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Revision TKR Knee replacement is not nice to me...

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One of my best teacher friends teaches Spanish and she has always referred to me as a dork. I just laugh because I know I am...
I love teaching math and I coach because the "sports thing" makes me less of a nerd. :snork:
I seriously think I can feel the tip of a peg. There is a pointy tip that I can see through my skin when I bend my knee. It's kind of weird actually.
 
I am a GK (Geek's Kid). My mom taught math as well. She taught General Math (math for those who didn't get it). She taught long division with "box scores". She taught addition and subtraction in different bases. She used
matrix boxes to teach multiplication.

My best teachers were different. I love the Geek Pocket protectors..

Thanks to all the teachers here who have given of their time and effort to teach! You do NOT get enough recognition.

Thank you !
 
parla said:
Thanks Josephine, I was curious. As we all go through this "process" we see lots of our own xrays and I have never noticed anything like that. One looks really close to the surface. Could Coachie be feeling that? And not to to be stupid, just trying to learn... His cementless knee is not cemented into the tibia, is that correct? But they cement the peggies and buttons?
Click to expand...
That's correct, parla. Read my post #13
 
Hi Coachie,
Sorry about the NY reference I confused you with someone else (MY BAD). Please let us know how your appointment goes with the revision specialist. My best wishes for you!
Parla
 
I taught English and Reading for 20 years and people thought I was different because of my methods of teaching! The students learned and I had fun!:wink1: Isn't that what's important?
 
I do not go to work; I go to school. I have never looked at teaching as work. I am lucky to be doing something that I absolutely love---I am now in my 34th year.
 
You got it. Being a teacher is not easy, but it is not work. Every day is a learning experience and we never run out of kids to teach us.

In administration, unfortunately it is harder to gain the same satisfaction.
Too many people need someone to be angry with(besides rhemselves). I always tried to approach administration as opportunities to teach, it too is about building relationships and modifying attitudes.

Our students have much to learn, even beyond the curricular content.

That said, nothing beats the classroom.
 
Well my appointment today did NOT go well. This doctor looked at old x-rays (from November 4th) and other than having me bend and straighten my knee 2x, he didn't touch my leg, didn't seem to listen and then said he really didn't know what was going on.
He said it is possibly from some nerve pain? My other ortho did some nerve tests and said that he didn't think that was the case, but I agreed to go see a Physiatrist who I guess will do some testing and an EMG and such. I have nothing to lose and have got to do something since my pain is horrible, so maybe she can help me.
What bugged me the most is that I got emotional when he said he didn't really have an idea, so then he kept talking about how he thinks I am depressed and that I need to go on meds. I explained that I am taking an ad already due to the rough recovery I have had so far, and he said "that's good, but I think you need to get in touch with your primary doctor to change your prescription." So if someone gets emotional at an appointment that they have looked forward to for weeks and then gets let down then they are majorly depressed? Sure.
Sorry for being so negative in this post. I am just beyond discouraged and this has just been such a long day.
 
Coachy, Well that's a real bummer. I think when the patient cries, the offer of a tissue would suffice! So sorry this guy did not pan out for you.

The chief revisionist in Maine is David Becker in Portland --- and he's not a jerk. Worth a call but my understanding is that he will not see anyone until they've passed their one-year anniversary. I'd actually also really recommend my OS in Blue Hill James White. If he cannot help you he'll steer you where you can be helped rather than giving you the brush-off. He's amazingly smart and attentive. Paul Denoncourt is also excellent -- he's in Ellsworth. Very caring (I've watched him do a bilateral knee replacement and cared for some of his patients). Just people to put on your list of possibilities.

I understand the discouragement and have ended up "on medication" as a result.
 
Thanks for the doctors. I was just coming back on here to see if anyone had any ideas of where I could go next or who I could see. I know the one year thing is a problem for me.
If I need another surgery, I need to have it done in the summer because as a teacher, I only have certain times when I could have a surgery since without work, I have no income, and I don't have a bunch of sick days to take.
Another problem for me is that I know that with any orthopedic, there is like a 3-5 month waiting period before you can even be seen, so the wait is becoming so incredibly hard for me. I have such horrible pain and am so tired of not being able to do anything.
Tough situation...
 
If I were you, I'd call and get an appointment with Becker now. You could always cancel.

The guy in Blue Hill, and probably the one in Ellsworth, could be seen with a couple of weeks if you were interested.
 
