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2 Hips Done 2 Knees To Go!!

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Well I haven't posted on this thread for a bit, usually on my hip side. It's awful when you have both knee and hip threads going on. I feel like it's aged me in this past year.

Well I went yesterday to see my OS again, mainly because of hip (butt) muscle. I also told him my knees are starting to hurt all the time and now in the fronts of them. The xrays didn't show the AVN so that is a good thing since he said when it appears on xrays it's then in the last stages. I know with my hips it finally did show on xray and that was prior to collapse.

He wanted to go ahead one more time and try the injections. With the last one, the right side lasted for about 6-7 weeks and the left knee it didn't help me at all. He said he doesn't want to do replacements any sooner than need be and I am fine with that. He injected both knees and now I will go back in 4 weeks and see how they feel. I do hope I get some relief as I'm trying to do more stretching and exercises for my hips and I can't do much as the outersides of my knees hurt too much.

I also did ask him if he does bilaterals. He said he has done them, but doesn't prefer to do that. He explained his reasons, but if I wanted it that way he would make an exception. He just wanted me to understand that it's not easy (not for him but me), longer hospital stay, loss of blood requiring transfusion most likely and harder rehab.

I guess now it's wait on the injections to see if/how long they may last and just how fast the AVN may progress.

I have been reading through a lot of others journey's so it has been helpful.
 
Can't say I agree with his reasons for not doing bilats. It's not been the general case.
 
I hope your shots will take you through the end of the year. But you know it is only a matter of time. Glad to hear the AVN still is not on the x-ray.

You certainly have more guts than I do. I can't imagine getting both knees done at once, but I certainly understand your logic for wanting it.
 
Hey Chef,

I can only say that if I have one done, I don't know if I will be able to have second done. I know people that have told me after one, they couldn't do the other.

I sure hope the injections work too, but as of today, they hurt worse from having them. Time will tell, but like you said, good thing xrays aren't showing anything yet.
 
Hi Julie, I hope you get some relief with your injections. You sure have gone through it with your joints. My left knee is the issue and that's hard enough to cope with :sigh:. Wishing you all the best with your knee journey.
 
Jazyb said:
Hi Julie, I hope you get some relief with your injections. You sure have gone through it with your joints. My left knee is the issue and that's hard enough to cope with :sigh:. Wishing you all the best with your knee journey.
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Thanks SO much. It has been a very difficult joint year !!
 
Julie:

I CAN tell you that I would, with no reservation, have my other knee done when that time comes. The difference is so drastic, a few weeks of hell is worth the investment.

Do what you need to for you. You have been through so much, and have more to go, but I cannot imagine doing both knees at once.
 
Julie, one thing to consider if you prefer to have both knees done at once.....you don't want to be talking your surgeon into doing this. You want a surgeon who is used to doing bilats and happy to do it for you. This doesn't sound like the case with your doctor and you might want to find someone who is more experienced doing both together.
 
I had a BTRK; it was very challenging, but I would have done it no other way. While you have no"good" knee after the surgery, you do only have one hospital stay, one recovery, and no waiting to get one knee done and then moving on to the other.

I applaud your decision---if you are physically up to it and your surgeon agrees, I say go for it.
 
referee54 said:
I had a BTRK; it was very challenging, but I would have done it no other way. While you have no"good" knee after the surgery, you do only have one hospital stay, one recovery, and no waiting to get one knee done and then moving on to the other.

I applaud your decision---if you are physically up to it and your surgeon agrees, I say go for it.
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Thanks for that info !! I know my OS said basically the same things. I will have no good leg to stand on at first and with both hips being done, I'm trying to make sure my legs are strong enough. But like you said, one hospital stay, one more recovery and so on. I explained to him that this year with having both hips done at 2 different times, I've exhausted most of my sick time and really can't afford to be out for 2 separate surgeries. He said he understood that and agrees. He feels that I am overall healthy enough except for these bad joints and would do a bilateral for me.

I know it won't be a walk in the park, but I've read a bunch of the ones here who have done it and they have done it with no regrets afterwards. :thumb:
 
Hi Julie,

I had one hip replaced in 2003 and the other one in 2004. Now I am about to have my right knee replaced on Jan. 13th and hopefully my left one a few months later. My doctors would not do them both at the same time...they said I need to have a leg to stand on to do the rehab therapy and probably because I live alone.

But I can certainly relate to your situation. The pain has definitely gotten my attention. It seems that since I just surrendered to the pain and decided to have the surgery, I am going down hill fast. It was like that with my hips. Once I saw those X-rays, I seemed to be in pain all the time. So maybe some of it is psychological or maybe I was just being a superwoman before and I am at my wits end now.

I did all the NSAIDs, injections, everything and now nothing helps. I have a prescription for Mobic which use to help but it makes absolutely no difference in the pain level now. So I am gearing down for the surgery, organizing my home, getting a support group together, getting my head right. I wish you all the best with your procedure and hopefully in a little while we will both be on the other side of this nasty pain and disability. It will be so nice to be able to do some of the things I have been avoiding for years now: stairs, curbs, bending down to pick things up....

Take care!:thumb:

Dori
 
Glad to hear from you Dori. I saw you post in another thread and Alexthecat told me to be looking for you since you'll also have both hips and knees completed soon.

I will look to see if you started a thread to see what your history is. My last injection in the left knee was only 9/8 and just had one last Thursday. I noticed once again last night sleeping, that I have more pain then. I tried also doing my stretching for my hips last night and I'm getting a little bit more relief with them, but when I still try to sit in a "figure 4", I can barely do it because of the pain in the outsides of the knees.

I'm still going to shoot for both knees to be done at same time since I'll have enough time at work to take for it that way, but wouldn't have enough time for 2 seperate knees. Sure hope this is the last place it's going to hit me.....

I will be looking at how things go for you in January. :thumb:
 
Julie, maybe you will take after Pomperson - except with the knees instead of the hips! I sure hope so :biggrin:
 
Julie you know whats best for you, and your doctor willing to do bilateral is great, i say go for it too. Now me myself, I would do it seperatlely, i have to have a good leg, i thinks it all a personal decision, whats good for one may not be for another.
Good luck to you:thumb:
 
I had a long weekend with almost a week off of work. We had friend in town and staying at a lovely beach rental, so we went out there a couple of days and I'll tell you what, going up and down the stairs was far too much for me.

I just feel like the injections did more harm then good for me. The knees feel worse than any better if that can be. My right knee hurts the most at night time when trying to sleep. My left knee just hurts always and now it seems more with the standing or walking with them. Always something and it just doesn't seem like one things feels better before the other feels bad.
 
Well, don't blame the injections - they obviously just weren't suitable for the condition of the joint.
 
Hi Julie sorry to hear you're really going through it with your knees. I had both done separately this year but looking back I think I could have coped with having both done together. Not that having the first one done put me off - far from it, I was actually keen to get the other one done but it would have been nice to just have one hospital stay and one recovery if even it did turn out to be tougher and a bit longer.

It's an individual decision but you're young and look as if you're in fairly good shape so I would imagine it wouldn't be too bad for you. :thumb:

Keep us posted and hope you get a date for surgery soon.
 
Josephine said:
Well, don't blame the injections - they obviously just weren't suitable for the condition of the joint.
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They didn't work the first time, so I didn't have much faith in them working a second time. I figure with the bone death, there probably isn't a great chance of it working. Will see my OS again on the 17th. :what:
 
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