wanttoride
senior
Hi...I am a 48 year old female, very active, and ride horses...or used to. I had a TKR (left knee) in October 2009 after 3 surgeries and a "McKay"procedure in 2002, which was the last resort before TKR. I have/had osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disorder, which affects my right shoulder, left knee and jaw. Lucky me!
After a lot of thought, and daily pain from the sore knee, I went to my surgeon in April of 2009 and told him I was ready for the TKR. We discussed this at long length, and I thought I asked all the right questions. I wanted to ride my horse without pain, and he said I would be able to, and that I'd be out of work for about 8 weeks. I am a dental assistant also, and spend most of my day on my feet and getting up and down out of a chair.
In September of 2009, my surgeon committed suicide...I kid you not. My surgery was set for early October, and I had made all the arrangements at work to take the time off, etc. I was able to get another surgeon in the area to do my TKR, as he took on my Dr's. surgery patients (they were good friends).
I met with the new surgeon, and he told me that indeed, I need a TKR. He also told me that he was not going to use cement to fuse the parts....that he was going to use parts made by "Zimmer" that were gender specific, and those parts would adhere to the bone...no cement. So...I underwent the TKR. That's when my nightmare began.
I woke up in EXTREME pain and leg spasms. I had a "pain pump" in my knee for 6 days, and that and pain meds still didn't stop the pain. I was transferred to a rehab center, which was a nightmare and a whole other story in itself. When the therapist there lifted my leg and twisted it slightly, I screamed in pain and just about went through the wall.
They put me on oxycontin, oxycodone and something else, and my pain was finally managed...somewhat. I knew something wasn't right when I saw other TKR patients walking down the hall on crutches and I was still reeling from pain and spent most of my day on the CMP machine. I reached 80 degrees and was sent home.
Therapy started at home, 4 times a week. This was now about a month after surgery. My left foot turned somewhat outward and I could not get my knee straight....20 degrees was what I got....and flexion was only 60. I went for my first post-op appt. with the Dr. and he said "well...we knew we had problems right out of the gate". WHAT???? He never told me that before this day!!!
He said that he was pretty sure that I had RSD. (my foot was always freezing, and clothes that touched my knee drove me nuts!) He took xrays of my knee and said that everything he did was done right. The pieces were put in correctly, in other words. So...I went to a pain clinic. He wanted to do a nerve block, and I refused. Too many "ifs" and it might last an hour, or maybe longer...so what's the point in this? So..he put me on Lyrica.
I had an under anesthesia manipulation in November 2009, and Dr. said he got my knee to 130 degrees flexion and 5 degrees flexion. Said there was no scar tissue either....??????
It's now January 2010, and I can get 85 degrees flexion and 10 degrees in extension. I WANT ZERO! My body is taking a toll on all of this...still walking on 2 crutches, quad muscle is gone. My Dr. says I should have the nerve block, but I'm scared to. He also says if I can't get it to bend/flex more, I'll have another under anesthesia manipulation. He says "no" to a revision..says no point.
I live on oxycontin, oxycodone and Valium for leg spasms, which I have after therapy. I feel like I've lost my life, will never walk again, and never ride my horse. I have not received a second opinion yet. I'm afraid of the nerve block....no guarantee and I don't want to go through a series of these for "temporary" pain relief. The RSD is under control with the Lyrica.
I NEED HELP and ADVICE! Is my replacement too big? I'm freaking out at all of this...I WANT MY LIFE BACK! :cryin
After a lot of thought, and daily pain from the sore knee, I went to my surgeon in April of 2009 and told him I was ready for the TKR. We discussed this at long length, and I thought I asked all the right questions. I wanted to ride my horse without pain, and he said I would be able to, and that I'd be out of work for about 8 weeks. I am a dental assistant also, and spend most of my day on my feet and getting up and down out of a chair.
In September of 2009, my surgeon committed suicide...I kid you not. My surgery was set for early October, and I had made all the arrangements at work to take the time off, etc. I was able to get another surgeon in the area to do my TKR, as he took on my Dr's. surgery patients (they were good friends).
I met with the new surgeon, and he told me that indeed, I need a TKR. He also told me that he was not going to use cement to fuse the parts....that he was going to use parts made by "Zimmer" that were gender specific, and those parts would adhere to the bone...no cement. So...I underwent the TKR. That's when my nightmare began.
I woke up in EXTREME pain and leg spasms. I had a "pain pump" in my knee for 6 days, and that and pain meds still didn't stop the pain. I was transferred to a rehab center, which was a nightmare and a whole other story in itself. When the therapist there lifted my leg and twisted it slightly, I screamed in pain and just about went through the wall.
They put me on oxycontin, oxycodone and something else, and my pain was finally managed...somewhat. I knew something wasn't right when I saw other TKR patients walking down the hall on crutches and I was still reeling from pain and spent most of my day on the CMP machine. I reached 80 degrees and was sent home.
Therapy started at home, 4 times a week. This was now about a month after surgery. My left foot turned somewhat outward and I could not get my knee straight....20 degrees was what I got....and flexion was only 60. I went for my first post-op appt. with the Dr. and he said "well...we knew we had problems right out of the gate". WHAT???? He never told me that before this day!!!
He said that he was pretty sure that I had RSD. (my foot was always freezing, and clothes that touched my knee drove me nuts!) He took xrays of my knee and said that everything he did was done right. The pieces were put in correctly, in other words. So...I went to a pain clinic. He wanted to do a nerve block, and I refused. Too many "ifs" and it might last an hour, or maybe longer...so what's the point in this? So..he put me on Lyrica.
I had an under anesthesia manipulation in November 2009, and Dr. said he got my knee to 130 degrees flexion and 5 degrees flexion. Said there was no scar tissue either....??????
It's now January 2010, and I can get 85 degrees flexion and 10 degrees in extension. I WANT ZERO! My body is taking a toll on all of this...still walking on 2 crutches, quad muscle is gone. My Dr. says I should have the nerve block, but I'm scared to. He also says if I can't get it to bend/flex more, I'll have another under anesthesia manipulation. He says "no" to a revision..says no point.
I live on oxycontin, oxycodone and Valium for leg spasms, which I have after therapy. I feel like I've lost my life, will never walk again, and never ride my horse. I have not received a second opinion yet. I'm afraid of the nerve block....no guarantee and I don't want to go through a series of these for "temporary" pain relief. The RSD is under control with the Lyrica.
I NEED HELP and ADVICE! Is my replacement too big? I'm freaking out at all of this...I WANT MY LIFE BACK! :cryin