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Fusion Long ride to a successful Fusion

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I've often wondered how you felt about going this route instead of the fusion but, as they say - hindsight has 20/20 vision!

Sorry to hear about Gracie but delighted to hear about Sweetie Pie. Wil look forward to the photos.

Take care, honey, and God bless you.
 
Above is "Sweetie Pie"! She's 11 years old and very nice to be around. She's pretty gentle for not being handled very much. I know "Gracie" would be pleased that we brought her home!
 
Oh my.....she IS a sweetie. Seeing her photo makes me wish I was close enough for a big hug and a cuddle. She looks a little larger than your other ponies. Is she? Or is it just the way the photo is taken?

Thanks for letting us see her!!!
 
Audrey,

She sure is a pretty girl. I hope she will fill some of the empty space inyour heart from the loss of Gracie. She really looks like a Sweetie Pie.
 
She is beautiful! I am so sorry about Gracie. I am glad you were able to take Sweetie Pie. The timing was right.
I hope your knee improves.
Greda
 
Audrey, you sounds so happy in your posts! I know Sweetie Pie has found a wonderful home, you are going to be good for each other!
 
"Sweetie Pie" is just about the same size as the other two...she's just a bit "stockier" than they are. She's standing on the dirt pile, so it might look like she's a little larger. They all try to play "King/Queen of the Hill" during the day. "Diamond" usually wins out!
 
Isn't it funny how our animals are always trying to play King/Queen of the hill. I will find snickers in the oddest places..... but it is usually the highest place in the room.
 

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I was wondering how you were doing. I am so sorry about the loss of your Gracie, but delighted about your new addition.

Sounds like you are doing well keeping your head up. I think about you often and how strong you are to be going through all that you have gone through.
 
Hi all! Well....put a call into Dr. K today. I know it hasn't been 2 months yet since the last surgery, but the "behind the knee" pain is back and it's stopping me from doing my exercises. I'm guessing I've got 60 degrees of flexion, as that's where my leg is when I wake up....and it stays there (can't straighten it out for a good 10 minutes) in the am, and if I sit in a chair more than 10 minutes. I just can't get that "smooth and steady" motion going from straight to bent. Went grocery shopping yesterday, and I was in sooo much pain when I got back to the truck. Basically, the pain was where those tendonds are in the back of your knee....which I don't get, because one of them is gone. ?????? I'm pretty sure it's the RSD/CRPS that is causing the pain on the lateral side of my knee and near the femoral head. I can't even run a razor over that area without a sharp, stinging pain. Made the mistake of doing that yesterday, too. OUCH!!!!
I will admit that sitting in a chair is nice, even though I'm nowhere near 90 degrees, but it would be nice to be able to get the knee straight. I tried "Peg #3" on again, and there is no way I can wear it, as it rubs in that area that makes me want to shreak! Ugh...I keep thinking of ways to make things work, but I'm running out of ideas. I'm going back and forth between my short hinged knee brace and the longer one with the dials on the side. I just wish it would go straight. That way, my back wouldn't hurt and such.
I don't know what else Dr. K can do, other than the MUA, which I'm not going to have. If the RSD/CRPS is active, it will get worse with the MUA. Again...been there before and had one after the "botch job", and only got another 15 degrees, if I remember right.
I'm hoping the sun will melt the snow that we STILL have from the storm. We live in the woods, and it's really strange to go into town and see none!
 
Audrey, my dear girl, what trials you have been through. I've been thinking/praying for you and am now very sadden to hear this. Don't know what to say but that I'm so sorry. :console:
 
....still waiting for a call-back from Dr. K. I've found a pain medicine that works (dilauden 4mg every 4 hours when needed) and I need a refill. This is the ONLY med that hasn't made me feel fuzzy,light-headed or made me nauseous. The nurse there seems to be puzzled that I'm not taking it and sleeping. Don't know what to tell her, but it works for me! Hydrocodone makes me itch....took some last night before bed, as that DOES make me sleepy. Was hoping I wasn't going to itch, but no......felt like I had fleas in the bed! No more of that for me!
 
It has to be frustrating knowing what will work and not being able to get it. I hope that you hear from the doctor soon. I have been given shots of dilauden in the er for extreme jaw pain and migraine and it would take a couple of doses to work, but it never made me sleepy either. There are not many things that make me sleepy -- it usually does the opposite and keeps me awake. The nurses were always saying it would make me sleepy, but it is different for different people.
Hope the itching has calmed down.
Greda
 
FINALLY got a call back from Dr. K. They are all "flabbergasted" to know that I am not getting any side effects from the dilauden. I talked to his nurse (she's new...very nice, but not "Kate") and she kept telling me "that just seems impossible". Well....it's not! I told her that hydrocodone made me sleepy and itch, and she forgot to tell Dr. K, so he wanted me to take hydrocodone. Ugh. Had to explain AGAIN that I wasn't going to take it, and for her to review ALL the drugs I've been on for the past 2 years and see what the notes say. Lyrica, hydrocodone, Tramadol...all had side effects and made me sleepy and feel like a zombie. That's only a few of the drugs we tried. I gave it my all, but withdrawal from even the Tramadol wasn't worth it. He agreed to re-fill my prescription for dilauden, but wants to talk to me about it on the 15th when I see him. No problem. I just hate going over and over and over and over the same things. I didn't have to take any pain meds yesterday because 1. I took it easy and 2. I won't take anything unless my pain scale reaches a level of 5. I know I will never be "pain free" totally, every hour of every day, but I do have moments when I don't have pain at all. That pretty much means I'm not moving, but I'll take it when I can!
 
