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Knee Infection July 16 - had a revision due to infection

Whoa, that is crazy! I guess if something like that has to happen it's a good thing you were with folks who could get you help immediately. I hope the rest of your recovery is very boring. You could use a little dullness in your life!
 
My ID explained that if there was on small cell of infection it will go straight to the knee and the implant cannot fight an infection.
So sorry to hear of the most recent problem, but you are finally at home.

waitingtogarden said:
Any new guys reading my posts please understand that these things do not happen to 99.99% of the people who have TKR. And I don't understand why they happen to me. When I had my left knee done it was normal and no excitement.

I am counting on this when I get my left knee done, although I have a feeling my OS and ID will be very cautious.
Is the nurse coming to check the wound?
Click to expand...
 
I am going through something similar. Monday I will see the Infection specialist to see if it is under control. I do well accepting of it but sometimes the depression overtakes me. Walk with a cane I would consider major progress.
To let people know that infection is not the type where your finger gets cut and swells. These are superbugs, immune to antibiotics. The bacteria is constantly evolving ,mutating . I was lucky the latest antibiotic killed it after60 days. Some bugs are out there that we have not anything developed that can stop it. It's a war we have to constantly make new antibiotics , they are ahead now.
These bugs you don't get from being unclean. They are bred in every hospital. Please before you choose a hospital, any in the USA , they have a Medicare site that will tell you which ones have been fined for to many infection, it will blow your mind. It's in the air on your skin everywhere. I went to a upscale hospital in OC Cal. I got it there. Please check lower the risk, if I would have I would not used the hospital I did. Why risk it.


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Steve4kids said:
Some bugs are out there that we have not anything developed that can stop it. It's a war we have to constantly make new antibiotics , they are ahead now. These bugs you don't get from being unclean. They are bred in every hospital.
Click to expand...
Steve you've got two types of bugs mixed up here. The one you're talking about it the MRSA or superbug and yes, that is ahead of us now, ahead of the development of antibiotics. But that's nothing to do with peri-prosthetic infection. It's a totally different and very complex situation there which you can read about in detail here Peri-prosthetic infection - also known as late onset infection
KarriB said:
My ID explained that if there was on small cell of infection it will go straight to the knee and the implant cannot fight an infection.
Click to expand...
You ID is a bit off track. Of course the implant can't fight an infection - it's just metal and plastic! But it 'going straight to the knee' is incorrect. If you read th article about you will see what I mean. It's all to do with the bio-film that covers implants - everyone's implants actually. For most people the biofilm remains inactive as in in hibernation, but for a very few there is something that triggers it to reproduce and spread out into the surrounding tissues. It's not from any infection anywhere else in your body, it's an organism unique to itself. Of course, when the biofilm infection gets going,it can then get secondary contamination from the more common bugs like staph and strep. But the answer lies in what it is that actually triggers the biofilm to start reproducing. Research is going on right now to identify that and once it is know, then work can begin on specific treatments. It's not too dissimilar to the research surrounding what starts perfectly ordinary cells to suddenly become malignant. The big question is "what's the key, what's the trigger?"
 
Great information, @Josephine, thanks. Maybe I got it all wrong. So I shouldn't be worried about a cell that may still have staph infecting my tissue and then going to the knee? Apparently my biofilm hadn't succombed to the staph infection and the infection stayed in the soft tissue. The implant was washed along with my tissue and the spacer changed. What do I need to be concerned about then with the infection I had? I do not want it to come back and have to go through all that again. I'm seeing my ID next month, is there anything I should ask?
 
Oh cripes Karri. I quite forgot you'd had an infection! Do forgive me. Of course, you are one of the few whose biofilm did get active. My comments above are really only applicable to people who haven't had the misfortune to get a PPI.
 
No problem! There are quite a few of us to keep track of on here.
 
Hi, Kari,
No doubt that I am confused, I don't have the knowledge.
I the infection Dr. ,I just got back, and I showed him the article on the bio film and asked him if it is what I have. He said no that's developers later, I have CRC or CDC, CD something. Well I have to go do it all over again , more surgery , spacer, 6 week re jab and pic line. Kind of numb right now, but hey we should buy some lotto tickets since I'm defying odds . I probably have the bio thing too.
So he doesn't know where I got it, said it could be the hospital , ( he is the IDD for the hospital and my OS is affiliated too, I'm feeling uncomfortable with them now, they are acting different.
There is a list Medicare . Gov, I am not very good with computers and I can't find it again, with all the hospitals that were fined for infection rates related to surgery, ( one was even closed down , no more surgery , in OC), state by state. I will look and not take any chances again and I would advise anyone to do that. It may be 3% or .3% but if your the one like we were it might save someone from this awful stuff.
So I am trying to see a Dr. At UCLA Medical center Santa Monica, ASAP. I don't know how to contact Jamie for a list. I'm having a very hard time trying to post, answer, communicate on this site, actually any site on my computer, I get frustrated and tired.
Been tired and weak for months. The pain has wore me down.
I will try and do this more when I start again to get another knee and feel better. My life is crumbling, but ok better than most. I don't want to scare other tkr bone folks. So it's down the rabbit hole for me, at least I'm going to be alone and not drag the people I love down.


