Revision TKR Chocolate at midnight<

[Nana moon 27]

Hi @Dabber

Do you have a hospital appointment booked to check all this out with your TKR? X

Love Nana moon 27 x x x

 

[Dabber]

@ Nana moon 27 I haven't done anything about it as yet but I've set the ball rolling for the lymphoedema clinic.
Sue x

 

[Nana moon 27]

Oh that's good news @Dabber, I'm so pleased you've got the ball rolling x

 

[Dabber]

@Josephine I know I'm a bit of a difficult case but might you be able to suggest a consultant at

(Oswestry) for a second opinion, if necessary please?

 

[patient 99]

Hi Sue, just caught up with your thread, any progress on the 2nd opinion? What sort of problems are you having with your TKR currently? Too often OSs will take an Xray and if looks OK they switch off. I know you know your way round the medical field, but try not to be fobbed off.

You know how it keeps me awake at night not knowing what I don't know. Well I was introduced to the finer points of a bone scan recently (because of Ms issues). It made we wonder why bone scanning wasn't used to see what's going on inside knees. If its not magnetic it wouldn't have the problems an MRI scan has.

 

[Dabber]

@patient 99 Well, the simple answer is I have no idea what's going on with my knee/leg.
Yesterday I had a CT scan recommended by my GP who also prescribed extended release Tramadol for severe leg pain, I can no longer walk up stairs one foot per step, weight bearing is pretty awful as is walking round town etc. I'm also having a Dexa scan and going to a lymphoedema clinic.
All my present problems have come to rest in my right leg, but I've had varicose veins removed, the lymph node biopsy, the TKR, periferal neuropathy in the foot and the very swollen leg immediately before the diagnosis of NHL.
There is a feeling the pain may be linked to degenerative disease that I have in my spine.
Last night, for the first time in ages no pain, no pain this morning, I went for a lie down and wham.....the dreadful pain was back.
As far as I can tell the TKR is good and functional but the rest of me is falling to bits! I do get burning type pain and shooting/jerking pain in the knee and the tight band feeling. The pain is principally in the knee and thigh and sometimes my foot sort of loses control and goes floppy.
I'm waiting for a scan and scan results, but not actually expecting any answers.
Any suggestions would be most welcome.

 

[Pumpkin]

Sounds like your pain and other problems probably coming from your spine. Wish I had some better answers, I will tag @Josephine , she may have a better idea of what is happening.
Hope you find some answers with CT scan.

 

[Josephine]

The best one that I can see at Oswestry is Richard Jones. Although he only did 106 primary knees in 2013, he did do 56 revisions which is quite a lot more than the national average.

 

[Dabber]

Thank you Josephine.

 

[patient 99]

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Hi Sue, I only wish I had a suggestion, but sadly I do not. All I have to offer is my deepest sympathy for what you are going through. I am not usually stuck for words, but I am now. Platitudes just will not do. I am now experiencing first hand what you are going through because M has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. His operation to remove the tumor will be in early June. We are having a holiday soon to try to take his mind off things - fat chance.

I know your family is a big comfort to you. Its so important to remember the positives,. I wish we could have met in better circumstances. My very warmest wishes.

 

[Dabber]

@patient 99 I'm so very sorry. I'll reply off forum.

 

[Dabber]

Things have moved on slightly for me now. A scan I had 06/05/2015 has suggested a fracture of the head of my femur.....a rare hip fracture. I see a hip specialist on 27th May. I've been having a lot of leg pain but had no memorable event that could have caused it and have been walking around with this for many weeks, same leg as my TKR.
I'm also anticipating an Isotope bone scan.

 

[Pumpkin]

That is a surprise, but helps explain the pain you have. Glad to hear you are seeing a specialist for a possible fx of the head of your femur. @Josephine can help explain.
Hope the bone scan give a definitive answer so you can move forward.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Oh @Dabber my goodness you've been through it again. A hip fracture...no wonder you've been in such dreadful pain. Sending you a big hug. You are one very brave lady xxx

 

[Dabber]

Thank you @Pumpkln
I have a date now for next Wednesday to see a consultant......I'm trying to find the list of surgeons on here. I suspect it's a piece of bone that's chipped off and they're going to leave it to heal itself. I've just asked about a knee x-ray as well as the knee itself is still very strange.....wondering whether the bones are holding out. I was just on the point of phoning my original OS.
I'd started to think my hip had 'gone' or fractured as I've sometimes had to lift my leg manually to get out of the car, it was similar to when I broke my shoulder....a greater tuberosity fracture and that's what this is although links on the net are few and far between.

 

[Dabber]

@Nana moon 27 It really is becoming bizarre isn't it. I'm still smiling though, especially thinking about how I've been travelling around with a broken hip!

 

[Josephine]

A scan I had 06/05/2015 has suggested a fracture of the head of my femur.....a rare hip fracture.

I'm puzzled - have you actually been told it's rare?

I've been having a lot of leg pain but had no memorable event that could have caused it and have been walking around with this for many weeks

That's actually not uncommon because what you have is called a pathological fracture, meaning it's not caused by trauma (an accident) but by some failing of the bone, most likely osteoporosis.

I suspect it's a piece of bone that's chipped off and they're going to leave it to heal itself.

Do you have a copy of the xray you can post for me? I should be most interested to see it.

 

[Dabber]

At the moment all I have is what the GP has told me. I get the impression a piece of bone has come away from the head of the femur and the GP has investigated it and I believe rung the hospital and they said it was rare. I had a Dexa scan and although it didn't come back as too bad I'm now on meds for osteoporosis.

 

[Josephine]

There is a feeling the steroids I had for Lymphoma treatment could be implicated

Oh that's what causes all sorts of bone maladies! Osteoporosis is just one.

 

[Dabber]

My TKR is 2 years old today. It looks good, pale scar, no swelling or heat, good alignment; everyone remarks on the good ROM....up to about 130.
It's painful and walking is difficult, I can't now go upstairs leading with the right leg, it's too painful to bear my weight although I put on a stone with chemo and possibly have a slight hip fracture....more of that in a bit, it's been suggested the problem is with the patella as in arthritic degeneration of.....I had it trimmed down for want of a better expression but not resurfaced. There seems to be a slight gap at one side of the joint between the prothesis and the bone but not enough to say it is loose or should be symptomatic.
It clunks too, possibly due to the patella problem.
I don't know whether that is what I live with now, it was also suggested an operation to put in a patella button at this stage could give a worse result. I'm taking cocodamol all the time.
I seem to have a slight vertical break of the greater trochanter, this is consistant with cancer bone metastasis as it is a very rare being but there is at the moment no other evidence of metastasis. I'm awaiting an urgent Isotope scan, twice requested.
That's it in a nutshell, I walk with a walking stick and not far at that. I was always a good walker, I've never driven.
Oh and otherwise I'm pretty well and my hips are in good condition for my age.