 I spent to see the specialist yesterday and the other $50 I'm going to have to spend to see her after the PT. Wow. I don't know how people with serious injuries can afford it? I guess worker's comp or disability? Sadly, motherhood doesn't offer worker's comp, so I'm kinda screwed! I'm hoping the physical therapist will work with me and maybe we can work out a more do-able schedule that will be beneficial, but I can actually afford and they can teach me what I need in order to continue at home. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I find the whole thing totally ironic though. I can't exercise to the extent I'd like to because the knees are killing me, but the knees are killing me because I haven't been exercising to the extent that I need to! Whatever. Getting old sucks! I feel like a 30 year-old in my head and in my heart, it's just my body that isn't cooperating! I guess it didn't get the memo!