United StatesAn update almost 11 months out.
In February after seeing my surgeon again for follow up, I complained about level 7-8 in the back of my knee. He informed me that he didn't touch the back of my knee during surgery and my lack of bend was due to my not working hard enough in PT, my replacement was fine and he didn't do anything wrong. This after PT had me back off because they thought I was working too hard. Not once did I ever insinuate something was wrong with the replacement, something was just wrong. So his comment was out of line.
In March I went back to my GP (VA care) and asked for an MRI. The MRI didn't happen until end of May and didn't work due to the distortion of of the images due to the hardware. I requested an ultrasound. In the meantime I went to another Orthopedic doctor (small town which is important to this whole fiasco). In the first visit in June, on my own insurance because the VA takes a long time to get things done, the doctor talked about arthroscopic surgery to release scar tissue as first course but he would not go into the back of the knee but could possibly look in sideways. I asked about the ultrasound and he discounted it, said he would not do it. A couple weeks later the first of July, the VA authorized this doctor but I had to go back again for an on the record consultation. Things went south fast at the second appointment.
When he walked in he was very condescending. I told him I could agree to his plan but my concern was the pain in the back of my knee. I could barely walk and my hip pain was increasing due to my gait. I explained again as I had at the first visit, that after the surgery and after the MUA the pain was so great when my leg was straight that it was a level 10 and I couldn't sustain that. I iced it but it didn't help. I had to have a slight bend to relieve it and now I can't get my leg straight. With PT once I hit about 90 degrees, the pain in the back of my knee climbed to terrible levels the more I pushed it. It felt like something was being pinched and crushed in there.
My lower leg and foot swell to twice the size of my other foot and my knee becomes rock hard. I asked him about a possible Baker's cyst because the symptoms fit. I told him I did not have pain in the front of my knee, that was healed and it was only in the back. He said he would not touch a baker's cyst, it would only come back and I quote, "So you have pain in the back at your knee. I told you what my plan is and if you don't like it, go ask someone else." His tone and manner was the worst I've ever seen. I realized he had talked to the first doctor.
Finally last week the VA came though with an ultrasound. The VA called me the same day with the results which is unheard of. It usually takes weeks for answers. I am being referred to a specialist because the ultrasound found a mass in the back of my knee of a large size, "not typical Baker's Cyst" and Malignancy must be ruled out due to size". It is a solid mass and not fluid filled. I cried. Not because of the word Malignancy, but because after all this time, I'm not crazy, I'm not lazy and I haven't, all of a sudden, for the first time in my life, become someone who just complains.
My life is not the same. It's very reduced due to my inability to walk. If this is it going forward, fine but tell me why and treat me with dignity in the process. Maybe I can now get some real answers.
In February after seeing my surgeon again for follow up, I complained about level 7-8 in the back of my knee. He informed me that he didn't touch the back of my knee during surgery and my lack of bend was due to my not working hard enough in PT, my replacement was fine and he didn't do anything wrong. This after PT had me back off because they thought I was working too hard. Not once did I ever insinuate something was wrong with the replacement, something was just wrong. So his comment was out of line.
In March I went back to my GP (VA care) and asked for an MRI. The MRI didn't happen until end of May and didn't work due to the distortion of of the images due to the hardware. I requested an ultrasound. In the meantime I went to another Orthopedic doctor (small town which is important to this whole fiasco). In the first visit in June, on my own insurance because the VA takes a long time to get things done, the doctor talked about arthroscopic surgery to release scar tissue as first course but he would not go into the back of the knee but could possibly look in sideways. I asked about the ultrasound and he discounted it, said he would not do it. A couple weeks later the first of July, the VA authorized this doctor but I had to go back again for an on the record consultation. Things went south fast at the second appointment.
When he walked in he was very condescending. I told him I could agree to his plan but my concern was the pain in the back of my knee. I could barely walk and my hip pain was increasing due to my gait. I explained again as I had at the first visit, that after the surgery and after the MUA the pain was so great when my leg was straight that it was a level 10 and I couldn't sustain that. I iced it but it didn't help. I had to have a slight bend to relieve it and now I can't get my leg straight. With PT once I hit about 90 degrees, the pain in the back of my knee climbed to terrible levels the more I pushed it. It felt like something was being pinched and crushed in there.
My lower leg and foot swell to twice the size of my other foot and my knee becomes rock hard. I asked him about a possible Baker's cyst because the symptoms fit. I told him I did not have pain in the front of my knee, that was healed and it was only in the back. He said he would not touch a baker's cyst, it would only come back and I quote, "So you have pain in the back at your knee. I told you what my plan is and if you don't like it, go ask someone else." His tone and manner was the worst I've ever seen. I realized he had talked to the first doctor.
Finally last week the VA came though with an ultrasound. The VA called me the same day with the results which is unheard of. It usually takes weeks for answers. I am being referred to a specialist because the ultrasound found a mass in the back of my knee of a large size, "not typical Baker's Cyst" and Malignancy must be ruled out due to size". It is a solid mass and not fluid filled. I cried. Not because of the word Malignancy, but because after all this time, I'm not crazy, I'm not lazy and I haven't, all of a sudden, for the first time in my life, become someone who just complains.
My life is not the same. It's very reduced due to my inability to walk. If this is it going forward, fine but tell me why and treat me with dignity in the process. Maybe I can now get some real answers.
