Revised PKR to TKR 12 months later but can’t find my thread

Can you stand in front of a mirror and take a photo that way?
Or ask a neighbour? A friend? Someone in a shop?
 
@shelli22 Josephine needed a photo from me recently; I don't live alone but hubby was at work so I took one myself. I stood in front of a full length mirror, lowered my phone and took the picture. It worked well enough for her to help me. Maybe you could try that?
 
Thanks lovetocookandsew. I might try it later. Pretty much over it. Everything is unanswerable and has been for so long now. I have spent weeks trying to accept what is, follow the BoneSmart mantras and do no formal exercise other than ADLs, yet there’s very little if any change. If I don’t wear a compression sock and tubigrip the whole thing feels loose and wobbly. If I don’t take pain relief it’s still extremely painful.

In an attempt to remain positive I started doing one subject at uni to keep my mind occupied, but withdrew yesterday as my brain doesn’t work well at all under the influence of opioids. I am still not driving as I’m still taking them and this makes attendance difficult. I’m sure that this limb doesn’t appear to be straight, not that it matters as it’s totally on its own agenda and I have weeks before I’m scheduled to see my OS, it’s probably just my imagination anyway.

I have read so many of these threads and have found them to be extremely educational. As issues become evident I am intrigued to find an answer if one is not forthcoming and spend a lot of time researching. However, I have found that my own journey seems to be an anomaly. There are no simple answers. It is the most irritating journey.

I have still no answers regarding the sweating, which has become worse and lasts for much longer intervals, occurring if I exert myself even the slightest bit, this includes eating or showering or even walking around the house. The earliest appointment to see an endocrinologist is June although I honestly believe it is directly related to pain. The pain remains extremely high unless I continue taking tramadol and oxycodone.

I have excruciating sciatica however I haven’t been notified of any results of the MRI by the OS. Either there is nothing wrong, so the sciatica is an hallucination, the OS hasn’t reviewed the report yet or he has forgotten about it. He had intended to refer me on to the appropriate specialist on reviewing the report.

The pain in my knee is primarily around the patella, as it was prior to the last two surgeries but is much more intense. In addition there is still a lot of generalised pain throughout the knee, an abundance of swelling most likely the cause. Why there is still copious amounts of swelling is beyond me as I have diligently adhered to the BoneSmart mantra of rest, ice, elevate and medicate with ADLs as my only form of exercise.

So there we have it. Exciting update - not. No change in weeks. It is taking every ounce of my being to remain even slightly positive and avoid depression especially now that I have withdrawn from uni. Such is life.
 
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Why don't you call your OS and remind him that you need some answers about your sciatica and your knee. You shouldn't have to live like this. Have you tried a different OS?
 
Did the same OS do your revision as did the original surgery?
I'm thinking that a second opinion could be a good idea.

And I agree with sistersinhim - phone your OS and ask for the MRI results. Remind him he was going to refer you on.
Three working days is enough time for an result to be available. That's the time frame my doctor's surgery advises us to phone for results.
 
I’m so sorry you are not having any improvement. The same pain in the same place as the last two surgeries only worse this time. There must be an explanation.

I so wish I could fix this for you.
:console2:
 
No. I didn’t take it. My son’s girlfriend was here. She took it. The sight of that leg disgusts me. I will get the nerve up to take a pic at some point. I never look in the mirror anymore as I don’t want to see how my appearance has deteriorated and how my leg is massive and misshapen. Vain? Well probably. I spent many years exercising to maintain my health and fitness. All gone out the window now. If I avoid mirrors I avoid getting despondent about that as well. I have never sat around doing so little for so long in my life.
 
@Celle yes the OS is the same surgeon. I would go to a different one is this one wasn’t doing anything but he is. He has a few more test and investigations to do. If he is not successful in finding a cause he will enlist the aid of another surgeon from elsewhere. As this is a work injury it is not just a matter of getting someone else to revise. They have to approve it and most likely lawyers would need to be involved etc.
 
Please try and get that photo to Josephine. Things might not be as bad as you think they are.
 
I don’t think it’s vain at all to not want to look at a leg that you think is misshapen. That is a huge disappointment, especially after so many surgeries on this knee. I’m sure you were confident that this was the final fix. Your poor leg has been through so much and it’s very upset.

I hope that as your swelling goes down you will find it looks more like it should, and that you will have a complete recovery. :console2:
 
Thanks @Jockette. I am accepting of what is. I decided to undergo another surgery knowing there was a possibility that it too would be unsuccessful. I’m not saying it is yet because it could just take way longer to recover due to its past history. It has been traumatised many times. I just don’t feel confident like I did through all the others. Who knows.
 
I never look in the mirror anymore as I don’t want to see how my appearance has deteriorated and how my leg is massive and misshapen. Vain? Well probably. I spent many years exercising to maintain my health and fitness. All gone out the window now.
Try not to get too upset about this now. Remember that it's really not very long since you had the revision and the way your leg looks now is not the way it's going to end up. It's still a work in progress, not the finished article.
Give it time for the swelling to go down and some more healing to take place.

@Celle yes the OS is the same surgeon. I would go to a different one is this one wasn’t doing anything but he is. He has a few more test and investigations to do. If he is not successful in finding a cause he will enlist the aid of another surgeon from elsewhere.

If a different surgeon is needed, it should be someone who has no connection, either social or professional, with your current surgeon. You would need someone to look at your knee with new eyes, uninfluenced by your current surgeon's opinion.
 
@Celle this has been going on for nearly five years not just the revision. That’s the point. I haven’t been able to ‘live’ for nearly five years. The shape and looks of this leg (and me) has deteriorated over that time not just the last nine weeks.

I’m not sure whether I am even allowed to get a revision but the surgeon I am currently under would expect the revision to be done by someone outside of his social and professional circle. He has already stated as much. This isn’t a decision that would be made by me or him. It would be made by the powers that be where I work.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Odd thing is I can walk up and down the stairs one foot following the other and I don’t even have stairs to practice on. I just saw some stairs, about ten, and attempted it. Yet I can only walk around for a maximum of 30 minutes or thereabouts before the pain becomes unbearable, even though I am well medicated. While I elevate and ice I have pain that resembles bone pain under the patella. Pain also radiates down into the bone where the stem is situated. I have no idea what my ROM is and frankly it doesn’t really phase me not knowing. I’m considering not taking any pain relief tomorrow morning to assess pain levels now to determine whether there is any improvement.
 
I was the passenger in my car today, in the front seat. Well, someone cut in front and my immediate reaction was to brake suddenly on my imaginary break which just happens to be a left footed brake (we brake with the right foot not the left). I hit that imaginary brake so hard a pain went searing right up through then centre of my entire knee from stem point upwards. Let me tell you that smarted. It brought tears to my eyes. Note to self: leave the braking to the driver who has the real brakes!! It is still somewhat painful hours later.
 
I’m not sure whether I am even allowed to get a revision but the surgeon I am currently under would expect the revision to be done by someone outside of his social and professional circle. He has already stated as much. This isn’t a decision that would be made by me or him. It would be made by the powers that be where I work.
I just don't understand this workman's compensation process. It seems to be weighted heavily in favour of the employer, sometimes at the expense of necessary treatment for the victim.
I understand that you have to follow procedure but surely you are allowed some choice?

I'm glad your surgeon is prepared to refer you for a truly independent opinion, if the tests he is doing don't show anything he can help with.
 
It seems to be weighted heavily in favour of the employer, sometimes at the expense of necessary treatment for the victim

The worker's comp process involves insurance, which is why everything is so tied up in bureaucracy. Everything has to go through an approval process. If a claim is denied, there is an appeal process (in the U.S. anyway.) It's navigable, but tricky. Most folks who file claims in the U.S. have a worker's comp attorney to help navigate. They don't make as much as a regular personal injury attorney, but they get paid through the recovery process. I had a worker's comp claim 15 years ago, no surgery involved, but lots of doctor visits. The whole process took two years.

I don't know about Australia, but in the U.S., the squeaky wheel often gets the grease. Especially when the squeaks are completely justified and authentic, like in @shelli22 case. I say keep squeaking Shelli22.
 

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