Margie

[Margie]

I have been having cortisone injections in both knees for a while and the relief from pain waas wonderful, but I have now apparently reached the stage where the only solution is surgery. I need doiuble knee replacement and the thought terrifies me. Not so much the op itself but the pain I am told will follow. I do not bear pain very bravely. Not only that but the Consultant admitted that the succes rate for someone of my age is only about 82%. (I am 86) and I do know of people in their eighties who have been worse off afterwards and a few who have had to resort to a wheelchair or electric scooter, and naturally wish they had never had it done, I am also terrified of picking up an infection which is so prevalent in our hospitals at the moment. Is there anyone out there who felt like I do, but found it was not too bad after all?

 

[Josephine]

Almost everyone, I should think, Margie. It's human nature to be anxious/scared. As for those percentages, try thinking of it this way - for every 100 patients that are done, though 15 don't have such good outcomes - 85 DO!! Why concentrate on the 'mere' 15 that don't? Quite apart from which, a 'poor' outcome can be anything - poor range of movement, discomforts of one type or another, lack of confidence on the new knees.

The issue about wishing they had never had it done is a toughy. Actually, if those patients had to return to the life of pain they had been living before, I am sure they would think differently. They may have problems but I would almost guarantee that they are not suffering the pain they had pre-operatively.

And the MRSA problem is something we all have to confront. They are tightening up a lot with hand washing and such. I was with my sister in Xray only yesterday and was impressed to see the porters using the hand wash dispensers every time they entered the department! Only a year ago, we could barely get the nurses to do it never mind the porters! But this issue is another reason why they tend to keep hospital stays as short as possible. The longer patients stay in hospital the more at risk they are - like the elderly folk who break their hips and end up being hospitalized for 3-4 weeks. Things are improving but still be on the alert. Just tough it out and ask every nurse and doctor who attends you if they have washed their hands! I always wore a badge that said "It's ok to ask me if I washed my hands". And people did! To be honest I, and almost all my colleagues, were more than happy to be asked.