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Knee Infection* I have been told I have an infection

I'm not a numbers person (words are my thing), but I understand why those numbers worry you.
I don't know enough about CRP results to advise you, so I'll ask @Josephine for her input.

My own inclination is to say "See what the next CRP result is." If it continues to rise, then your ID doctor should be consulted.
If it drops, that's good.
 
That would be my reaction too, Celle. I'm not well versed in biochemistry
 
I’ll be honest, I just asked if things looked good or bad. I know they were looking for a lot of other things too, like how my kidneys and liver were doing with all the meds because I was taking oral and IV antibiotics. After 6 weeks my body stopped producing white cells. But @newlybionic is a nurse so she may have asked for specific answers.
 
Whew! In this week's blood test, my CRP is back to 5.9. So it must fluctuate. I can breathe again.
 
I didn't have my CRP monitored. My hemoglobin was monitored and Vanco trough which they used to prescribe the dose of Vanco I was to get. My OS did not remove the hardware in my knee. He did an debridement and washout out. My hemoglobin dropped into the 6's which was very low and required a blood transfusion.

The fact that you are doing well and walking around the block should be enough to show that all is going well. Don't worry about the numbers so much because as you see they can vary from test to test. I hope you keep doing well.
 
Yes, I knew I needed to calm down and nit worry, but it’s easier said than done. I worried needlessly for quite a while.
 
Today was a big day....I went to Walmart with hubby for groceries. I got along just fine. I have been to the pool a couple of times doing some exercises from the first TKR therapy and was pretty tired the first time, so came home and vegged out with ice and elevation. The worst of the knee is clearly over. But now the antibiotics are starting to really annoy my digestive system. I am taking two Florastore a day, plus eating a yogurt every day (one with live cultures) and have added a third probiotic with a variety of 'good' bacteria. If anyone has any other suggestions, I am willing to listen. I do know that sauerkraut is an option, as is kimchi - which I looked for today, but Walmart didn't have it. I know I can get it at Publix. I also wonder what should I be avoiding? I had ice cream on Saturday which seemed to really upset the tummy gods - so I'll add that to my list of no-no's. :cry:
 
I’m afraid tummy issues were a problem for me even with probiotics and yogurt. It took about 8 months to a year for my stomach to settle down, but now it’s fine. I’m still taking a low dose of doxycycline everyday. My drs wanted me on a high protein diet, I think that was to promote healing,but it’s what I did. How much longer will you be taking the antibiotics?

I’m glad you were able to get out of the house for a while!
 
The last time I met with the ID nurse practitioner, she said 6 - 9 months. Previously she had said at least 3 months. Right now the dose of doxycycline is 100 mg twice a day. The knee is really feeling fine - better than before surgery I think. I know it is less swollen. I am doing pretty much anything I want - except eating ice cream. Your comments at least give me hope that if I have to be on it for a LOOOONG time (or forever) that eventually it will get better. I think that message "it will get better" is the most important message on this entire forum! Thanks @KarriB
 
It will get better and I’m glad you’re feeling the knee is better.

I was on oral rifampin and an IV antibiotic for 6 weeks, then 100mg of doxycycline 2x a day (which had me running to the bathroom at unexpected times), then a year after that I went to 100mg of doxycycline once a day and I’m presently taking that. I use Plexus Probio5 now and still eat a yogurt a day.
 
What about Immodium? I take generic. Really cheap. I have had IBS-D forever and take 1/2 one day and next day a whole one. If you try it let me know if it helps. Antibiotics have always messed with my stomach. Pretty sure when they start me on my oral I will have that trouble again. I also just got over a vag infection. Wow...that was fun. :) Hope you are feeling better soon.
 
@Madbkseller Immodium was suggested by my home health nurse to use if I got diarrhea, which I don't really have yet, just cramps. I have some on hand, so I am ready if it comes. And I stocked up on monistat before the surgery just in case so my husband wouldn't have to search for it at the store! LOL! So far so good on that front. Thanks for the reminder, and I hope you are feeling better, too.
 
@MathProf - Ha! You made me laugh about being "good on that front". Sounds like we have been through a lot of the same stuff. So you have gotten your new knee back in? Right? You sound like you have a pretty good attitude too. Helps you get through. I remember after my first surgery...I thought I was kind of back to normal. I was putting clean sheets on my bed that we up against a wall. I had to kind of fall on the bed to reach. As I did it something tweaked in my knee and I just laid there and cried. I'm not sure if I will ever have my right knee done. Too much to bear with my left. So you had your right knee done with no problems???
 