You are so in control, Audrey! You are amazing. But I know what you mean about having to explain over and over.
I found that with my sister - exactly the same. :hissyfit:
 
Audrey, bless your heart....you are always such a trooper no matter what is thrown your way. I still keep you in my prayers and hope that this will settle down for you. I'm glad that resting a bit is making you more comfortable. It's a good thing to do that every few days or so.
 
Going to see the doc tomorrow for my 8 weeks check-up. I've got a lot of questions I need to ask him. I've got a couple of areas on the outside of my knee that are very, VERY sensitive even to the slightest touch. The area seems to focus on the femoral head area? Got wacked by the dogs tail the other day, right in that area, and I thought I was gonna land like a bowling pin on the floor. Pain??? YOU BET!
Still can't get this darn knee to straighten to 0 degrees. I can sit in a chair and get flexion to possibly 50 degrees, but when I go to stand up, the knee wants to stay at 50 degrees and won't straighten. Not fun when you want to get up and have to stay in a "hunchback" position till it decides to cooperate! Still having "behing the knee" pain...not an ache....this is a pain. Been trying to walk "heel-toe", but can't due to the lack of extension. This makes my calf muscle scream even if I walk to the mailbox and back. Never had this before the last surgery. Also, my knee/lower leg/ankle and foot are swelling up. Not fun when one shoe fits and the other doesn't! Didn't have that before, either.
Seems the RSD is worse at night, especially if I've been doing my PT and walking around. Been really tired lately, too.
Decided I would paint my kitchen door this morning...my project for the day. As long as I pace myself, I can complete a task. If I push myself, I pay for it later.
If Dr. K wants to do an MUA, I'm going to decline it. I've had one before, and didn't get a whole lot of flexion or extension from it....thank-you, RSD. I just don't know where to go from here. I really want to know what those sensitive areas are all about, because I'm thinking that's why I can't wear the new cast (Peg #3) this time around. That's where it's rubbing, even with extra padding.
If anybody has any questions they think I should ask, please post! THANKS!
 
Audrey-
I am so sorry that things are so hard for you. I wish it was easier!

Good luck at your appointment tomorrow. I hope that Dr. K has some answers and something to help ease your pain.

My foot has swelled some this time around too (I don't think it did the other two tkrs, but it was summer, so I didn't wear shoes much!) I noticed at school the other day that my shoe was really hurting my right foot, so I took it off and walked around my classroom in my stocking feet for the rest of the day.

You're in my thoughts and prayers for some relief. You deserve a break and I wish I could wave a magic wand and give you one.

~ Kit
 
Well, you have my absolute and complete sympathy, Audrey. You have described my reality to a "T".

I am 3 months past my TKR total revision and I have exquisitely tender areas on the medial and back side of my knee; my lower leg, and sometimes the foot as well, is frequently markedly swollen. Knee itself is quite hot. I have really painful calves as well as shin areas in both legs due to the way (IMHO) that I have to walk due to extension of 15-20 and flexion of 75-85 on a GOOD day. I have seen my OS and he has told me that the arthrofibrosis is active and messing with my ROM. And he told me I am absolutely no candidate for MUA or further surgery. "Period. Amen" to quote him.

I am supposed to keep fighting the fight with stretching and exercise against the scar tissue that is still being laid down in my knee and surrounding tendons, and muscles. And Outpatient PT has released me from future therapy due to my lack of progress - saying what therapy they can offer/have offered me isn't helping my ROM, so its "Bye-Bye and Good Luck"! I am struggling with such feelings of frustration! But I just won't give up!!! I refuse to accept my current quality of life as it is - it's just too unacceptable.

In the quest for some effective treatments, I have tried many things to help my day to day functioning be better and less painful. Heat has helped the shin and calf area pain. Ice has helped the knee area - but only marginally. I bought some Dr. Scholl's heel pads and stuck 2 them in my athletic shoes under the regular shoe insert of my "bad" leg and that has helped even out the leg lengths enough that I don't lurch from side to side, and can share the weight a little more when standing - but only for a few mins at a time, of course. Wearing athletic shoes - as opposed to other kinds of footwear, seems to help.

I have had 20 deep tissue massages of the leg since June, using Active Tissue Release and a friction method to try to release scarring. I stopped after 20 sessions because, while they might help for a few days with the pain and stiffness, there was never any gain carried over from week to week. I will be starting with a new PT next week (paying out of pocket) to see if there is anything else out there that can help.

I read about a technique called A-STYM that has helped some people with pain and ROM issues after TKR and this new PT is certified in this technique. Hopefully, I can post something positive about it in the coming weeks. I really am so sorry that you are having such difficulties. I want you to know that I do understand what it is like. I have virtually stopped posting because I don't have much positive news to report, and reading here about people who are having average recoveries, let alone the amazing recoveries, from their surgeries just makes me feel so sad and frustrated that I have not had that experience despite doing EVERYTHING that has been suggested to me to improve things. I wish I could wave a magic wand over both of us and get us some improvement! Perhaps your OS or PT has a trick or two left up his sleeve?
 
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