Become an Insider

Revision TKR Still having difficulty .... from Amberpep

Status
Not open for further replies.
@amberpep my mom came up once and we were down by the capitol building and all the sudden we see a guy running, then some cops and I swear we heard gun fire. Not fun.
 
Hi tiredwife ..... oh I have no doubt you heard gunfire. Anytime you go down there, even in the Mall area, you have to keep your eyes open, be on high alert, and have your pepper spray in your hand. It all spells
"Welcome to the Nation's Capitol." ..... nice .....
 
Yes it is, but there are plenty of cops around, 50% of them dressed in street clothing, so people don't know. I wouldn't want to live in D.C. for anything.
abby
 
Surgery scheduled ..... hi all ... well, my revision is scheduled for August 19. Fortunately there is no infection in there at all. He has aspirated it 4 times and the last time he had an Infectious Disease Specialist at Georgetown also look at it. So we will be able to do it in one surgery. He told me it would hurt more afterwards, and the recovery would be longer. One thing I told him and am telling the Anesthesiologist is .... I know the day of the surgery you're pretty much out of it, but the other days I'm in there, I want to be awake enough to know what is going on. The last time I don't remember a thing. I am very sensitive to medications, so maybe that was it, but whether it was the med. they gave me for pain through the IV or what it was, I have no memory of anything for those 3 days. I don't like that. I know when I was in the recovery room they had trouble getting my BP up to a normal figure. I kept hearing them say, "we can't get it above 70" ..... scary. Things are falling into place now that I've got a date. I'll keep you posted.
abby
 
Awesome Abby! So glad you have no infection and your revision is scheduled. Seems like all is working out!
 
Hi @amberpep I hope you don't mind me popping in and having a read of your tread. I'm having the most awful problem with this TKR I had done in January. I'm reading your posts and they are scarily similar to mine. I am coming up seven months post op In a few weeks. I've already had to have it drained and had cortisone injections in it. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to paste an overview in to your thread. My thread is Humungous as it is like a chat stop and a lot of the information gets lost. I don't mind this at all. It helps people wind down and get distracted from pain or whatever they are going through.


January 3rd I had my RTKR after being bone on bone for some time. The following morning I had severe water type blisters on the TKR leg. I was told it was a reaction to the bandages!

The day after my surgery I had a nasty fall due to a very young and arrogant PT who thought that he knew better than anyone. He would not allow me to use a walker-he forced me to used crutches because I was so much younger than the rest on the ward I was on.

The day after that I developed a nasty chest infection with a pulse rate of 133 bpm. I was confined to bed for 48 hrs.

I finally left hospital nine days after the op. I should have only been in three. The knee has never really reduced very much in size.

I was uncomfortable but okayish until the end of February after being told by the hospital that I could drive. Bearing in mind at the point I was on 90 mg Morphine. I would not have been insured. This was when I had my first real mishap with my knee.

I've had nothing but problems. I walked upstairs incorrectly a couple of times in March and strained the knee (several times) I tripped over a pouffee (ottoman)several times. I hate the stairs x

Finally on 19th June I had the TKR aspirated (drained) and cortisone shots. I was sitting on the trolley about to have this done when the surgeon informed me that the procedure may not work for me. He thinks that the kneecap is catching on the joint and causing the pain and swelling. The procedure didn't work!mnot much fluid came out really I think it was a couple of small syringe full and then blood.

I'm still on Morphine and paracetamol. I can't drive due to the meds and not allowed to return to work either. I'm very frustrated at times to say the least. At the moment things are getting harder to do. I can't walk the distances I was a few weeks ago. I'm struggling getting dressed and stuff. I cannot have a bath it's shower only. I would so love a good soak but I cannot do it. I struggle with the stairs.

However, I keep on smiling, supporting others and I genuinely love to hear when people make a good recovery. I think that's marvellous when that happens.

I hope this has given you an overview of my journey. Any questions please feel free to ask me x x x x

Take care love Nana moon xxxx
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NANA MOON - I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. I've been trying to get things straightened out before I get the revision done since after I get home, I'll be alone.
OMG, you have had a horrible time of it. I didn't have nearly as much as you have, but did you think of getting a second, and third opinion? I don't know where you live, but I'd go to the best one in the best hospital I could find ..... one where you can drive. I don't know what kind of prosthesis he put in your leg, but one of the doctors I saw told me that the Zimmer was taken off the market, and isn't even being made anymore, due to malfunctions. I literally did as much research on doctors and hospitals as I could find .... and there are plenty of sites out there ..... go to reliable ones, Mayo Clinic, NIH, and other really well known ones. Do the research so when you ask them a question, you know the "right" answer. I know that sounds a bit presumptuous, but that's how I weeded out one doctor. You should not have to be dealing with this for so long. A year after my RTKR he had to go back in and clean out scar tissue - arthroscopically. And, of course, since I'm a bit of a klutz, after about 2 weeks at home, I fell flat on my knees in the kitchen ..... OUCH. Then about a month after that, I was coming up the stairs - I'm on the second floor of a condo - and on the top step, again I fell flat on my knees on the landing, banged my head against the wall so I made a hole in it and all my groceries flew all over the place. I just laid there thinking maybe I shouldn't live alone anymore......not seriously, but I was really discouraged. After that the knee started to hurt, and it continued and continued and continued. I went through PT, I'd had Synvisc shots earlier in the year, 4 aspirations - one of which was all blood. I went for a bone scan and all was well except that knee was BLACK! HELP! Of course, with my catastrophic thinking ..... I thought, CANCER! Well, it wasn't, obviously, but my doc. consulted with one of his colleagues about what he thought could be going on. Then he wrote a 3 page letter describing everything that had gone on and gave me 2 copies to give one to the doctor I was getting the second opinion from. Well, I went and this man was a really nice, personable soul, a smile that could light up a room ..... looks are deceiving because he talked for awhile, didn't bother to read the other doctor's letter (?), and just sailed into what he would do. Most of the answers were not what I wanted to hear, nor had learned were the best way to do things. Hmmmmmmm. Obviously, I left. I finally went back to Doctor A, he aspirated it yet again and again sent it to the Infectious Disease Specialist at Georgetown to be absolutely sure again there was no infection. He said it's a whole different, 2-part, procedure if there's infection. Well, thankfully, there isn't any and I go in Aug. 19 for the revision.
Don't let these docs. jerk you around ..... you have been through more than enough. Take the bull by the horns, do your research, get a few more opinions, and find out what can be done. I am so sorry you've gone through all this ..... it sounds really discouraging. Please write and let me know how you are ..... I'm interested and I do care .... my prayers are with you .....
abby
 
