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TKR Brownie's Good, Bad, & Uglies

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Brownie51 said:
that's not my area. I live in California!
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Ooops!! So sorry! Don't know how I could have made THAT mistake! Guess there are TWO orthopedic surgeons with that same last name. And I don't suppose you'll be jetting off to a Dr. Hanna on the other side of the country, now...will you....:heehee:.

There really wasn't much information available online on YOUR doctor. That tends to be the case when a surgeon is not part of a clinic. But I do think you really need to get some new eyes on your situation. It's not necessary to have a second opinion from someone who uses a Zimmer knee, as your problem is not with the prosthesis. A good surgeon will be able to assess the problem no matter what implant was used.

If you would like some help finding someone, you can use our Find A Clinic tool (link at the top of the page). I'll help as well if you would like to give me your zip code (you can PM me if you prefer).
 
Dear brownie,
Thinking of you, wanted to wish you luck at your app. Wednesday :) I hope your friend is going with you.
I hope you get an answer as to why you are in so much pain.
Is the pain getting any better?
:angel: you get some relief soon
All my best,
Diana :console2:
 
Brownie, I hope your Wednesday appointment brings you some insight that helps. This is not fun for you, I know. Keep us posted.
 
Hi Everyone
I wrote a humungous post this am and apparently didn't send it! WEll my scan is tomorrow but appt with Dr. Reff was moved to Friday so it's after the scan results. I am glad because each day makes it more likely that my new bone(thanks Josephine!) will show up on an xray IF it shows up. Josephine pointed that out and I also read that stress fractures don't even show up on xray 50% of the time! If it doesn't I am going to get an MRI, one way or another. I checked the Zimmer website and found a local doc in Long Beach who uses Zimmer's computer navigation so he is going to know if my pinholes were placed correctly and will be honest about whether or not I could have a stress fracture and order the right test which I believe is an MRI. I wouldn't be so anxious about all this but with the way Dr. Reff has treated me and isn't honest with me, I want to know what really went wrong. Also I would never sue a doctor...until this happened. When things went wrong after my athroscopy my UCLA doctor called me an apologized, over and over. He felt so bad. He's a nice guy and who could sue someone who meant well and treated me with respect and honesty. Dr. Reff...no problem. I am still so angry about the medication, huge boot, disrespect and telling me basically this is in my head. (hypersensitive to pinholes? really?).
Anyway I think my bone might be starting to heal. When I tap down on my foot when crutching or transferring the pain is a bad ache, but no longer excruciating. And the pain will calm down with less med. Ice always brings relief, it's like putting out a fire.
I have to say that my knee is great. Hard to bend but I've still got 90%, maybe a touch more. I don't push it because I am trying to make my pain med last. And this is kind of a good test isn't it? I am doing NO rehab with my knee other than some bending. I would want to take 2 norcos if I am going to be aggressive. And my PT still isn't coming out. I did aggressive rehab with my other knee and you need to be able to take your max dose pain med for that. So we'll see if I recover faster or slower by not having PT nor really working on it. I do my leg lifts to keep strength of course but still haven't tried out the bike. If my tibial incision would close up I could get in my pool. I am not sure how I would get out of the pool while non-weight bearing so that is another reason not going in yet. Okay so I think I can safely say that the difference between a minimally invasive/quad sparing TKR has been about 1/5th the pain of the "open" procedure TKR. The swelling, the pain...it's been amazing that way but I can't say I am too appreciative since the procedure seems to have " broken my leg". I like to say "my knee is great but the doctor broke my leg". haha. You have to laugh or cry with these things don't you? There have been so many of you who have had such worse complications. I am so lucky I don't have something worse. And this WBC scan will reassure me I don't have any infection. I remember how scared I was when the tibial incision opened up and was gooey.
Today my Dad (95) took me to my hair appt. My roots (don't listen guys) were showing a little bit. One thing this time my hair didn't come out! And I had a general anesthetic this time so I feel lucky. Anyway I thought I would be really pooped and need a nap when I came home. But I'm watching the All Star game/ice on the tibia/pain is only discomfort right now. Not even a 1. Oh I took a Norco about a half hour ago. ha! but just ONE! I felt so good being in the hair salon. Talking to people and hearing their crazy stories. Oh my gosh does anyone watch Sister Wives on tv? The lady next to me has a second home in Las Vegas. And those people literally moved in next door to her. I think they have 4 homes on her street. So she has her favorite wife. She doesn't like Corey the husband. I've never seen it but now I need to. Anyway she was hilarious! She told them they were not even allowed to video tape her dog. haha! Anyway it was great to be at a NON MEDICAL appointment! It was beautiful outside to boot. But I think I will be fine to drive myself over the next 3 days. Tomorrow I have to stay at the hospital for 3 hours for the scan preparation thingy where they take my blood, put "poison" (isotopes?)in it and then put it back in me. Then the next day I go for the scan. Then Friday I see Reff. I think I will be okay. If tomorrow is bad then I will have someone take me Thursday and Friday.
Thank you all for hanging in here with me. I appreciate you so much. This time I will actually post!
 
