Hip and Knee tendonitis...want to run...Need suggestions Please.

I have had tendinitis in my knee (quadricep insert) for about 2 years. I have not been able to run more than a couple miles without pain since then, even though I took time to let it heal. It got re aggravated twice, and I really didn't even do that much.... I am also starting to deal with it in my hip, and can't even sit down for too long without it hurting. I have not done intense cardio in over a month. Luckily, I found this site so I was able to modify my eating and not blow up like I did with the knee. I had it in my elbow before but it is back to about 90% of what it was. No major problems there.

I have an appointment in 3 weeks (soonest I can get) with a Rheumatologist because the whole rest/ice thing doesn't seem to be helping. Particularly my hip. I had a jerk of an orthopedic doctor suggest that I just run less (as if 2 miles at 23 is too much to ask) and just brushed me aside.

I understand that it is not as serious as, say, arthritis, but I miss running sooo much and feel like I should be able to sit and run with no pain. This is not a self pity post. I just want people who have dealt with the same thing to tell me:

A. How long did you have to rest before you could run and/or cycle without pain

B. Do you still have issues with it now?

C. What do you do to make sure it isn't a problem in the future?

Thanks in advance

anyone?

You've had tendinitis in your knee for 2 years?   Do you mean off and on for 2 years?  If its lasted two years I doubt its tendinitis... in that amount of time it would have healed or progressed to something worse.   Did you ever take like one full month off from all cardio that would aggravate the injury?  Injuries don't always just get better over time. Some need complete rest.  I suffered a stress fracture in my femur from running - the pain started one place, moved, to another, and then another (you get the picture).  I never just completely STOPPED to let any of the injury heal - I'd rest a couple days and then be right back out there.

"I had a jerk of an orthopedic doctor suggest that I just run less (as if 2 miles at 23 is too much to ask) and just brushed me aside." 
Unfortunately not everyone's body can maintain running, even at 23.   That said, I definintely would get a 2nd opinion.  Maybe an orthopeadic doctor, someone that specializes in sports medicine.

Edit:

ooops, forgot to add that my stress fracture was tendiniitis, then bone marrow edema, the they said I had something else - all along my femur had just been cracking more and more.  Even though the pain was felt in other places it was my femur all along causing most of the pain. However, some other problems were caused by me compensating unconsciously for the hip pain.

Thanks for your reply.

The doctor was a jerk for so many reasons. He was one of those flippant ones that obviously did not care. He did an MRI and Xray and didn't see anything on either, so he assumed I was exaggerating that it hurt. The part that he didn't get is that I used to run, a few miles at a good pace without a problem. And then, my knee started to bother me. His attitude aggravated me becuase I would rather find the source of the problem and know what to do about it, rather than just decide to not run again. I have no desire to run a marathon, but more like a 5 k at most eventually and to be reasonably fit. I can't even cycle right now becuase of the hip.

It has been off/on in my knee for the past 2 years. But definitely weaker, and not 100%. There could possibly be another issue, but my MRI and X ray were fine, which is why he referred my to a Rheumatologist.

I haven't run in about 5 weeks, and I have ony done cycle class once in that time. I've just been walking my dog and doing some light upper body toning at the gym that does not require me to stand up or use my legs.