Fusion Long ride to a successful Fusion

[wanttoride]

Hey Jo....what is the fusion method "term" for the rod that runs through the femur and tibia? (as in the picture you posted for me earlier)...Is it called a modular intramedullary nail? ...the research is never-ending, but sooo worth the effort! I'm feel'in more informed every day! :happy dance:

 

[Jamie]

Audrey, I'll tag Jo so she'll see your question once she gets back on the forum. She is gone for a few days. @Josephine:

 

[Coachie]

It is an actual appointment, as I've already been diagnosed with RSD (the root of my pain) and maybe because I've already been to a pain specialist before. The appointment is with Dr. "A" to go over RSD/CRPS, what has and hasn't worked, etc. I think you may be attending the informational seminar because your pain has not been diagnosed. ???

That makes sense as to why you got in so quickly. I don't have RSD and know that I don't because I don't fit any of the symptoms. My pain is not "burning" nor do I have discoloration or anything like that. All I have is pain under the knee cap and some swelling.

Let me know what you think of Dr. A.

 

[wanttoride]

Well....my cast ("Peg") isn't fitting as well as it did a couple of weeks ago. I'm guessing my leg is getting a bit skinnier being "bound and gagged" from morning till night. I've got those velcro straps (all 6 of them) tightened until the edges of the cast meet. Can't get any tighter than that! Anyway, I decided to go for a "walk" to the neighbor's driveway this afternoon. Mind you, that's only about 200 feet. I got to my mailbox, and felt my knee "giving and grabbing" like it does without the cast on. "Oh GREAT"! So...I look up and down the road looking for any sign of traffic, and proceeded to haul my jeans down to my ankles :LOL2:and check the velcro straps and make sure "Peg" was in the correct place. (Modesty went out the window a good year ago!) Yup...all was fine. So..."what the heck"! Fluffed it off, and started down the side of the road and my knee kept feeling "loose" again. I've been spoiled by having minimal daily pain when wearing the cast, so as you can well imagine...panic time!
Got back inside and wrapped my knee in an ace bandage, then put the cast on, and that seems to have fixed the problem for a while.
I really hate taking the cast off at night. Within 5 minutes, or a short walk to the bathroom the loose knee starts the pain cycle, thus triggering the RSD pain/symptoms and it's like taking a step back into time. I think I'm going to call Dr. "K" on Monday and see if I can have him put a non-removeable cast on until I see him again at the end of August. Heck...I can't bend my knee anyway, so why not, right? Hubby likes giving me sponge baths anyway! :th_heehee: (sorry...had to give you all a couple of giggles tonight!)

 

[Jamie]

Audrey, you might want to reconsider the idea of a solid cast on your leg. They are VERY hot and uncomfortable. Itchy too. And your skin gets all creepy. Why not see if some adjustments could be made to this one to get you by.

 

[wanttoride]

Yeah....I see what you mean, Jamie. Spent the day in Bar Harbor with a friend of mine, and boy, was my leg sweating! Glad to get home and get the cast off!

 

[Coachie]

It must have been gorgeous in Bar Harbor! I am so jealous! I spent the day in a hot classroom with smelly freshmen :eeew: (just kidding! I love my job!)

I agree with Jamie that a full time cast might be too hot and uncomfortable. I wonder if there is another option? I can't remember what you said the cast was made out of and how, but maybe it's spreading out and time for a new one? When do you go back for one or is it on a need be schedule?

 

[wanttoride]

I called Kate at Dr. K's office this morning, and she returned my call before I got home. Darn it! However...I got a little "crafty" and trimmed the cast myself along the seam and now it fits good and tight! I've been trying to lose a little bit of weight now that I can sort of exercise a litte now that my knee doesn't move around. Of all the places, it looks like my legs are getting the benefit! Wish it was my "back end"! LOL....guess that's what you get for being immobile for close to 2 years and becoming a "recliner potoato"!
It sure is good to be able to move around! I walked the entire "Main Street" in Bar Harbor today...all the way from the park to "Geddy's"...and into just about every shop along the way. I feel like I've run a marathon tonight...I'm really tired. But...it's a good tired, and my knee hurts just a little, so I've had it elevated since about 5:30pm.
Rain tomorrow....good day to just relax and be thankful that I've got "Peg"! :happy dance:

 

[caneguy]

Hey Jo....what is the fusion method "term" for the rod that runs through the femur and tibia?