Marianne, I'm so proud of the way you're dealing with all of this. What a trooper you are!!! It's best to keep on the positive, but sometimes it's difficult when things seem to take forever to get resolved. Hang in there and keep both the pressure on and the faith in your heart. We'll be right here with you, my friend!!!
 
Brownie51 said:
Today my Dad (95) took me to my hair appt. My roots (don't listen guys) were showing a little bit. One thing this time my hair didn't come out! And I had a general anesthetic this time so I feel lucky. Anyway I thought I would be really pooped and need a nap when I came home.
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Hey, I sometimes find a hair appointment really stressful: will this be the day they screw up the color and I end up a brunette again, will my hair break off, or will I get the Haircut from Hell? But honestly, Marianne--a general anesthetic? Isn't that a bit much? Sounds like your salon may be worse than your surgeon! :rofsign:

(Yeah, I know you were talking about anesthesia for your surgery, not your hair appt.; but the juxtaposition was just too irresistible not to address).

Seriously, an MRI is the right test to have--though most of the time a stress fx shows up on x-ray, sometimes it doesn't; but if you do have a stress fx the MRI would show inflammation in the bone. So would a nuclear bone scan, which sounds like the other test you're having. (I had an MRI to confirm a stress fx in my foot that didn't show up on x-ray; and a nuclear bone scan when my iliac crest broke off in 2004, 8 yrs. after bone was harvested a bit too deeply from it--the scan was to confirm that was the cause and rule out anything more serious). I also had a cardiac nuclear scan in January. Don't worry--the isotope really doesn't feel any worse than any other injection.

Glad you got to have a little levity in your life and dish the dirt at the salon. (My mani last week and pedi yesterday took away a LOT of stress). But you are wise to just kick back and take that Norco on schedule. Stay ahead of the pain and much of the stress will stay away from you!

Never watched "Sister Wives," though I was hooked on "Big Love." And years ago I won a case for a lovely LDS couple from Vegas (a husband-wife cabaret duo) who felt my fee wasn't recompense enough and so they baptized me in absentia. Unlike many of my co-religionists I wasn't at all offended--I figured I was "covered" whatever ultimately happens.
 
Sandy - love your post! A diva and an attorney! Like it.

Marianne - so wonderful to hear you in an upbeat - or at least positive mood!! You've been through it - perhaps now there is light at the end of the tunnel. The therpeutic value of being out in the real world with other humans cannot be underestimated. Best wishes for your procedures the next couple days! You know where to find me if you need moral or hands on support!
 
Marianne, I was going to comment on the anesthsia for a hair appointment, but Dulcimer Diva beat me too it! My fault for not reading posts everyday! I hope things went well for you today and it is good to hear that there may be some healing happening. Still praying for you.
 
