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TKR Right TKR is done

I agree with you, Ginger. It's outrageous, that's what it is.
 
I have to wonder why they wouldn't want to speak to one another to be sure nothing gets lost along the way or in translation.
 
Thank you all for your concerns and continued well wishes here. You are my friends with hugs when the news isn't so bright and reasoning when I need it too!

I really got along very well with the tkr - at least I thought last December I was happy I had the tkr because the pain from arthritis was gone. The emotional pain I've been going through lately isn't so fun. I have lost 20 lbs since I had surgery last December and watching my blood sugars and actually my internal medicine dr says I'm doing very well right now, just need to heal up my incision.

I am keeping up my protein intake to stay strong in healing but trying to continue to drop a few more pounds.
I am blessed to have you dear friends. My appt for the scan is set for Aug 21st and I will see the ortho surgeon on the 23rd. In the meantime, I can change my own dressings and see the wound clinic doctor on Wednesdays.
Thank you all.......one day at a time.......again. More patience required.
 
Ginger, you have lots of caring people on here that are praying for you. And I also pray that the doctors get their acts together and come up with a game plan that will be a total success!
 
Today was the start of my journey to find out what is happening with the incision being open......still. They took 50ml of blood from me and mixed it with some radioactive material and spun the white cells out and reinvented with that again 4 hours later.

Tomorrow I go in at 3 pm for the scan and then to the surgeon on Wednesday to get results. I don't know if I should be worried or thankful. Maybe at last we will get to the bottom of all this.

I spoke to the technician since she was interested in why I was having the scan done. I shared photos and talked of things I had been thru before now and she was adamant that this should not have happened! It was encouraging to have someone who just met me and saw pics and knows that what happened to me should not have. Someone let me down.

At this point, I just want to move on and get this knee "done" because the shot is wearing off fast in the right knee and I'm very dependent on the cane once again to get around.
In 2 days, I should hopefully know more and a plan put in place to get healed up.
 
Auticorrect said my cells were reinvented - nope, they were given back to me intervenously.
 
Don't you love autocorrect? It can make any sentence sound inane. :loll:

I hope you get some answers, and a treatment plan, soon! This has gone on for so long, it needs some kind of resolution. At least now it sounds like you have doctors and medical staff fully determined to get to the bottom of your issue. You are in my prayers and thoughts.
 
I'm praying that the test results finally can give you a path to have that wound closed.
 
I pray you get all your answers and solutions this week!
 
When I had the scan done today I was too far away from any screen to see things, so will have to wait to see what the doctor has to say tomorrow. They had me wait for the radiologist because they were in the ultra sound room and when waiting, a code blue in the ultra sound room occurred. Not what I wanted to hear!!

I don't see the surgeon until 1130 so it will be a long morning. I'm ready to sleep in though because we had our county fair this past weekend and I'm still beat from all the time on my feet.

Hopefully I will be more aware of what the plan for my incision to be healed by Wednesday at this time.....thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It means a great deal to me to have you dear friends with me through all this.
 
I'll be waiting to hear from you tomorrow, too.
 
I got results that my knee replacement joint is NOT infected! Yep, you read that right. The surgeon didn't offer me anything else either and when I went to the wound clinic, that dr is the one who suggested plastic surgery.

The surgeon asked 'why' I would go to a plastic surgeon? So, I asked the wound dr to talk to the surgeon to come up with a plan to heal up the rest of it.

The wound dr said he had gotten to the bottom of his tools in the toolbox so something has to happen.

The nurse that did measurements on my opening says that it was 1.1 cm deep but the undermining was still the same which has been in the 3.5 to 4.5 cm range.

I am supposed to see the new surgeon I searched out here where I live next Tuesday and I guess I will keep that appt so that he sees what is going on and, maybe he will have an idea of what can be done to heal me up.

My right knee is bone on bone and I'm starting to wear my brace so I have support during the day. So, tonight, I am a happy gal except for the fact that I still have an opening on my incision that needs to heal so I can move on to a right tkr.

Going to rest better tonight. I was actually prepared for it being bad news. Finally one dark cloud has left my horizon. Now to figure out something to heal me up!
 
Tonight I was thinking about my wait in the waiting room. Dr was running long and a fellow came in with an obvious knee replacement since he had shorts on and in a wheel chair. His knee/leg was red and looked a bit swollen and I don't think the staples were still in, can't seem to remember that. He was moaning quite loudly , so I knew he was in a good deal of pain. I had resolved that if they came to get me before him, I was going to ask the nurse to please take him first. If that were me, I'd want to get in as soon as I could. He was in need desperately. I was so happy that he got called back before me. I'm not sure what happened with him, but he needed care more than I did. As it turned out after I got called back to the room to visit with the dr, I actually waited another 30+ minutes and a nurse peeked in and said she didn't know where the dr went. I should go back to the waiting room. Great. Sure. I can wait. Had I known it was going to mean that he was going to tell me my knee joint was not infected, I wouldn't have been so inpatient. Guess good things can still happen. Now, if anyone has a great idea how to heal my undermining, that will create a delightful end to this part of the journey and I can head on to my right knee........
 