Coachie,
I am sorry. I feel your pain literally ... My original OS did that depression thing on me because I was emotional talking about my pain. I told him if I am depressed it is because I can't do anything except read, rest, watch tv. Even regular paperwork was hard because my brain couldn't take the pain & I had trouble concentrating. They ( the docs) will also try and tell you that you may have RSD, which is when nerves send wrong pain signals when there is really no pain. Sometimes peopler do get it but it I think doctors use this diagnosis when they don't know what to suggest. So drugs for depression did nothing for me. Don't be sorry for your post. You know your body best and your doc is trying to find any cause other than the knee. Lots of things can happen that don't show up on xray. You need another opinion from a totally different doctor. You are not depressed other than being bummed from having knee problems. I am mad your doctor too! Until you find another doc maybe you could ask your for a bonescan so you bring it the next doctor. It also makes me mad that he did touch you and try and figure out where pain is from or take measurements. I know at my 6 month appt ( I think about 6 months). My original doctor said I was doing GREAT. He didn't measure and I asked aren't you going to measure it and touch. He said he could see it looked terrific from across the room. BS!! Hope i make sense --on morphine. Surgery was appropriate and I finally feel hopeful! I can't believe he did not do new x-rays ... Troubling. Demand a( nicely) for a bonescan and in the meantime find new doctor. Are you near Portland Maine? I may know someone there I could ask & she is a pt so probably sees good, bad & ugly so I can ask for you. Hang in there I firmly believe this pain is not rsd or depression. Yikes I am a bit buzzed so hope this makes sense. When I read your post I just had to say something. You are going to ne ok once someone objective and "hands on". You were given bs in my opinion. This last year has certainly been a tough one for me. Let's hope someone with a better bedside manner & not just doesn't wantbto hear it. Way back when my original doc said I was doing great, my husband asked, "what planet are you on?" please don't let him get you down !!
PARla ( hopefully again)
 
I have done some research and if my primary dr. can give me a referral, I have found a revisionist in the Portland area that will work with me. I am not willing to accept the nerve excuse until we've exhausted all other options.
A bone scan is not a possibility as both of the orthos have said you have to wait at least a year (if not 2 years) before having one.
I've refreshed from yesterday's disappointment and am now working hard again to find some answers. Hopefully that will happen soon!
 
Coachie,
I read your post about your dis-appointment and the really B.S. way your Dr treated you. It makes you want to ask why they went into medicine. You could hope it was just a bad day for him, but professionals shouldn't take their bad day out on the patient. I know what I've been through has caused depression, and medication does help. But anti-depressants didn't make my pain any less, and you are feeling a specific pain not general.
I pray that you get help from the Dr that you've identified.
 
I had a rough day emotionally and pain wise. It is hard because I was really hoping for some answers and for some help and I didn't get any.
I guess I don't understand why I wouldn't be a little sad about my situation. Here I am, an athlete who loves to be outside, who was always doing something - shooting baskets, playing softball, kicking a soccer ball, etc. and I now cannot do anything without major pain. I can't walk 15 feet without wanting to cry out in pain. I can't stand on both legs for very long- I usually end up standing on my left leg with my right leg bent up like a stork because the pain is too much. So with that all said, I am supposed to be happy all the time?
Add to that- he wants me to start taking an ad that he said helps with nerve pain. Well, ad's often don't start working for 6-8 weeks, and the one he wants me to take can interfere with one of the pain meds I currently take so I wouldn't be able to take that. So for 6-8 weeks, I won't be able to take a pain med while waiting for this other med to kick in? I don't think so.
I'm hoping my family dr will call back tomorrow so I can ask her for the referral to the other orthopedic- just for my sanity. If he says the same thing about nerves and all of that, then I will be willing to accept it, but I just feel that something is wrong other than nerves.
Ok- enough venting for now- I'll stop... :)
 
Coachie,

I too am a very active person who had similar troubles in the past. I hope that our PC calls tomorrow with that referral so that you can move ahead and get this taken care of.

I also teach and wanted to get it done in the summer so that I didn't have to use my sick days...but the surgeon was already booked months and months in advance, so I had to have mine done in November. I was out until the first of the year. I am lucky that I have been around for so long that I have more sick days than there are days in the school year.

Being active is a way of life for us; when one cannot be active like you want to be, it affects all aspects of living. I hope and pray that this situation will be taken care of ASAP.

Come back and vent anytime you need to---no worries or apologizing about that, either!
 
Ok, so I have one more question. If it was nerve damage or nerve related, wouldn't it be getting better, not worse? It's been almost 10 months...
 
I don't anything about knee nerves ( I am still a green horn in the knee dept ). However I have a lot of nerve damage in my spine due to an injury. My nerve damage gets worse and worse as time passes, with surgery being the only hope. I have not had back surgery as I was told with nerve damage surgery could make it worse ( but that is for spines ).

I would guess nerves are nerves, but I could be wrong.

I will say a prayer for you - you sure are facing a lot.

Off topic a bit:

Is there a shortage of ORTHO type Drs? I keep reading how long it takes to get into one.

My knees stopped working ( would not hold me up any longer ) and I was in a wheelchair and it still took over 2 months to see a surgeon and 6 weeks from then to get operated on.
 
Coachie......I am just catching up with your story and so I offer a welcome into our BoneSmart family!

Don't give up!!!! There is a surgeon out there who will listen to you and help you. You just have to find him. Get with the person you have found as soon as possible so you'll know if he is that one or if you must keep looking. Sometimes it can be hard when you're not in a larger city.

You really do need a revisionist who is very good at diagnosis. You have been in pain entirely too long!!! There is hope and you'll feel it when you connect with the right doctor.
 
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