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Gringo

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Mar 28, 2009
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73
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Providenciales, TCI, BWI
Hello, I just found this in a search. I just scheduled my first ( of two) TKR for next month. I gotta fly up to the USA to get it done, since I live on a small island south of the Bahamas and we do not have the technology for surgery at this level here. Both knees are "wrecked" in the words of my new Doc, and he says he cannot just use the parts a standard kit to fix the worst one. I have been living with it for 31 years, and am looking forward to something different, as this is really getting to be a pain ( nyuk nyuk)
 
Welcome to the forum, Gringo! So glad you found BoneSmart and decided to join us. You will find lots of support here for your upcoming surgery.

I hope you're planning to spend some time here in the USA after the surgery for recovery. A long plane trip back home might be rather difficult for you. Have you considered having both knees done at once? Some of our forum members have done that when both are bad and it has worked out well for them.

Please post any time you have a question or concern.....or just to pop in and say hi.
 
Welcome Gringo!
I'm one of those awaiting BTKR--May 18th is the date. You'll find BoneSmart a wonderful source of support and information from many who have gone before.
I decided to do both knees at once because although one is more painful than the other, both are bone on bone. I didn't think that either one of them is up to being the "good knee" in terms of being able to support me during the early stages of recovery. Most of the time I'm happy that I made the decision to do both--sometimes I REALLY panic and want out.
The hardest part right now is waiting (my choice because of work and family). I know I'll be glad I chose to do it this way in the end.
Blessings,
Irene
 
Welcome Gringo! I had BTKR on 6/18/08 at the age of 58. It was the very best thing I ever did recently!
I am getting my life back! I have gone downhill skiing 7 times since 2/1/09. I will be able to start walking and hiking this summer too.
Before the surgery I could not stand for long periods of time, not could I walk more than around the block.......
Life is good.
I did them both at the same time because I did not have a good leg to stand on and the OS thought I was an ideal candidate to have them done at the same time. I would not do it any other way! They rehabilitated equally and I have excellent ROM, mobility, and balance. Now to lose some of the 50 pounds I put on.........
Best,
Crystal
 
Thank you all for the nice welcome. I did ask the OS if we could do them both at once, and after looking at the x-rays of the worst one, and then the less than worst one...(good thing I only got two or this could be serious) he said he thought I better get the really bad one done first. He said "Lets get you stable and happy on that one, and then we can deal with the other one". I got the feeling he was anticipating some issues. He also said that he 'might' be able to get by with a partial on the 'good' one. Since returning from Houston, I have started wondering why one would bother to do a partial if it was pretty well established that the patient was prone to things like osteoA and also pounding up and down running boats hard offshore. Seems to me that the rehab on a partial is just about as bad as the TKR, so why not just do it all and get it over with. Oh well, guess that's why they get the big money, huh?

The bad one is not only bone on bone, but there is a 2 cm lateral offset between the tibia and the femur. It's ground down to the point where I am almost an inch shorter than I was a few years back. I am kinda looking forward to being six two again. And I don't really think I look all that great with these bow legs.
 
Gringo, it certainly sounds like you need to not waste any time getting this knee repaired.

What island are you on? We LOVE to vacation down that way!! It's beautiful!!!
 
In my opinion, a partial can be just a two stage total! Though there are some people that get a fair bit of mileage from them.
 
Jamie, we moved from the USA down to Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos four years ago. We love it here. We built a house, on a hill, overlooking the ocean. If you really like that kind of thing we have a blog site that is loaded with tropical type photos.

Now, if I can just get a set of knees to work...
 
Hey Gringo

Welcome! Had BLTK in July 08. There is so much info on here. You will also meet so many new friends. If you have any questions ask away.
 
You will, Gringo!!!!!
It sounds like paradise! You'll get it together, Gringo!!!!
 
Well, thanks again. This is great, because there just isn't really anyone where I live that I can ask. Not easily, anyhow.

Right now one of my concerns revolves around just what it is about one of my knees that prevents the doc from being able to use a 'standard' knee to fix it. He likes the "stryker' knees. We didn't really have time to get into it, and of course he is too busy to bother with answering email questions. I understand that. He just can't have a few hundred patients bombarding him with emails every day. He has only seen me the one time, although they did take a lot of x-rays.

Does anyone here know of some online site where I could post an x-ray image and have someone who knows something about all this tell me more specifically what is going on with the knee and what the likely fixes would be? I mean, I don't know what his fix is. I am sure I will find out when I go back next month, but it would be nice to not have to wait to get some info.
 
You could post them here, Gringo, and I'll take a look at them. Give you something of an opinion that would at least get you started.
 
Well, I have discovered that holding them up with the patio, ocean and sky behind them don't do too well. But if you can ignore the background, this was taken about six months ago, and is what started this whole journey that now has me lined up for a sawbones next month:





I will try to get some better photos, probably have to rig up a light shining on a wall or something. Do these tell you anything?

The other knee is prettier, and yet the OS says it needs a TKR too! Imagine my dismay. I was hoping they could slip a plastic wafer in there or inject some silicone or something.
 
Yeah, I guess it kinda does. Local doctor is basically a GP of the old school, and he looked at this x-ray for about twenty seconds and asked me what I did for the pain.

Couple Motrin before I go to bed after a hard day on the boat. That's it. He said there was nothing he could do for me other than oxycontin if I wanted it. Heck, that stuff is narcotic, isn't it?
 
Jamie, we moved from the USA down to Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos four years ago. We love it here. We built a house, on a hill, overlooking the ocean. If you really like that kind of thing we have a blog site that is loaded with tropical type photos.

I'd love to see your photos! PM me the address if you would. We seriously considered going to the Turks and Caicos this past winter for our vacation. It looked gorgeous and we've not been to those islands.
 
Yeah, I guess it kinda does. Local doctor is basically a GP of the old school, and he looked at this x-ray for about twenty seconds and asked me what I did for the pain.

Couple Motrin before I go to bed after a hard day on the boat. That's it. He said there was nothing he could do for me other than oxycontin if I wanted it. Heck, that stuff is narcotic, isn't it?

You've been doing pretty good if all you've been taking is Motrin! You are right that oxycontin is a narcotic....better to get your knee repaired and not have to be on a prescription pain med like that for extended periods. Side effects could be a problem for you too. I think you are making the right decision.

Jo will get back to you about your "pretty" pictures. It might be tomorrow as it's fairly late now in Great Britain.
 
oh theres a few hundred pages of them at http://2gringos.blogspot.com/ and to keep this post on the subject of knees....the last couple posts on the blog are about this new kayak we got with the Hobie Mirage drive. You push pedals back and forth ( not cyclic like a bike) and I justified it largely as knee rehab. It's fast! And it's easy, you can control how hard you push. The two drives are independent, so you can pedal at your own pace.
Did I mention it's really fast?

Well, we are in the UK, too, in a way. This is a British Overseas Territory. We drive a Land Rover Defender, and our dog is a Jack Russell....
 
Well, apart from the xrays being, well, pretty poor in themselves, the knee is about on it's last legs, that's for sure! (pardon pun!)

My observation is that there is a considerable lateral shift in the deformity meaning that the femur is misplaced to the left of the picture and is coming into contact with the central ridge on the tibia. If you look, there is a white flare to the right of that point where the worst of the bone-on-bone is occurring.

Apart from that, I can see nothing that indicates anything special needs to be used. A standard implant should do the job so far as I can see even though the joint is in a pretty bad way.

However, my usual mantra applies - make sure you choose a surgeon who has done at least 500+ knees per year and has low (under 0.5%) infection rate and complications rate.
 
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