Praise God for no infection!! Yippee! Isn't 1.1 cm deep less that what it was? If it heals from the inside up to the outside, I think that would be better. You are still in my prayers.
 
Yesterday I had a Dr appt with the surgeon in my town. He is the kindest person. I really appreciate his honesty and sincerity. Something I haven't seen often, especially with surgeons.

He looked at my opening and discussed things with me about it closing. He thinks I might be filling it too full which can inhibit it healing, which is logical and of course I can do. I was following what the wound dr was telling me, so he thinks I should just put a wick of sorts in the opening. He is very encouraged with how good the tissue looks. He also is of the opinion that I am so close to healing that I should NOT be thinking of plastic surgery. That was a relief to me, because I was of that same opinion. Why cut me open more and try healing all that for a 1 inch opening?

Now, for my other knee, which I was hoping that he would consider doing surgery on. He again was open and honest. He said there is fear from the surgical standpoint that I had this healing kind of problem on the left knee, that I could again have the same issues.

He asked if I was still seriously thinking of surgery on that knee after all I had been through - and I had to say yes because of my quality of life and the constant pain. He himself says that he isn't sure he is the one to do my surgery but has a friend in a hospital an hour north of here who does 10x the number of knee surgeries he does and would discuss my case with him and together they may possibly be able to do my replacement.

No cortisone shot, work on healing. I asked about my diet, supplements, or other things and he says it may or may not help. He will see me every 2 weeks to check on progress and to visit with me about what may be my next step with surgery, etc. Healing is what is needed. He wasn't as concerned about the undermining, but healing up the open hole.
Today I see the wound dr and will see if he has any news from the surgeon who replaced my OS who has left the practice that did my surgery.

The replacement os isn't one I want to do my next knee surgery -he really doesn't seem to show empathy for what I've been through nor concerns that my right knee needs replaced either. So, I'm interested in what they think I should do.

Dr. B here in town was surprised the wound vac was taken off. So, much of my healing could be based on how it was approached and decisions that were made on my behalf. I have been counting on the medical field knowing what is best, but, maybe that isn't true. Can't go back now. Just trying to heal. Everyday. Heal. Hope to learn more today....
 
You have some really good news in that report, Ginger. First, the surgeon you just saw could well be right about the wound being packed too full. I also had a wound vac and that was what happened at the tail end of healing my wound. My wound doctor said to pack it less, just a little, to wick away any fluid but give the healing tissue a chance to knit. That did the trick (though it still took a week or two). Over-packing a wound holds the tissues apart to the point they have trouble closing the gap. Definitely try packing it less!

That surgeon sounds like a genuinely caring and thoughtful healer! I don't even know him and I like him already.

He also gave you good advice about who should do your knee surgery: go with the surgeon who does 10x as many replacements. That's the one you want, the guy or gal who has done so many surgeries they've seen every possible problem or complication and every kind of knee. Experience is what will help you most.

As for whether your history of a poorly healing wound is going to make you a greater risk: maybe not. My OS didn't think my poor healing with just the one wound was anything to worry about. Just have a frank and open conversation about it with the new surgeon and let him decide. Your positive, can-do attitude and how hard you've worked to fix your current situation will go far in letting the surgeon know you are a good candidate for another knee replacement. Just saying.

Whatever you do, don't go with the surgeon you dislike. If you dislike a doctor, don't use them. Find another. Your health and body are too important to put in the hands of someone you don't feel comfortable with.
 
I know I worry that because I had an infection with my right knee that I'm more susceptible to another, but my ID said that isn't necessarily true because there's no way of knowing what caused the infection. Will we be super careful about everything? YES! As I'm sure you will be with your next knee.

I agree with Susie, you want the OS who does the most TKRs. There are several orthopedic surgeons in my docs practice, but my revision surgeon is the only one who just does knees and hips. So he's my guy, the one with the most experience.
 
Just checking in to see how your wound is healing...:) :-) (:
 
Hi Ginger. How is the small wick doing with your opening? It really makes sense that being packed full would keep the tissues apart. I, too, really like your new OS. He is honest and open and very caring! Between him and the doctor that does 10x the tkrs, you are on the right track! My prayers are with you!
 
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