Okay you guys I am NOT going to go back and read my post where I told you I had a general for my hair color appointment. LORDY LORDY. I know I must have mentioned I am losing my mind with all of this?
Today I woke up without pain. Do I hear any hallelujahs? hallelujah...I was so happy. And then did a whole lot of crutching today. I was able to go about 8 hours without a pain pill today (I was driving). I feel like my tibia HAS to be healing or I would have been miserable by the time we got home. Also was in some uncomfortable positions and it did not get the tibia all riled up. Also my knee was bending pretty easy today. Yesterday stiff and painful to bend.
Tomorrow I just have to go for the actual scan. I want to see if my PEE glows in the dark tonight...Oh I took off the pressure dressing where the IV was and I was still oozing so had to get a pressure dressing back on. Blood was so thick and a little dark. Guess my anticoag injections are still working. Today it's 4 weeks from surgery.
So Friday I will just need an epidural to visit Dr. Reff.
I need a lawyer in my family! You guys are so smart to have picked such a great profession!
Thank you everyone!!!! Hugs and generals for everyone!
 
So happy to hear you've had a good day. Here's to many more!!!! I hope this is a turning point for you.
 
Oh Marianne, I've been away for a few weeks working too hard, and I come back and find all this happening to you. Your poor girl.

I wanted to talk by relating my experience about a wound not healing. A few years ago I had a mole removed from my hip. Stitches were removed by a junior doctor. Turned out it was too soon. The wound opened and filled with yellowy stuff. But the nurses at my doctor's practice were amazing and one particular one's specialty was wound care. So I went every few days for the wound to be irrigated and special, apparently expensive, wound dressing applied. Slowly, and I mean weeks, the hole got smaller as it all healed from the bottom up. They didn't charge me a cent for all the nursing care.
 
Marianne, you have been through the mill my friend! :console2: I'm so sorry your OS turned out to be a real *^*^! I'm proud of you for keeping a positive attitude through such a scary time, as someone else said, you are a real trooper! I wish you luck with the scan and the results kiddo! Let us know if your PEE glows in the dark tonight, inquiring minds want to know! :heehee:
 
Margaret the wound is looking better, slow but sure! Well saw dr today. Having the scan was all worthless because I had surgery. And you can't tell the different between infection, stress fractures or surgical trauma. So why he didn't order an MRI I don't know. Had another xray today and he says no sign of stress fracture. I sent it to Josephine to see what she thinks. Dr. said I seemed disappointed it's not a stress fracture. I said well not really but somethings wrong and I'd like to know what. He paused and then said that from my problem he is changing the way the surgery is done and putting the pinholes higher up on the tibia. This is the way Poof 's tibial pinholes were done, up further on the tibia. Maybe he just put them in the wrong place on me.
So I go back in 3 weeks. In the meantime I continue non weight bearing. He said to start doing the bike and more exercises. I wanted to say something about his lack of pain control for rehabbing but didn't. I am on the mend and at this point just want to stay positive even though I think he's been awful. I need my life back. Boy does it get old crutching but wow can you imagine being in a wheelchair? Rolling around on the office chair makes me feel like I'm a para or something but I'm not and I'm sure thankful. All of us have the same goal!!! First just to be able to walk pain free and not have a life revolving around pain and crutches.
If this really isn't a stress fracture then possibly I can start bearing a little weight when the pain subsides. He didn't say whether I could take the boot off on the bike or not but I don't think my foot would stay on it without duct tape or a bungee cord so I will try it tomorrow. Also got the okay to go in my pool. It's a very old pool but cool water is cool water and I can't wait. I hope it's hotter than heck tomorrow because then its easy to get in.
Today I found the surgery I had on you tube, with the pinhole process etc. I sent it to everyone in my family. No one has responded but I wish they would all look at it in all it's gore. Friends too. Another friend suggested they watch it too. Ha!
I hope everyone has something fun planned for the weekend. Thank you all for listening!
 
Brownie....post the YouTube link, will you? I'd like to see it.
 
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