Hello Audrey,

it is called "intramedullary arthrodesis nailing". My knee fusion was done this way, I have a long rod in my leg. I try to attach a picture so you can see what it looks like. I just have you sent a personal message! I do not feel the rod at all, after surgery I had no pain at all in my leg, only my butt was hurting It took about 2 or 3 months until everything was so fine I had not pain at all. I think many people would save a lot of trouble if they decided earlier for knee fusion! But, okay, I am a special case as I explained in my personal mail to you


Hugs
Malte

 

[Josephine]

Oh great xrays, Malte. I've been looking all over for ones like that! Definitely going into my archive! The pain in your but would have been from the retrograde insertion I described earlier, where the nail had to extrude from your thigh in order to be driven back down into the rest of the leg.

Audrey, can you see the screws that prevent rotation during healing? That would be instead of the frame I mentioned.

When they talk about a "modular" intramedullary nail they mean the nail, the screws and a larger screw that goes into the femoral neck but you won't need that one!

 

[caneguy]

If you send me your email address I can send you the original size pictures that are better to watch! Oh boy, this is really a huge rod in my leg :biggrin:

 

[Josephine]

That would be cool! It's josephine@farmortho.org.

And for other's information, I post this email because it's the forum email, not my personal email address which I would never make public!

 

[Coachie]

Audrey,
How did your appointment with Dr. A go? I attend the seminar on Thursday. I really don't want to, but guess I'll play along here as Dr. Walsh said it couldn't hurt. He agreed that it probably won't do a whole lot for me if the joint is loose or misaligned or whatever, but since I have the appointment I might as well go (they don't seem to care that it's costing me a $25 co-pay for every appointment I have to go to!)

 

[wanttoride]

Hi Coachie! I wasn't able to make the appointment, as I had a full blown migraine that started on Sunday afternoon and has just gotten so that I can get on the computer for a few. Been rescheduled for July 18th. Dr. Kelly's office called, and they want me to see another surgeon at OA...a Dr. Magory (sp?). Dr. K wants him to take a look at me to see if he has any other suggestions or options for me....as well as make Dr. K more comfortable with a decision for another surgery (fusion or thicker spacer). I don't have that appt. yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. Another opinion is a good thing!
What did they do at the seminar? ....I agree with Dr. Walsh. If there is something in there that is the cause for the pain, then yup....the pain clinic won't help fix it...but it does give you a place to vent (ka-ching) if you need to.

 

[Josephine]

"ka-ching" is right, Audrey. Sadly, a lot of people are benefiting financially from your misery.

 

[Coachie]

Audrey- I go tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[wanttoride]

Cold, rainy and damp weather and a knee replacement. Gotta love it! (not!) :no2:

 

[wanttoride]

Hi all! Having some pain in my GOOD knee. Oh no!!! I think I've been overusing it to compensate for the "bad" one. Now I'm freaking out!!!! I really need that "good" (my right) knee, especially if I'm going to have it fused. I've been resting in the recliner and doing VERY little the past couple of days hoping to give both a rest. My big fear: having my left knee fused and then having the right one give up on me. I just can't have this!!!!! (venting)

 

[Josephine]

Oh noo! Audrey, that can't happen. No fair!

 

[wanttoride]

Yay! I've got my "2nd opinion" for the knee fusion on July 29th in Portland. I'm quite curious as to what the doc is going to say. It's been sooo hot here in Maine the past few days! VERY glad that I can take this cast off, but that means just hang'in out in the chair with my leg elevated.

I'm still having lots of pain behind my knee in the hamstring area. No pain when my leg is still, but if I spend even a couple of minutes with my leg bent at 90 degrees and then straighten it, it feels like the hamstrings are going to SNAP! Sharp pain!!! This has been a problem since Day 1 of the first surgery in October 2009. Any thoughts as to why this is? No amount of stretching has helped, even when I was in months of PT. Even when I'm resting for days, all it takes it one bend and one effort to straighten and WHAM!
FYI: Still at 10 degrees extention and just about 90 degrees flexion on a good day. Really scared about having a thicker spacer put in, as I was told that would make both ranges even more limited. I'm off ALL pain meds and taking only Lexapro (20mg) to help with anxiety, etc. Taking Advil if the weather is rainy and damp and "dealing with it" otherwise.
FEEDBACK MUCH APPRECIATED on the hamstring thing, or any other topic!