TKR Brownie's Good, Bad, & Uglies

[Brownie51]

Josephine I am trying this. I included pick of wound that partly healed after opening.
.also showing you the boot he gave me that is 5 inches longer than my foot and causes me to trip.:(
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[Brownie51]

Hallelujah family! I posted my pics from my phone. A whole new world is opening up! I will try to take a pic of my tib wound/stress fracture area as it is now edematous length 2 inches.

 

[Titianlady]

Brownie51. Ohhh, Marianne, I am just so sorry this is happening to you. You had a time with pain with the first knee, and I know you were so hopeful that this one would be much better. Now this mess, and even more pain. I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better sweetheart.. I'll be thinking of you 'Marianne..(((((((((((((( HUGS HUGS HUGS ))))))))))))

 

[Brownie51]

Toni thank you so much.

 

[Brownie51]

Sorry about all the venting but I can't help myself. But here's some more. I checked with the manufacturer of my boot. The size Dr. Reff gave me is a medium, meant to fit a man size 7.5 to 10.5 or a woman size 8.5 to 10.5. I am a 7.5. The office manager came in with a small and he said, "NO! this is fine, it protects her toes". This guy is Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.
I am ready to sue him for malpractice (stress fracture at notches) and negligence (denying pain medication) and for not putting me in an air-cast instead of a Paul Bunyan boot. Hello does anyone know a good malpractice lawyer in southern California???
NightQuilter Help! You live in LA! Find me a lawyer! Find me a new doctor! Find me a psychiatrist! I'm going kookoos!!

 

[Toothfairy]

Oh dear Brownie, things are not going your way at all.
That boot does look ridiculously big and I can see that it will be a tripping hazard.
The wound on your leg looks very painful.i hope things start to settle soon,
Hang on in there,
I am sending you a huge bunch of virtual chocolates and a big box of belgian chocolates (sadly only virtual ones! )
hugs Toothfairy x

 

[Brownie51]

Thank you Tooth! I am enjoying the calorie free chocolates!!!! Thanks for the confirmation on the Monster Boot!

 

[Josephine]

Josephine I am trying. Can I email them to you?

Sure you can josephine@farmortho.org

 

[Brownie51]

Josephine look above! I got them posted!!!!

 

[Josephine]

So I see! Well done. Except they are thumbnails which are only 19kb which will pixilate when I enlarge them.
I need at least 1mb to be able to see them properly. Sowee! Want to email them anyway?

 

[Brownie51]

Josephine I emailed the X-rays. They are just pics I took with my phone at the doctors office. Do you know if they are supposed to make TWO notches in the tibia like that? He used Zimmer computerized navigation system. I checked their website and couldn't figure it out.
And what do you think of my MAN boot? And my Percocet 5mg q 4 hours at 2 weeks post op?
I am ready to fire this guy.

 

[Josephine]

Well, I can see why you are in pain there, Brownie. You have two socking great screw holes in the tibia - which of course, you knew! I've never seen them done quite so big and I'm very surprised your surgeon didn't warn you he would be doing that.

And the wound looks nasty and is going to leave a scar. That's inexcusable in my book.

As for the man boot - it's probably a good idea as those screw holes will have weakened the tibial shaft somewhat and theoretically, there is a risk the bone could break though I can't see any signs of cracks around the screw holes right now but the xray was still too low in resolution to be sure.

 

[Brownie51]

Thank you Josephine. I feel pretty sure there is a fracture because I have edema over the area and it is extremely tender. Also what do you think about the pain med? Why would he be cutting me down at 2 weeks? He told me I had to wear the boot 24/7 not take it off because I couldn't get it back on right (idiot). I have to ice my tibia! He told me to do all my exercises in the boot no problem.

 

[Brownie51]

So I feel the bone is already broken, at least as far as a stress fracture because I can't put any weight on that leg at all or I have excruciating burning pain in the tibia.

 

[Josephine]

I feel pretty sure there is a fracture because I have edema over the area and it is extremely tender. So I feel the bone is already broken

Technically it is because those screw holes are akin to a fracture. That plus the infection is more than enough to account for the tenderness and swelling.

 

[Pumpkin]

Oh, My, just checking in on your thread, what an ordeal you are going through.
The cast boot is necessary, but you should have one that fits you.
When you progress to weight bearing, how do they expect you to walk with that huge shelf?
I am sending you some more calorie free virtual chocolates, hope you feel better soon!

 

[Brownie51]

OH!!! Thank you, that makes sense. Maybe he yanked them out instead of unscrewing them.
The boot is so loose that my booboo is getting knocked about in there. When I'm laying down my foot falls back and it pushes the front of the boot again my wound/swelling.

 

[Brownie51]

Pumpkln thanks, I just finished up the virtual chocolates that Toothfairy gave me! I'll have your cookies after dinner!

 

[Pumpkin]

I do not think you should be moving around so much in the large cast boot. You can find them on Amazon, maybe there is a similar one you can try.
Be sure to call your OS on Monday and describe the loose fit, hopefully he will give you a cast boot that fits.
Please take it easy, stay safe, and let your leg and knee heal.

 

[Josephine]

Maybe he yanked them out instead of unscrewing them.

Screws can't be 'yanked out', they are too big and the thread is too deep. But they are also quite bulky which is another reason why they cause so much trauma. It's my guess they are also the 6.5mm type screws that were used which are pretty big! If you look carefully, you can see the zigzag along the side of each screw hole that was the thread, similar to this which is 4.5mm diameter.