Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Just thought you all would like to know that I'm in the same boat with you. I got my arthritic knee from a life time of standing at the operating table (and being overweight - but we won't go into that!). So I was able to ask the surgeon directly if he would investigate it for me. That was Jan 06. The bad news was that he found gross deterioration of the medial side of the joint (side nearest the other leg!) and he thought it could be treated with a unicompartmental - that's a resurfacing job but only in one half of the joint. I wasn't too upset about that and duly checked in for a diagnostic arthroscopy last July.
Baaaad news - he found that not only were both parts of the joint in need of replacement but so was the patella (knee cap) which needs a button as well. So uni out, total in! Since my sister had and is having a dreadful time with hers (still and it's now 12 and 18 months!) I wasn't best pleased.
Plus, we had two new surgeons taken on staff who were streets ahead of the surgeon I was seeing and who had dealt with my sister. But he was the best at the time, only these two younger guys are doing nothing else and are "extreme" specialists! And I felt too awkward to change as I was worried what my sister would think if I didn't have the same chap she did! (silly me!).
Anyway, then I joined this forum and began to read about minimally invasive knee replacements!! So I started doing some Googling and phoning around. I didn't hit lucky until I rang a hospital in London I used to work at. UK types may have heard of it - The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital - I rang the Prof there and found he's been doing these for around 2 years or so and is very pleased with the results. And yes, he'd be very happy to see me!
I checked with my GP who's happy to help, and with the surgeon who is also happy to see to my after care and rehab. All I have to do now is get an appointment to see the Prof and find out if he thinks this procedure will be suitable for me anyway and then, if he says yes, to persuade the local money pots in the NHS to pay for the op!! As for getting myself home after the op, I have to pay for that myself so I'm going to hire a private ambulance to bring my all the way home (300 miles) which will cost me around £800!
Well, I look at it this way - I'm not the type that goes off on hols abroad every year, or eats out or drinks or smokes (happily!) so I think it's will be worth it to splurge on myself.
I'm just praying that the Prof will think it's suitable for me.
Oh, and my sister? She was great about it and even scolded me for even thinking such a thing!!
I'll keep you posted although right at this minute, my knee is so good I have trouble sometimes remembering that there is anything wrong with it at all! Perhaps I've had a miracle healing!! Wouldn't that be neat?
Baaaad news - he found that not only were both parts of the joint in need of replacement but so was the patella (knee cap) which needs a button as well. So uni out, total in! Since my sister had and is having a dreadful time with hers (still and it's now 12 and 18 months!) I wasn't best pleased.
Plus, we had two new surgeons taken on staff who were streets ahead of the surgeon I was seeing and who had dealt with my sister. But he was the best at the time, only these two younger guys are doing nothing else and are "extreme" specialists! And I felt too awkward to change as I was worried what my sister would think if I didn't have the same chap she did! (silly me!).
Anyway, then I joined this forum and began to read about minimally invasive knee replacements!! So I started doing some Googling and phoning around. I didn't hit lucky until I rang a hospital in London I used to work at. UK types may have heard of it - The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital - I rang the Prof there and found he's been doing these for around 2 years or so and is very pleased with the results. And yes, he'd be very happy to see me!
I checked with my GP who's happy to help, and with the surgeon who is also happy to see to my after care and rehab. All I have to do now is get an appointment to see the Prof and find out if he thinks this procedure will be suitable for me anyway and then, if he says yes, to persuade the local money pots in the NHS to pay for the op!! As for getting myself home after the op, I have to pay for that myself so I'm going to hire a private ambulance to bring my all the way home (300 miles) which will cost me around £800!
Well, I look at it this way - I'm not the type that goes off on hols abroad every year, or eats out or drinks or smokes (happily!) so I think it's will be worth it to splurge on myself.
I'm just praying that the Prof will think it's suitable for me.
Oh, and my sister? She was great about it and even scolded me for even thinking such a thing!!
I'll keep you posted although right at this minute, my knee is so good I have trouble sometimes remembering that there is anything wrong with it at all! Perhaps I've had a miracle healing!! Wouldn't that be neat?