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Knee Infection Finally Finishing Up

I was told that ID dos like to use doxycycline because so few people are allergic to it and few side effects.


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Not yet. See Mayo next Thursday (6/30). They all thought it was good to wait to see if the infection comes back. I am just impatient. It will be a year that this all started in a couple of days. I just want it fixed.

Good news..so far the infection has not come back (knock on wood). It took 10 days for it to appear last time and I am at the 20 day mark:).

I get the second injection of Hyaluronan this week in my other knee. I know it takes a few weeks but I am not impressed yet. I hate to be such a downer.

My mother is in town until this knee is taken care of. Having a blast with her so far:) My husband gets along well with her especially when they make the casino runs..LOL. She had her 78th birthday last Friday and you would never know it, she never slows down.

I hope you had a good start to your retirement??
 
I can't imagine this going on for a year! Your patience and attitude are outstanding through this. It does help to have a parent with you if possible. Both of mine were on hand whenever I needed. But there were days my dad would stop at Subway, bring subs to my house and we'd watch a movie or hockey game together. Those times meant so much to me. Enjoy the time with your mom as much as you can.

Will the ID not keep you on a maintenance antibiotic? I was off the antibiotics for about two weeks to give my body a chance to make white cells, then I went right back on a different antibiotic at a lower dose. Still on 100mg of doxycycline.
 
I'm not sure about the antibiotics. All my treatment has been moved to Mayo. I am assuming ID will be one of the doctors I see on the 30th. So far things seem to be going good there...no fever or swollen knee.


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Fingers, toes and everything else crossed :fingersx:, hoping that your improvement continues. :angel:
 
So I had my appointment at the Mayo Clinic today and I am totally drained. It was both good and traumatic at the same time. I really liked the doctor. He took his time with me, explained things thoroughly and answered all my questions (and my mothers). He took the time to make sure that I understood everything that was going on. He also explained how bad this leg was and the seriousness of the needed surgery. He said it was a 9 on the 1-10 scale. The TKR is the easiest part of it all. It isn't just a small tendon graft I was thinking it was. He has to get tibia and femur reconnected. They are taking a graft that includes bone from the tibia, the full patellar tendon with an attached patella and bone from the femur. All I can imagine is al long strip with all the bone attached. The cut would be from mid-shin to mid thigh. He has a team of 4 doctors including a plastic surgeon if needed. He doesn't think I will need the flap. My first step today was an aspiration and blood work to make sure the infection is gone....it has to be infection free. I will get a call when the results are in. This has to be successful or I am in a world of hurt.
In the picture I attach you can see the patella about 3 inches above were it should be in the quad. Had some nice clear fluid with a red tinge. I am trying so hard not to stress out......I didn't realize it was that bad.
[Bonesmart.org] Finally Finishing Up



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As bad as it sounds, at least you know the full story, options and you are in the best hands. It appears the dr is on the ball, has assembled a team he is comfortable with and is taking precautions. But I'm sure all that doesn't help you feel much better. I'll be praying that the infection is totally gone so the Drs can proceed and you can get on with living your life. Your attitude has been phenomenal, Peggy! You are a true warrior!
 
I too will pray that your surgeon and his team will complete a procedure that brings you a full recovery Peggy~
 
You now have an OS who knows what he is doing and a plan to take care of your problem. He sounds very thorough and has explained everything to you. I hope the drainage shows you have no infection and you can move ahead to get your knee fixed.
 
Thank you all for the good wishes and prayers. @newlybionic I also hope that everything goes quickly:)
@KarriB Thank you!
It has been a couple of days now and the information has sunk in. I never expected that the damage was so intense. Now I am just waiting on test results and will probably hear form the Doctor Tues. or Weds. I really was impressed with the Mayo Clinic. Everyone was pleasant and things were done timely. I have Dr Christopher Beauchamp and what I liked best about him,,,,he was leaving the room and I asked a question, He came back and sat in the chair to talk to me. It really is the little things that matter the most :)
 
He sounds like a keeper. The OS who did my revision did the same thing for me. It shows they really care about their patients.
 
Being heard is important and he definitely heard you. I'm glad you feel good about him because I know you really had confidence in your last OS as well.
 
Well my new OS called today to give me the plan. It looks like they are going to do a flap. I will get a call to schedule with his plastic surgeon. Good news is the infection is gone!!! The rest is going to be a long process. There will be two surgeries. The first will be for the flap and the OS wants to put in a new antibiotic spacer. He also said that something will be done to keep the leg straight. Then I have to wait a minimum of six weeks for them to do the second procedure. This will entail the new TKR and the "knee extensor mechanism reconstruction with complete extensor allograft" (looked that one up). This is really going to be intense...but has to be done.

I am curious on why they would create a flap, wait for it to heal and then cut into it?? @Josephine Do you have any insight on this? Would they create a new incision? I always come up with these questions after I have talked to the doctor. II know I can ask when I see the plastic surgeon but any information would be helpful. I am trying to understand the whole process.

This is really turning into an adventure:)
 
PegGar16 said:
Good news is the infection is gone!!! The rest is going to be a long process.
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It's wonderful news that the infection is gone. :yes!: :happydance: :spin: :dancy:

Although it will be a long process, it sounds as if your surgeons have made a thorough plan.
You will be moving ahead from now on.
 
PegGar16 said:
So they will be replacing the knee parts, pulling my kneecap back down (it's about 3 inches up in the quad) to reattach the patellar tendon which they have to add a graft to (I don't know if the same surgeon does both parts)
Click to expand...
Yes he will.
PegGar16 said:
The sad part was everything was labelled URGENT. I have not seen any "urgency" to anything with scheduling this appointment. I thought that when things were marked STAT or URGENT you were seen within a week.
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It just his way of telling the lab he wants the results ASAP so it doesn't get stashed in the usual To Do pile which could take a week or two.
PegGar16 said:
The first will be for the flap and the OS wants to put in a new antibiotic spacer. He also said that something will be done to keep the leg straight. Then I have to wait a minimum of six weeks for them to do the second procedure. I am curious on why they would create a flap, wait for it to heal and then cut into it??
Click to expand...
Bearing in mind I haven't actually seen your leg, I would surmise that the skin is in a pretty poor condition and wouldn't cope with or heal after being cut into again. So the plastic guy will do the flap skin graft providing healthy skin there so he can!
 
I am happy for you @PegGar16. The phase with the antibiotic spacer is good insurance. I am sure they are thinking very long term here. The more we have gone through with the MRSA the more they want to cut down the number of surgeries for us 2 deal better with scar tissue build up. The best to you I think you are right on with pain perspective. He had 2 interns in the room watching. I think their faces showed more pain than me! lol

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So happy the infection is gone! It does seem like a rigorous plan, but also a well thought out plan. You have been amazing throughout this "adventure"!
 
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