I had my right knee done 6 years ago and it has been perfect since then. It was bone on bone and very, very painful. My bad knees are a hereditary thing and I knew they wouldn't get any better on their own. I had tried dietary supplements and braces and nothing helped. When the RTKR was such a success, I decided to go ahead and do the left and use the same surgeon. The difference was the rehab part. When I had the second knee done, the home health care person in charge was leaving on vacation, and no one ever came to check on me. Then the PT that was assigned got sick, and I had a substitute PT. When the original one came back, he had a fit because the staples were still in and it was about 14 - 15 days after surgery. He tried to get the home health care to send someone out, but no one was available, so he pulled the staples. My husband and I think that is where the infection came from. ID feels that I have had the infection since the beginning - either in the hospital or shortly thereafter since it was staph epi, which lives on everyone's skin.
For this surgery, the surgeon just did a one stage revision, as he said there was a lot of bone loss. He said in the hospital that was due to the infection. The ID agreed that the infection resulted in bone loss. She was not happy that he chose to do a one stage, however. But it is was it is, and so far it seems to be a success. I have researched doctors who clean up messes and there is one at Univ of Iowa hospital. I don't want to plan for failure, but I would like to have a plan B in mind. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.
 
@MathProf - My x-rays showed a lot of bone loss from the infection too. I am just wondering if that loss has affected your new knee or not. Have you noticed any difference at all? Also, I know all doctors are different, but did you have IV antibiotics at home for six weeks? I am doing that and then I have an appointment with my ID doctor on the 8th of August. Then I have an appointment with my OS the 10th. Since I am sooooo tired of my straight leg when I have my appointment with my OS do you think it will take very long to set my surgery date? Also, did you have to get another physical before surgery? Thanks for your input. You are just enough events ahead of me that it really helps. Oh, and I have had very little pain with my antibiotic spacer put in. Did you have much? Then when you got your new knee was there a lot of pain like with previous replacements?
 
Madbkseller said:
My x-rays showed a lot of bone loss from the infection too.
Click to expand...
. Now that is interesting, as my OS said that bone loss wouldn't show up on an x-ray, which my ID confirmed. She said it only showed up on an MRI, which I didn't have. Hmmm. The only difference that I can tell about this alleged bone loss, is that my PT did not want me to stop using the cane until I saw the OS for the 2 month check, which I do next Friday. I am sort of minding her.... I don't use the cane in the house, but do all the time out and about. I really haven't noticed any difference at all, in fact I really think I feel better than I did back in January when this adventure started.

Madbkseller said:
but did you have IV antibiotics at home for six weeks?
Click to expand...
Yes. I had 2 1/2 weeks of vancomycin and then I started having ringing in my ears, so they switched me to daptomycin for the last 3 1/2 weeks. The vanco was twice a day and the dapto only once a day, and it was an IV push, instead of IV drip so it only took 5 minutes instead of 90. Big difference!

As to your last questions, I ended up and didn't have the spacer. But they had me on the schedule for the second surgery before I even had the June 4 one, and then they cancelled it after he decided to do a one -stage. I don't know if that is a difference in a larger metropolitan area (I had the surgery in Ft. Myers FL) and they have to schedule well in advance or what. BTW, my sister used to live in Springfield and Elkhart IL, so we drove through Lincoln all the time!
 
I don’t think they would’ve done a one stage if there had been bone loss due to infection. If the infection was down to your bone they would’ve taken out the implant and used an antibiotic spacer.
 
@KarriB, all I know is this - when I asked the OS in the hospital why he opted for 1 stage, he said it was because of bone loss. When I said the ID was unhappy about the 1 stage, he got very irritated and said that she had not been in the OR to see what he saw. Then I asked if the infection had caused the bone loss, he said yes. When I saw the PA at my 3 week checkup, and I asked again why they had done 1 stage, he again said it was because of bone loss. When I asked if the infection caused the bone loss, he wavered and said it could have been the infection or it could have been because I was - and here I can't quote him - but the inference was that I had not been active on the leg, which is not true. Except for about a week in March 2018, I had done pretty much everything I wanted, it just hurt when I did it.
All of this is part of the reason that I am unsure the right choice was made. But it is done now, and so far, so good. If it has to be done again, I'll go to a different surgeon.
On the plus side, I am starting to learn what upsets my digestive system, and watching the inputs along with the new probiotic I added last week seems to have helped some.
 
I am so happy that you are getting your stomach problems under control. It isn't like you don't have enough to deal with anyway.
I kind of had a bit of a rude awakening the other day. I have been counting down the days until I was done with my Vanco and this PICC line. As I said before, I have my 6 week appointment with my OS on 8/10. I don't know why but I was thinking that when I saw him, he would then schedule my surgery to get my knee back. I forgot that I have to wait another 2 weeks without antibiotics and then have an aspiration of my knee. THEN I have to wait for the culture...another 4-5 days. Then see my OS again and set the surgery date. I also will have to have another physical ( which I think is ridiculous since I just had one). That means I probably won't get my knee back in until about the first week of September. UGH!!! But, what are you going to do? All I know is that I want it done right so I don't have any more problems. I know that you must feet the same.
So, help me understand. They found infection in your knee December 2017. Then you had your surgery when?
 
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