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@Steve4kids are you saying you have to have a second antibiotic spacer put in? Or is this your first? Whichever, I'm glad to hear you are looking at another OS. Please make sure he/she is a revision specialist and does many revisions. @Jamie may be able to help you find someone from the clinic finder.
 
Steve, you tag me like Karri did to get my attention quickly. But....since this isn't your thread, let's take your discussion on over to your recovery thread, okay? That way we all won't be derailing waitingtogarden's thread.
 
Yes I got some Dr. From Jamie

I will contact them the dr. Told me adapt

I think I'm a big baby, I'm scared. I read some women's posts they seem more calm. I dream about knees, can't move around, all my life is ,is my knee. The thought of going under again, two times, and 6 weeks in rehab makes me shake. I also have a smashed ankle and have had a fusion done on my spin. I have high opioid tolerance from these injuries. In recovery room after surgery I was screaming. I guess I have no choice. Darn infection. Pain is destroying me.


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Today has been a great day! I walked into services today and into the restaurant where we ate lunch. Later I went to a political event- my DH is running for judge in our county and it was my first time out with him since my July revision. It was fun.

The revision is healing well. I walk with a walker as my balance is not up to par. It will come. I have scabs that have not healed so I am still being careful about infection.
[Bonesmart.org] July 16 - had a revision due to infection
. Ugly looking ain't it. But it is healing. I see my surgeon on Wednesday and hoping for a good report.


Chris
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LTKR March, 2014
RTKR September 2014, infection revision December 2014, second infection redo July 2015
 
My surgeon is thrilled with my knee. It's just fine. If I had my way I'd see him once a week just to hear that. I am paranoid about infection.. He said he understood that. Anyway, reports are all good. Still have an abscess to close. It's tiny now. My ugly scab fell off and gave me a nice flat one. Doc said that was ok too.

Walking balance is still an issue. So I accept the walker as my friend until..........whenever.


Chris
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LTKR March, 2014
RTKR September 2014, infection revision December 2014, second infection redo July 2015
 
Great news! I'm very happy for you! I felt the same way about seeing my dr. After my debridement/antibiotic washout surgery I was seeing him twice a week. It wasn't great until a month into it, but when things began to turn around I was so pleased and HE was so pleased I just wanted to keep going in to hear the good news.
I don't know if balance is an issue for infections or an overall issue, but I had a real issue with balance and still struggle on uneven ground.
Keep fighting the fight!
 
Today was a great day! I walked from the back of the church to my seat with my walker. And then I walked into the restaraunt - and out! Getting better and better. My DH is running for judge in our county and today I was able to attend my first event since getting out of rehab. It was fun. I did use my scooter- lots of visiting and I didn't want to join the over do club. Many of you are doing canes but my balance is really poor.

Tonight I am going out again. Very dress up. Next week is really dress up so all this what do I wear (I still have some dressings on my knee to keep germs out) is getting complicated. Doesn't hurt I lost 20 + pounds through all this and there is NO time for shopping right now. And it's pouring!!!!!


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Today was another day of walking in public. I think my shoes were an issue so tonight my feet hurt - not my knees as much.

Halloween Parade season has started already. We plan to be part of as many as we can since my DH is running for judge. It means I get to sit in a truck and wave at people while we pull a small trailer decorated with signs etc. and the candidate and a number of helpers pass out candy to the children and small tablets to the grownups. It's fun but sitting still can be stiffening. But it certainly removes any hint of cabin fever![emoji3]


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My last Halloween Parade of the season. My knees have held up riding in the truck. [emoji12] it was enjoyable.

My abscess hole still hasn't closed. After like 14 weeks they are finally going try something different. They are going try packing that tiny little hole. When it closes maybe the ID will reduce my antibiotics. I feel I live and breathe yogurt and probiotics


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Have you tried a wound specialist? Has the ID said how your labs are? I'm sorry to ask questions, just curious after my infection. What antibiotic are you on?
 
The VNA is sending the wound nurse this week. It's not infected or even close. I just have this tiny hole that won't close. The 2000 mg of dicooxallin? A day should kill anything. It's doing a number on my bowels.

I see my OS on Wednesday so I will learn more then.


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