Exactly the same as my brother-in-law, he ended up on cruthches for 6 weeks & the infection bulged & burst from his knee & boy did it smell.I used to think padded-knee work trousers were just extravagant. I learned my lesson and won't work without knee pads ever again.Last week (Monday): Sinking sockets into a wall, kneeling on floorboards dusted with rubble. Wearing normal work/cargo trousers with no knee pads. Made my knees hurt a bit, but I decided I aint no whoos and i carried on.
Tuesday: Right knee was aching, so i had paracetamol and thought nothing more.
Wednesday: I was in agony. The pain woke me up. The front of my knee was red and bulging a bit. Got a GP's appointment. GP said i had an infection which must have got into my knee when I was kneeling. Sent me for Xrays and put me on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory tablets.
Thursday: My leg from my knee right down to my foot had ballooned and was very red. Went to A&E. While I waited in A&E for 3 hours I saw the redness travel up my leg by another 2 inches.
Had to stay in hospital on an intravenous antibiotic cocktail until Saturday and the swelling and redness had pretty much gone.
It's now Friday of the following week. And my knee is still somewhat inflamed and sore. It'll probably be another week before I can work again. I ain't complaining, things could've been far more catastrophic.
Two lesson learned. Use knee pads all the while. Appreciate the NHS, despite its problems.
He now has badly scarred knees.