Knee Infection* Right knee has been replaced

[becticu]

I'm thinking and praying for you as you regain your strength. I can imagine how difficult it is with all you have been through. I hope your drive to the shower is okay and that you can enjoy this precious time in anticipation of that new baby!! Get all the rest you can surrounding that time! Maybe travel with ice bags on the knee as you drive. Good luck and hugs!


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[Fire wolf]

@newlybionic when is your daughter's baby shower? I'm wondering where it might be also because depending on the date of it and where you are going I would be willing to offer you a ride if not all the way at least a portion of the way

 

[newlybionic]

@Fire wolf The shower is in two weeks. It's in Central Jersey so I'll be driving down rte 33 to 78 east to get there. It isn't a difficult drive but I know I'm going to be fairly stiff once I get there. Thanks for the offer!

This week in PT they added more exercises. There's almost too much to do at one time as my knee swelled up about three quarters of the way through them all. My knee ached most of yesterday after the session. My house is still a bit chilly even though it's approaching 80 degrees outside. I can't think of putting ice on my knee. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. The swelling is usually non existent on non PT days. I get a small twinge of pain periodically. Both knees are stiff and yesterday they were also a bit noisy. I don't think anyone heard them but I could feel it with every step. Today it's a bit less noticeable. Hopefully it will go away as I continue to gain strength in the surrounding muscles.

 

[Celle]

Hi Marian,
IT[s good to hear that you're up to getting out a bit more.

However, it sounds as if the PT is still a bit much for your knee. Can you stop at the point where your knee starts to swell again?

Take your time over the drive to you daughter's baby shower and try to rest plenty when you get there. Is there any way you could stay overnight, so you don't have to drive both ways on the same day?

 

[Fire wolf]

@newlybionic , if it is on a Saturday, my offer still stands. The seats in my vehicle recline to completely flat, so you can actually end up sliding back to end up in the back seat, with your legs completely supported by the front passenger seat. Not looking for anything from you, just want you to be able to enjoy the shower.

 

[IowaNana]

I hope you have a great time at the baby shower and that the drive goes well for you.

 

[newlybionic]

At PT I did stop all exercises as soon as my knee swelled. There was no way I could keep bending it since the swelling was hindering me from getting anything out of it. I started doing the recumbent bike but can only rock back and forth. I'm not at the point from making it all the way around. I go about two thirds to three quarters a way but just don't have enough flexion to make it. After my revision I was pedaling all the way around three weeks after my surgery. This time I'm gaining flexion ever so slowly. At this point I'm not sure how much better it's going to get. When I see the OS next week I'll have to ask him.

I'm due back at work 9/6. I'm thinking that I want to go but I'm not sure about my stamina. I can work less hours but I'll get less pay which can be a problem. I'm afraid that the longer I wait the harder it will be to be able to go back. I'm not getting much exercise here and I can't walk outside since the road is dirt and very uneven. I'm afraid of taking a fall so I stay indoors. My main exercises are done at PT three times a week. I'm not sure how much longer I'll go. I know once I go back to work I will no longer be going. I'm hoping being on my feet and walking a lot more will naturally allow my ROM to increase. It did for my other knee so I'm assuming it will for this one too. The last thing I have to do is to ditch the cane. I use it at home going up and down the stairs twice a day and whenever I go out anywhere but ignore it the rest of the time while home.

 

[kmak81230]

Here's hoping that you continue to gain strength and stamina over the next few weeks before 9/6. While it seems that progress is slow, a lot can happen over the next three weeks.

 

[newlybionic]

I'm off to the OS tomorrow. I'm worried he might want to do a MUA or arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue. If I have a MUA, how much time does it take to feel better? I couldn't go to PT unless I am able to drive. I also live alone with two dogs to take care of and have a Sept 6th date to return to work. Perhaps I'm getting myself too wound up worrying about what he might say but my flexion is stuck at 92 degrees and my knee is 11degrees from straight. The area of my knee that is causing problems is where he did the most surgery to remove the infection. Is this scar tissue? If so can I slowly continue to gain range of motion or is it hopeless right now? It's been 3 months since the infection surgery and almost 4 since my replacement.

 

[kneeper]

I don't have an answer for you but I'm thinking about you.

 

[liam2015]

i don't have an answer either but i think i'm stuck for the time being around the same r.o.m. as you. it's very frustrating. i'm going to stick it out as i don't have work to get back to. i can understand your dilemma. i hope your surgeon can give you some answers.

 

[jaschembra]

Marian, I'm wishing/praying for a good visit at the OS tomorrow. I wouldn't be letting anyone go in with a scope at all based on what you've been through. Only my opinion.

 

[KarriB]

I agree. I thought most surgeons hold off on MUA if you can get to 90. Skigirl had an open lysis of adhesions, but .I don't think that's an arthroscopic procedure. Take a look at @Spex10 thread. She had a successful MUA.

 

[Fire wolf]

Good luck at OS appt! I was thinking about you yesterday especially, as I am out in Monroe Co the 1st half of this week. Will be sending alot of positive energy and thoughts your way again today!

 

[sistersinhim]

How did you appointment go?

 

[newlybionic]

I saw the OS today. There is definitely scar tissue from the infection and previous two surgeries. I have noticed a very slight increase in ROM. He's not sure I'll gain any further. I'm still on oral antibiotics for a few more months. He brought up two possibilities. One is the infection could come back necessitating a two stage revision and PICC line with antibiotics. I told him I'm not going to think that route currently. There is no indication that any infection is present.

The second possibility is removal of scar tissue via an open surgery. If he does that he wants to do a full revision and remove the knee and replace it with a new one. I go back to him in three months and I guess I'll have to decide then what I should do. He thinks removing the knee with a total revision would help to make sure the infection doesn't return.

In the meantime I'm supposed to go back to work Sept 6th. I've been slowly trying to build up some stamina. It's hard to try to get back all I've lost in muscle tone. I also don't like to stand for too long especially in one position. I'm going to have work at that in the coming weeks. He did give me a script for tramadol so I'll have some if I need it. I still have oxycodone but I haven't used it in months. He had no problem renewing the tramadol so if I use it all I hope he will renew it again if I still need it. I took one last week after a tough PT session.

 

[KarriB]

Marian, I had issues standing or walking for too long. I probably sound like a broken record, but walking has really helped that and I wish I had done it sooner. You may be too drained to walk and I know you said there's a lot of uneven terrain. You could try just 10-15 min for a few weeks and see how it feels. I'll be praying the knee works itself out, I couldn't imagine having another revision.

 

[Celle]

I'm glad you have three months to think about things, Marian. A lot could change in those 3 months and it could well be that you don't need any surgery at all. It's still possible for your ROM to improve, even if you have some adhesions, and the more surgeries you have, the more likely you are to develop adhesions again.

Go easy on the PT - no tough sessions. They'd only irritate your knee.

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh Marian, I hope your knee starts bending for you. I agree with KarriB, try walking as much as you can.

 

[Fire wolf]

I certainly feel for you! My mother had a lot of complications with her 2nd knee replacement. She developed an infection that wasn't caught early. She had wound vac on because there was a spot slow to heal, which was bc of the infection. The OS eventually went in to clean it out. Unfortunately, since the infection had reached the prosthesis, it didn't go away, even with picc line antibiotics. Knee came out, and antibiotic spacer went in, with continued picc line and oral antibiotics. That spacer came out after a several months, and was replaced with another spacer and continued antibiotics. There were issues with the wound healing, and because of all of the surgeries, a plastic surgeon was called in to create a muscle flap closure using her calf muscle. Eventually she ended up at an OS out of the area that specializes in fixing mess that original OS created. He put in a "heavy duty" implant. After being in a stablizer for over a year, recovery was hard. She is now walking more, though still with a cane. I am only passing this info along bc I would hate to see you take a chance on not having infection completely cleared up. I do hope things improve for you!