Hi Abby,
Been on vacation, and am happy to see you have a date coming up soon.
Who is doing your revision your original OS or the new one?
 
Hi @amberpep thanks ever so much for sharing your experience with me. I'm ever so grateful for that x I'm over the pond in England. I have said that if I need a second opinion or a new knee in my other one I will contact Josephine for her list that she has of reputable surgeons.

I see the OS again tomorrow. Fingers crossed he will tell me what he's doing next. He told me previously that he's 99% certain that my kneecap is putting pressure on the joint, catching on it and causing the swelling and pain xxx

Love Nana moon 27 xxx
 
Nana Moon ..... I'm glad you're going to be able to get something done to relieve your pain. I know I'll be delighted to have it done!
abby
 
Pumpkin .... Hi there! I hope you had a wonderful vacation ..... I'd love to be able to take one but $$ is so tight that I'll be "home-vacationing" this year.
This has been quite an experience, Pumpkin. I've learned more about the different prosthetics available, which surgeons use what and why, their anesthetics they prefer, and all sorts of things.
I don't want to sound high and mighty, but I took about a week, and did a whole lot of research in every possible way ..... doctor's credentials, their peer reviews, what they use and why, their success rate, how pleased their patients were with them, etc. I've done a lot. So then came time to visit them. One was immediately out because he seemed to think he was God. That does have an affect on me and I hate it. Then came #2 and he had a wonderful personality, very pleasant, with a smile that could light up a room. But, the prosthetic he continues to use is one that was totally discontinued being made 4 years ago because they malfunctioned. He must have purchased a large quantity of them to be still using them. I quizzed him about using them, and asked him if he was open to using a different one ..... "no, not really." Well, that ended that. I don't need a "malfunction." So then we go back to my original OS, and I went through the exact same things with him ..... all the questions, and follow up questions, the "what abouts" I had. Finally he looked at me and said, how do you know all this? I half smiled and said, "I do my homework." He had no idea how much I'd done! Hours and hours. He told me what he believes is wrong and what to expect from a second surgery. He did not paint a rosey picture, which I knew it shouldn't be, but told me straight out it would be more painful and would have a longer recovery.
So, in order not to have to drive into D.C., I opted for him. He's been very careful that there was no infection in there, taking 4 aspirations at different times. The last one he sent half to their lab. and half to an Infectious Disease Specialist at Georgetown in D.C. No infection.
So, I'm scheduled for Aug. 19, I'll leave by that Friday and go to a rehab facility .... probably be there a week, and then come home ..... alone. A nurse will come 2x a week and a P.T. will come 3x a week for 4 weeks and then that stops. I'll have to wait and see if I can drive by then or if I have to take a cab to the out-patient P.T. office.
So, that's about it ..... things are set up ...... now it's just getting everything done, paperwork, blood tests, physical exams, blah, bah, blah. I'm just SO READY to get this done.
abby
 
Abby,
Sounds like you have all your ducks lined up for your revision and have all your questions answered.
amberpep said:
but told me straight out it would be more painful and would have a longer recovery.
Click to expand...
I can vouch for this, it is taking longer and has been more painful.
 
Good to hear about your plans. You have done a lot of research and I think it will pay off! In any event we will be here to support you as best we can!
 
@Pumpkln .... can you possibly describe your experience re. the pain and recovery? I know that's asking a lot, but just thought I'd give it try.

Thanks,
abby
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@amberpep

Abby, I'm so glad to read that you don't have any infection and that you will be having a revision in August.
Here's hoping that the revision does the trick! Much depends on the skill of the surgeon and it sounds as if you have chosen carefully.

I, too, was warned that a recovery from a revision could take longer the recovery from than the original but, for me, that proved not to be so. I guess that just proves that we are all different!
 
Thanks Celle for the encouragement. Yes, I sure would like to just be able to go tomorrow to git-er-done! I am going to talk to the Anesthesiologist about the last time. I had the TKR done, they had trouble getting my B.P. above 70, and once I got to my room, I was still totally out. I had it done on a Tuesday and left on a Friday and I remember absolutely nothing about my time in there! For all I know I could have been in a closet! And, I thought they were turning my bed around, first one day it was one direction, next day it was another direction, then another day it was in the middle of the room ...... it was just plain nuts. I don't want to do that again. I know the first day you're pretty out of it, but after that I at least want to know where I am!

abby
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel
Corganics CBD

Members online

Total: 820 (members: 1, guests: 819)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom