Sorry to hear about your pain. I know I've suffered with bad ankles and shin splits since high school. There are a few things you can do to try to pinpoint what is happening or at least the best way to move forward. I went to physical therapy after badly dislocating my ankle, and the sessions...
yup, the excessive thirst is a real pain to deal with. I notice when I eat very clean, plain brown rice, plain fish, etc it's not as bad. Really boring eating habits but probably worth a shot to give yourself a 10 day test to see if it helps