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Knee Infection* The Story of My Knees Part 1

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Re: The Story of My Knees

Sonja, I'm so glad things turned a little for the better for you. This is a tough time for you, but you are one strong cookie and I know you'll be okay!
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Sonja, how did you know it was filled with fluid "and blood"?
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Well today is a more difficult day. Traveling takes a lot of me at the 2 week point. I was wiped out today and hurt like heck. I know tomorrow will be a better day. After I travel, I have noticed always need a day to recouperate after both knee surgeries.
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Yep....Sonja, that is pretty much par for the course when you are still in recovery. Dont' worry though....it does get better with time.
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

I am back at Mom's again. Another 2 1/2 hours with the knees in the car. I felt better this time though.:D Jo, I knew it was filled with fluid and blood because it started seeping through the staples I still have. A lot of "junk" spurted through a weak place in the staple line. The fluid situation is much better now and I only have a lump above my knee, but it gets smaller every day.:thmb:
I am hurting less every day and I start outpatient therapy tomorrow. I see the OS on Wed and get the staples removed. "One day at a time" is the motto I need to remember.
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Hello everyone!:D I went to my first outpatient therapy session today and he said that this knee is much further along than the last one was at this point. I didn't think I was doing as well with it, but when he showed me the records from the last knee it was true. Funny how you forget all of the "stuff" that you went through with the first knee.:hehe: I told the PT that Iwas sure this knee was worse than the left knee. I can do all of the exercises and I am not in very much pain. I am still on pain meds and I am sure that helps. I just wish I could drive myself to my appointments but of course that is out of the question at this point.:wink:
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Well, there y'go! Memory does play tricks and you're further ahead that you gave yourself credit for! Well done!
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

One of the things I have been meaning to write about and have forgottten is latex allergies. I have a latex allergy, so they have to make sure that the operating room is free from all latex products.

Everyone must wear non-latex gloves when touching me, and all bandaids must be non-latex.

What I did not know in the first surgery was why the TED hose drove me up the wall and made welts. I was assuming that they were non-latex, since is was plastered on my chart and all over my room. When I went in for the 2nd knee surgery, they told me I could not wear TED hose because they have latex in them! :shk: Wish they had remembered that for the first surgery. :doh:

The first ice machine they gave me for my leg was non-latex and I really liked it. While I was in the hospital though, it sprung a leak and they had to replace it. I found myself ripping the 2nd ice machine off pretty soon after they had put it on and they thought I was just not wanting it.:skp: When I got home I looked it up on the internet and found out most of the components that touch the leg were made out of latex. I had welts on me above and below where the pad had been.


If you have a latex allergy, what I learned is make sure you ask about everything that they give you! I told them about the ice machine before this surgery and when I woke up thankfully my husband was there to tell them that I had an allergy to that machine. I ended up paying for the machine anyway, and supplying my own ice packs that I knew were non-latex.:sct: Didn't make sense, but they told me that the only carried one brand now and I had already been charged for it.
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Good point, Sonja. Though I should point out that latex is, in ordinary words, simply rubber! Latex is the tree sap that rubber is made from. So anything with ordinary rubber in it - rubber bands, Marigold household gloves, some waterproof covers on mattresses and pillows, even elastic in bras, slips, skirts, gathering in blouses and hair bands. All are potential irritants. (Note I said potential!)

Interestingly enough, when I was working in hospital, even though we had a special latex-free trolley for anaesthetics and cleaned the theatre to within an inch of its life, wore only polythene or latex free gloves when we handled the patient, when that patient went back to the ward, it was all abandoned like it didn't apply any more! I lost track of the times I castigated ward nurses for turning up to collect the patient with latex gloves on or a somesuch!
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

I know Jo! One of the student PT's put on latex gloves and I had welts in the shape of her hand from where she had touched me. I bought some new socks, and I had always bought that brand, but they have changed it to where the elastic is not ptotected from the skin. I broke out and now I guess Mom will have new socks!
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Sonja, I'm allergic to latex too. There are latex free Ted socks but if you can get away with not wearing them then good for you! I also had trouble with my first knee replacement and had welts all over my leg even though I was told the Ted socks were latex free. NOT!!! Like Jo said, some of the nurses in my hospital just didn't get it about latex. I had some troubles with the nurses on the floor too.
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Hi Karen. I wonder sometimes if "some" nurses think that you are just being "picky" and that maybe you don't have a latex allergy. :skp: I didn't for a long time until I had a medical procedure that was very invasive and I started getting welts all over me. The doctor told me it was "nerves!" Well when home health came out and used latex gloves, I could see the blisters of her handprints soon after she left! When she came back, she told me never to use latex again! I told the Dr. but he just laughed it off. :shk: Needless to say, I found a new doctor.:D I found out that I have to use plastic bandaids also, because latex bandaids leave blisters. The new doctor told me I have a very serious reaction to latex and if people aren't careful it could cost me my life when I have a medical procedure done. :skp: That is why I am so careful and I try to make sure that the hospital stays on its toes.
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Hello Sonja,
I hadn't been on in a while & I just wanted to let you know I'm glad your doing better & my thoughts are with you and your family!
Nicole
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

This is true about it being serious. The usual anaesthetic equipment, including the masks, endotracheal tubes, some sticky tapes, ECG electrodes, all have latex in them. And other equipment can be contaminated with latex even thought they've been through the industrial washer. The staff that work in TSSU, might handle them with latex gloves when they come out.

So good hospitals have a special trolley for the anaesthetic equipped with everything needed that will never be in contact with anything else, will be kept separate and covered at all times when stored. Even swabs and paperwork are kept separate on this trolley in case they should be handled by someone wearing latex gloves or something! Health and Safety have huge written protocols on how to manage a latex-allergy patient in theatre - well the ones where I worked, anyway! I doubt the wards had so much as a crib sheet!
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Sonja, I don't think I'm quite as bad as you. I get the welts and my eyes swell up real bad but that's about it. I also have asthma so I'm always afraid my reactions will get worse and I don't want to go there.

Have you been tested? It's a simple blood test. While it's obvious that you have a severe allergy, I found it easier to prove to suspecting medical people that it was a real allergy and not in my head by having actual results to show them if they questioned me. It's a shame it has to be this way. I think they just often don't like to be bothered with the extra precautions.

The hospital I had my hysterectomy in was totally latex free. It was so nice not having to worry about it. Maybe this is the wave of the future.
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Karen, that is a great idea! When I was a kid, I had allergies to so many things and had to take allergy shots. I don't have allergies to those things anymore, but I have so many new allergies that have been proven in adulthood mainly to antibotics. The blood test will prove the latex allergy just as it has everything else.

I went to the Dr. yesterday for my 3 week checkup. They said everything was looking good and they removed my staples. We were traveling around town and suddenly I couldn't get my leg out of the car without a lot of pain.:shk: Last night, pain started shooting down the outside of my leg, even though I had taken my pain meds on a regular basis all day and iced my leg all day.


This morning I woke up after sleeping for about 2 hours on and off through the night and my kneecap was involved in the pain. Does anyone have any idea about what could be causing this pain? Painkillers and Ice will not touch the pain.:shk:
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Gee, Sonja....I'm not sure what could be causing the pain unless you pulled something getting in and out of the car. Keep up with your rest, elevate, ice and meds routine and see if things improve in the next day or so. Don't try any exercises with it hurting....just moving around to get to the bathroom and around the house will be enough. Heel slides or ankle pumps are fine as long as there is no pain with them.

Does the pain hurt all the time? When you stand? When you move a certain way? I'm going to tag Jo so that she will take a look at your post. Josephine;

I hope this gets better for you soon!!!!
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Sonja,

My husband also has a latex allergy--when he was in a telemetry unit, the nurse began putting pads on him to attach the eletrodes---I could see the blisters forming under the pads. I stopped her and told her she would have to get some latex free pads. she looked at me and said, "We don't have any of those." Then she berated me for not letting her put the telemetry unit on my husband!!!

I called the Patient advocate number which was in the Patient Handbook. A woman arrived with latex free pads in had---five minutes later. When I showed her my husband's blisters she was completely shocked! His doctor told the nurse that putting those pads on my husband was more risky to his heath than delaying the electrodes for five minutes while she got the other pads.

People who do not have allergies just think that those who do are making trouble. I have asthma myself--and cannot convince my son and his wife to wash the sheets in the guest room without the dryer sheets that trigger an asthma attack for me. I bring my own sheets to his house!!! They think I am weird---when I am just trying to avoid a health issue. I am glad that your husband was vigilant for you, we all need an advocate in the hospital.

I hope your leg pain is gone today, it sounds really bad. Kelly
 
Re: The Story of My Knees

Hello, the pain in my knee on the inside hurts when I try to get into the car, or shift the leg inward. The outside of my leg hurts constantly. I hurt especially when I try to get up or do exercises putting my leg out to the side or doing leg lifts. It is very frustrating!:skp::skp:
 
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