Revision TKR Sondrals’ Revision

[Helizabug]

Oh, I do think you should do what gets you a good return on all of this effort. You deserve knees in good working order.

Where I live, everything slows down in the winter a little bit. Is that true with your work? Maybe Winter is the best time to do this, even with another staff person out?

 

[sondrals]

oh well, normally October - January is our busy time. We used to slow way down in the summer but that's stopped happening for the most part other than the boss tends to be gone more fishing and stuff in the summers.

Since there's only two staff here we kind of have to rotate. We don't dare leave our boss unattended for too long lol.

In his brief presence in the office today he asked me how things went, and I told him well not ideal because I need another surgery probably. On his way out he said "don't stress about it, we'll figure out a way to get it done." Not exactly sure what that means but... hopeful it'll be doable.

 

[sistersinhim]

I think you should get it done sooner rather than later, too. Then it will be over with and you can get on with your life with your two new knees and not have that surgery hanging over your head.

 

[sondrals]

Yeah I just have to figure out scheduling and financing really. I'm kind of waiting to talk to my coworker and boss. And then I'll get to start the wonderful process of insurance approval and pre-op testing again! yay

 

[Macknit]

Oh goodness, so it's the older TKR...the one you had about 10 days before me? It does make complete sense like @Celle said, you never trusted that knee, right?

Yeah, ole' mom probably doesn't need to know...just tell her after the fact, if she decides to check on you! Hmmph....

It sounds like your boss is very amicable and will help you get those knees in perfect working order. Best of luck, running through the insurance and pre-op preparations!!!

 

[sondrals]

Yes, it’s the older one, I have struggled a lot with putting significant weight on it. It sort of feels like it slides a little to the side when I do. I’ve always kind of described it as feeling alien, like my foot isn’t really attached or something. So yeah, hoping my boss will work with me a little on getting it done sooner rather than later. It puts a kabosh on my plan for fixing up some stuff around the house but I guess that can happen next year.

 

[sondrals]

Pt tried wedges in my shoes today. I took them out as soon as I got home. They’re horrible and they had to use two on my left foot so my foot barely fit in my shoe anymore. They also made my left knee feel more unstable. So nope nope nope not gonna do em.

 

[Jockette]

I agree, don’t use them if they make you feel worse!

When I rated your post “agree” I accidentally got the “funny” emoji first. I quickly changed it to agree. I hope you didn’t get an alert for the funny one If so, I apologize.

 

[sondrals]

Haha it didn’t that I noticed so no worries. But yes, those things are going in the trash. I kind of feel like my physical therapist is trying to steer me towards not having the surgery. But I’ve been weird emotionally all day so I could just be reading too much into things.

 

[Jockette]

Haha it didn’t that I noticed so no worries.

Thanks for letting me know that! I get in a panic when I get the wrong emoji!

PTs try to be helpful, but really, how can those things fix something your surgeon says needs surgery.

I‘m so sorry you are facing yet another surgery. And yes, they charge us for each one. It seems we should get some kind of major discount when something like this comes up.

It reminds me of what my dentist did for me a few years ago. I had a very difficult root canal on a Monday, and that same tooth had to be extracted 3 days later. My dentist cancelled the bill of the root canal and just charged me for the extraction. I thought that was rather nice of him, as he had done the work of the root canal, and he had a hard time with it.

 

[Helizabug]

I have never gotten used too all those things they like to add to our shoes, some people swear by them, though. I, for one, would prefer to address the spacer so it’s done and you don’t have to keep tweaking what’s in your shoes when the shoes change or the tweaks wear out or whatever.

Are you still trying to decide?

 

[sondrals]

No, I’ve pretty much decided to do it. I just am waiting to find out when my coworkers husband is having his hip replacement so she can have the time off she needs as well. I also haven’t totally talked to my boss yet, but kind of waiting on that as well. Then it’ll be a matter of scheduling and getting all my pre-op stuff done again ugh. I don’t want to feel rushed into it, but I’d also rather get it done sooner rather than wait months.

 

[Celle]

I don’t want to feel rushed into it, but I’d also rather get it done sooner rather than wait months.

The sooner you can get it done, the sooner your recovery will improve.

 

[sondrals]

I found out today my coworkers husbands appointment with the surgeon isn’t until next week so honestly I’m probably at least a month or more out which is a bummer.

 

[Helizabug]

Oh dear! That timeline sounds less than ideal. So many factors relying on each other. Is there anything you can do in the meantime so that you don’t feel like your in limbo? Not including those wedges in your shoes?

 

[sondrals]

It is less than ideal but I don’t really know what else to do because I’ve asked so much from my work and boss already. I don’t know. I guess that’s my maybe hopeful dumb question. Is it likely to get better with exercise and physical therapy?

 

[Macknit]

I hope all your scheduling gets figured out @sondrals....this is going to be the year you look back on and hopefully laugh!? Right???

 

[sondrals]

@Macknit I sure hope so! Kind of sheepishly I have to admit I found myself in a really dark place a while back and actually was contemplating suicide because almost everyone around me had all but convinced me what I was feeling in my knee was all in my head. So in a way I feel like a huge weight has been lifted, I’m not actually crazy.

Part of me wants to be selfish and demand I get this fixed ASAP but part of me knows I have to wait my turn now. I am probably going to call my surgeons office and talk about at least getting on the schedule.

In other news, without thinking I stepped up BOTH steps into the house with my right leg. Zero issues went right up no pain, no hesitation. Then I yelled oops and my bf rushed over to see what was wrong. I said I used the wrong foot! He asked if i was ok, I told him it didn’t hurt at all it just shocked me. He wandered off shaking his head at me.

 

[Jenn3319]

Thinking of you and glad you are out of that dark lonely place. I know I dont know you but I do know what depression feels like and it’s so hard. So happy you are feeling better; it’s amazing how empathy and belief from another can turn things around.

 

[Helizabug]

Oh dear, it’s so hard to know in your gut that something is wrong and have everyone respond in ways that make you feel crazy. It eats at your self worth and muffles your own wise voice. Sometimes, nothing is measurably wrong, but listening is important to find out what will help.

Here’s the question I have about your possible surgery . . . like it’s my job to have questions about your knee, which it definitely is not, but I’m a curious soul, where was I? . . . Will waiting to replace that spacer create any wear and tear on the rest of you that will complicate your recovery? Does it expose you to fall risks, unnecessarily?

I imagine the answers to those questions are ‘no’ or your surgeon would be urging you to get it done more quickly, but maybe it’s worth knowing the risks if you put off the surgery.

Someone on BoneSmart might know.