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The saga continues!

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So much for Orthopaedics contacting me with an appointment for Wednesday or Thursday. In the end I got fed up with waiting for the phone to ring and went straight to my surgeon's secretary who sorted it out there and then - 1.30 pm on Thursday but be prepared to wait. I don't care how long I have to wait as long as Mr T looks at the knee and does whatever needs doing to sort it out! Today the pain's also at the back of my knee which is a new experience. Although the infection obviously hasn't got any worse given that I haven't broken out in a raging fever, it's certainly making me feel grim - completely wiped out, can't be bothered to do anything, feeling queasy, don't fancy anything to eat (not even chocolate so things must be bad!). I even have to remind myself to keep drinking - sadly only water thanks to being back on high dose pain killers. A bit of a doldrum day today, but I'll bounce back again. Linda x
 
Linda
I am glad you took things into your own hands instead of waiting. I'll be thinking of you on thursday.
After reading through the whole thread again I remember that after my cervical fusion surgery I had many many stiches work their way partially out. I am always glued together, I guess with dissolvable stitches underneath. My surgeon told me it was the most he had ever seen work their way out, so he cut them out.
After that visit I pulled a few out, probably not a smart thing, but no harm done.

Now that it is all down my back from just under my neck through the next 12 inches, I can't really see them. I feel a few comming out, my pt last week told me of a few spots to watch or have someone watch as I can not see them.

I hope you are healing and get to go home on thursday.
Keep posting
Judy
 
I never bother with 'other' departments. I always ring the surgeon's secretary direct!
 
Saw my consultant yesterday and the good news is he didn't keep me in. The not so good news is that I have to go in on Monday afternoon for an aspiration and will probably stay in for a few days depending on what they find. He's as mystified as anyone as to why the infection has suddenly appeared at this stage. The best scenario is that it's just in the tissue and can be treated with antibiotics. The very worst scenario is that it's in the knee joint itself which will then have to be replaced again. (He said that about 70% of cases where the new joint is infected result in another replacement which was cheery news.) So, we wait and see what Monday brings and meanwhile I feel in limbo again, not knowing what's going to be happening. Linda x
 
What can one say - except I'll be praying for you, my friend. Praying that the lab findings are negative.
 
Linda,,,,,,sending positive thoughts & thoughts your way!
 
Whoops! ,, positive thoughts & prayers, I meant to say!
 
Linda,
I will be also praying for you. But remember God would not bring you to it, if he would not see you through it. Sometimes it seems like such a BIGGGGGG leap when you have to take a leap of faith.
^i^
 
I was just about to log in this morning to say I'd see you all again when I return from my latest stay in hospital when I had a phone call from orthopaedics saying there might not be a bed for me. They said they'd ring back within half an hour to an hour - that was an hour and twenty minutes ago. I haven't to be at the ward until 2.00 pm so I'll give them a bit longer then it's on to the secretary again. They'd jolly well better find me a bed! The knee was so painful yesterday that I very nearly went to A & E again. I'm beginning to wish I had. I was quite calm about going in today until the phone call, now I'm a jibbering heap. To be continued . . . . Linda x
 
Aaww bless you, Linda! That is the most awful thing of having emergency stuff mixed in with waiting list stuff. I'm praying they get you a bed and I shall keep praying until you post and say "YAYYYY"!
 
Thanks Jo. Don't stop praying yet. Spoke to the secretary who said I needed to speak to the ward matron. She's ringing back in 15 minutes -that was half an hour ago! Linda x
 
They're probably scrambling around moving beds and patients and/or trying to get a houseman to come and discharge someone. It's a nightmare when this sort of thing happens.
 
Still no bed but they're hoping for some movement this afternoon so I'm on my way now to sit and wait on the ward, but with no guarantees of anything happening today. I'll be back either later today or sometime soon to report what happens. Linda x
 
Hi it's me again. I came home last night after 10 long days in hospital. They finally found me a bed and an hour later I had the aspiration. This immediately showed that the knee joint was full of infection so the next day I had a washout and a new tibial insert fitted followed by 6 days of iv antibiotics and armfuls of blood being taken at regular intervals. I was then changed to oral antibiotics - 8 huge capsules a day for the next 5 weeks. Yesterday the surgeon said I could come home providing I rest and treat the knee very gently. I have to see him again in clinic next Thursday for more blood tests and to see how things are doing. If at the end of the antibiotic course there is still infection in the knee, the whole thing will have to be removed, a temporary replacement put in until all the infection clears, and then a whole new knee put in. I was told there's only a 30% of the present knee being saved. I'm trying to stay positive, telling myself that someone has to be in that 30% but it's not always easy. It's great to be home, but it also feels very strange. It's surprising how quickly you become institutionalised. It's also good to be back on this site. I've missed you all and I've got a lot of catching up to do. Linda x
 
Linda, I have been thinking of you all the time. I'm so sorry this has happened and will step up my prayers that you are in that 30%. Just as well they found you a bed after all, then, eh?

btw - I remember those torpedoes from when I had cellulitis. It's Augmentin, isn't it? When I first got them, I asked the doctor if he was sure they weren't suppositories!
 
Thanks Jo. Mine are Flucloxacillin but I guess they're very similar if not the same. In hospital I had to take 4 x 250g at a time and they weren't too bad a size, but the ones I've come home with are 500g so although I only have to take 2 at a time they're enormous! Linda x
 
Welcome back home, Linda. I'm so sorry to hear of all you are going through, but please know we'll be here to support you whenever you need us! We care about you!!! Sending prayers and (((HUGS)))) your way!! Take good care of yourself.
 
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