Fusion Long ride to a successful Fusion

Status
Not open for further replies.
Audrey, I drove a friend to Bangor today for a pain management appt. on outer Broadway. Thought of you while going up Route 3. You are such a trooper and I hope before long your life falls into a new nice normalcy.
 
Hi Audrey, so looking forward to seeing your pics of you on your first ride post op. Its so lovely when you get to do something you really love, especially when you haven't been able to do it well for a time.

You sound so positive, and hears hoping that your recovery continues over the next few months. Take care xxx:friends:
 
Audrey, I have ADHD and am always moving around and sticking my feet out one way or the other---my friends think I am lethal.

Your attitude is great and one that I also embrace---do the best you can with what you have.

I teach adaptive skiing and we have had wounded warriors the last four years. It has been great seeing those guys jump on sit skis or ski with one leg and two crutches with skis on them. They just want to GO and will go any way they can.

I am still somewhat leery of my scar tissue growing back and have had a few days of tears and self pity. But, that is not an attractive fate--this is what happened to ruin my life is not where I want to be.

I also will find a way to ski and will adapt to whatever happens. Life is too much fun to miss it no matter how we manage to get around. I was watching tv while mired in self pity and saw a show where a young man has no legs and has to get around by sitting on a skate board and pushing it with his hands. I was humbled---and ashamed.

Kelly
 
Hi everyone! Well, I have my 3mo post-op check-up with my OS tomorrow. He'll be taking more x-rays to check on the progress of the fusion and watching me walk with my "special shoes"! I need to ask him why it hurts like heck when I step down sort-of hard on the fusion leg. This happens when I have to step back to catch myself, or simply step back. It REALLY hurts when I step down on un-even ground. Feels like my kneecap is going to crack. The shinbone and femur pain is much less, and only appears when I do certain things. Other than that, not much to ask him about...oh yeah...that "bubble" feeling I have behind my patella. It doesn't hurt, but it just feels.....weird. I'll let you know how my appt. goes. Hope you all are doing well :friends:, and I just wanted to say how much I really appreciate my "BoneSmart" family. Your words of encouragement and caring mean more to me than you will ever know! THANKS!
 
I don't know anything about fusions, but my thoughts and prayers are with you. Hope you get some definitive answers.
 
I wonder if the bone around the nail have healed completely? K
 
Hey "skigirl"! That would be a GREAT question to ask him...it's not on my list. THANKS! ....and the area around the nails does hurt quite a bit. I'll let you all know how I make out. It's about a 2 hour ride to see him from where I live, and it's a gorgeous, sunny day here in Maine! The birds are chirping and the baby robins are starting to peek their heads out of the nest. I got some pictures last night! I think there are 4 of them!

Depending on what Dr. K has to say today, I might....MIGHT....get on a horse tomorrow! Oh boy!!! I'll only get on and my trainer will walk me around ONLY if I feel comfortable. But just to get on.....OH BOY!!! :dancy:
 
Audrey-
It is a beautiful day here today! We need it after the last few weeks of rain and chill...
Best of luck today. Hope you have a great appointment!
 
Phew! We are finally back from my appt. Not a fun day on the highway, as we almost got side-swiped not once, but TWICE on the way down. I think my knuckles are still white! Anyway....the bones still have a ways to go before they are completely fused. I had 2 xrays, and you can still see the white line. It's not as prominent, but it's still there. When the tibia/patella/femur and completely fused, there won't be a white line showing. It will look like "fog". So...no horseback riding for me for a while. DARN IT! :sigh:

My next appt. is in Sept. He hopes and is quite confident that the femur/patella/tibia will be fused at that time. He said the anti-inflammatory drug that I'm taking (Naproxen) can slow the bone-healing process a bit, but not to worry. We talked about the mid-femur pain and shin pain that I still have, and he's a bit ??? about the femur pain, as that's not usually a place where somebody who's had a fusion has pain. But...he chuckled and said, "well...you've never been a textbook case, so why start now!". ha ha

He wants me to keep an activity/pain journal for a while so that I can try to pinpoint exactly what makes this pain "tick". I told him the femur pain is the worst when I'm trying to drive, or sit in a chair. When the front edge of the chair rests against the back of my thigh...right where the rod end is...it's VERY hard not to winse after a few minutes. This also happens when I sit in a chair and put my foot on the floor. We are hoping that both the femur and shin pain go away in time.

The very last thing he asked me was ,"so...compared to post-op from the TKR's and the revision, how would you compare this"? I told him that although it's not perfect, it's sooo much better, and I have absolutely no regrets on having the fusion done. I'm in MUCH less pain, and I can function and not want to spend the day in bed doing nothing. Life is getting better...and it will continue to do so. I just have to have patience!
 
Audrey, super report. Sorry the horseback ride is going to have to wait until September--but it is something to look forward to.

Very nice that things are progressing normally even if a bit slow. And, yes, PATIENCE is going to be the key---but I know how tough it is when you just so badly want to on with living and doing things you love.

Take care & keep us posted. You know we care.
 
Audrey, so sorry you couldn't get up on that horse, and know how frustrating it is to want something that bad, but hey, September is only around the corner now, and once the fusion is complete there will be no stopping you,and how good will that first "ride" be.

Take care and carry on healing hopefully painfree soon. x :friends:
 
How's everybody doing? Can't believe summer is FINALLY here! I've really been watching how and when I do things, and so far, the RSD hasn't flared up too badly! yay!!! I've been trying to "flex" the muscles in my fusion leg a little bit, and it's really wierd to see what moves and what doesn't anymore! Pretty much, the 'ole quad is non-functioning and getting flabby. My GOOD knee is really doing "double duty" now, so I'm being very careful of that one...especially going up stairs. Hoping I can lose the 20 pounds I've gained over the past 3 years. Kinda hard with summer BBQ's and all the delicious food that goes with them! :wink:
 
Audrey,

I can sort of imagine what it is like for people with a fused knee. :)
Yesterday, at the airport in Dallas people were running all around me to catch their planes, a burger or whatever as I sat in a wheelchair with my leg sticking out over the pedal. I kept cringing anytime someone would get too close for comfort but I finally made it safe and sound to load the bus for the car rental agency. It was a full bus and everyone carefully went around my leg, until the last passenger!
After thousands of people I had watched for all day it was my MOM who not only caught it once but twice! :rotfl: Goes to show you that you just never know when parents will "get even" for all the mischief we put them through growing up! :heehee:
 
glad to know you are doing well, Audrey (and you, Sonja). You've fought the good fight - now you both deserve the rewards!
 
In my last post, it might be helpful to know that I was wearing that lovely immobilizer brace! :whistle: That is why I am comparing my situation to your fused knee. At one point in my journey, Dr. Maale had thrown out several possibilities because my leg was so bad. I don't think I ever mentioned that knee fusion was a possibility.

Audrey,

You are very inspiring! I am waiting for the day that you ate back on a horse! You will be able to do anything you set out to do because you have that drive and determination that it takes! I am so glad that you are experiencing life and joy again since your fusion! You deserve it! :happydance:
 
Thanks! I have to be VERY careful...especially around kids...RUNNING kids! My Mom, daughter and I went to the ocean yesterday and we were walking out of a path into a parking lot, and 2 kids just came running at me. Of course, I didn't have even one crutch with me, so I just planted myself and hoped they wouldn't run into me. Nothing like feeling like a bowling pin! They didn't get me, but they sure got "the evil eye"! :skep:
 
Oh, such a terrible scare! Glad they didn't hurt you and how great that you could get outside and enjoy the ocean!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,180
Messages
1,597,061
BoneSmarties
39,364
Latest member
All2Gd88
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom