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Seen a different surgeon from the hospital today, they are all partners. Seems mine is out until Oct. The swabs that were taken yesterday came back negative, no signs of infection. The surgeon who looked at my knee today, checked the wound depth, said it doesn't seem to have any pockets to it. Seemed to think if given time it could heal on it's own, but the longer it's open more chance of developing a infection. So agreed that I should follow up with the wound care clinic. No true answers to why this happen. The assistant was able to help move up the appt to the wound care clinic, if I was willing to drive to a satellite hospital I could get in tomorrow. So I took that appt. Sounds like it will still take some time to get this to close up. I'll write more tomorrow after the follow up. ( the surgeon did think the swelling of the knee and the stress that p/t put on the knee did hinder its healing. Not that he was against p/t and moving of the joint done by p/t he was actually for it, said it was needed, it just in my case actually help lead to the setbacks I am now experiencing.)
 
I'm glad there's no infection.
Your wound will take a while to heal up, because it has to heal from the bottom up. It's like gradually filling in a hole from the bottom and the sides, so it takes longer than if two cut surfaces are right next to each other..
 
@Celle that was what the surgeon explained to me yesterday. Just received a call from the sattelite hospital I was to see the wound care dr at, now my appt if I want has been changed back to their regular office and I was to go around lunch time, now it's 3 p.m. Just hoping to be seen today, took off work and waiting at this pt.
 
Waiting is a pain. Not knowing is even worth, but now you know that it's not an infection so that worry can be over with!
 
Reading @Suzibelle post makes me realize how much more replacement hospitals could do for their patients. Maybe informal get togethers for ones who want to meet 3 months, out then 6, 9 and 12. So much information is given to us for prepping for the up coming surgery, what to expect afterwords, those first fews weeks of hospital or at home rehab where people are there to listen and help guide us, then it all drops off and were left on our own. We have so much in common, but yet are different.

But I think the manuals need to add more in the line of resources to help us thru those bleak days ahead that we face at 4 months out or 7 or even later. (terrible to say it reminds me of a death of a loved one, people are there in the beginning, and then as time moves on people move on with their own lives, but the one who experienced the death of a loved one is still in that healing stage and still needs the love and support of others, that's what this process reminds me of, lots of help and encouragement in the beginning that falls away)

If ever I get another survey, I am going to mention these tips to the hospital, those all come shortly after your surgery when everything looks cheery and bright also. Probably won't get another survey at this pt and time. Thank goodness for Bonesmart as it is a life line in these days further down the road of recovery.
 
@sistersinhim I just don't want to hear it's been cancelled completely, as were short staffed and I don't want to take any days off that aren't beneficial as I may need them later on yet if something else comes up in the recovery process. A 3 p.m. appt could have allowed me a half day of work, although I am enjoying this down time this morning, work is proving to be very draining, so this break midweek is welcoming also.
 
Oh no, you misunderstood me. I hope you can get in there today and find out what's going on with your wound. I think it's gone on long enough and you need to be seen asap!
 
I love your ideas for support/education. Maybe you could drop them a note if you don't get another survey.

I actually found this place when I was googling trying to find a TKR support group before surgery. I think an in-person support group with patients in all stages of recovery would be such a benefit. I did put that on my survey, but I doubt they do it -- wouldn't be profitable and potential liability. I thought of starting one in one of those meet-up things, but not sure I'd have the energy to organize it right now.


Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 10/11/16
 
@shellac, I come from a area where I am close to Madison Wi, but out in a rural community, the hospital that preformed my surgery is a good rural area hospital affliated with larger hospitals and has a good overall rating for personal care and service. I can and will contact them with my thoughts of following up with patients later on after replacements and let them know that it would be helpful to have get togethers from time to time to see what works and doesn't work down the line with recovery. I'll also mention how the pre-op manuals and other info all gives out rosy information, but to put more into how you may feel further on down the road, and how long recovery totally does take.

I just think a more true picture would be a survey after the actual procedure and then further down the road with follow up care and p/t. We even had access to a online service of reading materials to know what to expect prior to surgery and for xx number of weeks out, but I haven't had any additional email follow ups for about the last 6wks, so that is another program that could be made to run longer with reading materials on the recovery process.

I know if I were to do a survey now, my ratings overall would not be as high as when I first was discharged from the hospital, overall I would still rank the whole thing as a positive experience, but would make sure they are aware of how things have went from discharge till now. So they would have a chance to improve their patient services even more. Give them a idea of areas that could stand improvements. Maybe there is reason why hospitals don't go into post op informal classes. Cost, staffing to hold these mtgs, liability.
 
Today I told a fellow woman golfer about Bonesmart because she is expecting to have a knee replacement in the near future. Her response is that she wouldn't want to listen to anyone but the OS. Oh, my. She has so much to learn. I tried to explain the resources here and the helpful people but she wasn't interested. The information that we get initially from the OS and hospital is so limited and as you said the follow-up ends much too soon.
 
zzevi said:
Seemed to think if given time it could heal on it's own.
No true answers to why this happen.
Sounds like it will still take some time to get this to close up
Click to expand...
All of these things I've said several times, zzevi. Don't you remember?
zzevi said:
but the longer it's open more chance of developing a infection
Click to expand...
That's a classic defensive attitude - "we'd better do something 'just in case'"! It's been open so long now, the bottom is surely sealed tight shut and there is no earthly risk of infection now. These shallow wounds left to heal up from the bottom can take many weeks to finish the process. Don't let these scaredy cats scare you. It will all be perfectly fine if left to its own devices. I've seen it happen numerous times.
 
@Josephine you are correct on many counts, I can't disagree with you. This mtg with a wound specialist has been planned for a while, after seeing the assistant surgeon the other day and the concern in her voice and her face, I was more than willing and glad to be seen.

The wound specialist today said the wound is deep, deeper than the surgeon's assistant had stated to her in their phone conversation, it does have what she called tunnelling between 10-12 - one side of the wound I guess you could push a cotton swab off to the side of the wound, it's got a opening there yet. It hasn't size-wise changed at all since I sent the photo of it. I personally can't tell if it's filling in from the bottom up like it's suppose to. I know the surgeon that filled in for mine the other day said I am lucky it hasn't become infected as it has been open for such a long time.

Don't have drainage at this point that I am aware of. Just very open, wound dr is looking into see if I could possible be diabetic (runs very heavily on my father's side of his family) and also checking for implant rejection. Will know more tomorrow when these new blood test come back.
 
@Floridagal
Floridagal said:
Today I told a fellow woman golfer about Bonesmart because she is expecting to have a knee replacement in the near future. Her response is that she wouldn't want to listen to anyone but the OS. Oh, my. She has so much to learn. I
Click to expand...
That's pretty funny. You see your OS for what? Two minutes every day in the hospital and then a few times weeks apart for a few months? The OS is basically interested in the mechanics of his/her work. The day to day, pain, swelling, walking, sitting, everything else, the OS has little to do with!!! hey I liked my OS but this whole recovery had very little to do with him except to ascertain that he put in a new implant and its in the right place.
She'll find out.
 
I'm happy to hear that the first tests have shown that you don't have an infection. Hopefully the next round of testing is negative for diabetes. I wouldn't think that you would be rejecting the implant if you are having no pain up and walking around or your knee giving out.
 
Zzevi, I'm holding out hope that this will heal up and you won't get an infection or have diabetes! But, my husband does have diabetes, had a stroke last year that left him with less feeling on one side and he ended up with a bone infection on his great toe. Despite scary initial talk about losing the toe, they sent up an infectious disease specialist who said she could get it to clear up! It wasn't as deep as yours at all, but it did take a surprisingly long time to heal, months, and it was teensy. So, hang in there and will send good thoughts your way!
 
We are all behind you and will be praying for a complete incision healing for you!
 
Thank you everyone for your prayers, it's a weird thing as I don't have any pain, I am able to walk as fine as possible at this pt. It's not a perfect walk, I limp some but the wound isn't hindering my walking other then the restriction of having a thick banage or dressing on it.

I can understand the possibility of being diabetic, my dad and all his siblings developed it at midlife, late 40's and up. My dad actually had complications from being diabetic, heart issues, poor circulation and late in life the loss of the lower part of one leg and in the end probably contributed to his death.

Trying to patience waiting for these results, thought I would have a call by now, if not by shortly after 3 I'll call them.

Again little to no discharge at this pt, just a little debris from the wound, NO fever, No Pain. Incision is not hot or red or swollen. Wound is deep, and does have some tunnelling to one side of it. Current care wound specialist cleaned and packed wound with a putty type substance to make the wound be more available for healing, (guess it's a debridement of such, but different and not as harsh as the Santyl.)
 
Finally the call came thru. I am not diabetic, my labs all came back good for the most part, my body is not trying to reject my knee hardware. (positive things woohoo!!!)

Down side, they did find a bacteria in my wound when they cultured it. (they told me the name, it wasn't something I was familiar with or heard of before.) I will be put on a antibiotic once they figure out which one will kill this bacteria. I will still also be getting the wound vac, but I am hopeful with getting antibiotics, that alone will go a long way in helping my body begin to heal again. It's still going to be a road that I wish I didn't have to travel, but at least now I have a road map.

Feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I very much appreciate all the prayers. :loveshwr::dancy::wowspring:
 
That's good news. It may take a few days to culture the bacteria, before going on the antibiotic.
 
Good news! The antibiotic will kill those bacteria. You are on the road to complete healing.
 
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