surgery again

[Guest guest]

I just saw an orthopedic surgeon...the MRI I had last month shows that

I need surgery...L4 and L5 has slippage and are severely squeezed by

the spinal stenosis...He tells me that surgery is no longer an " if " but

is now a " when " ....I am in the middle of a divorce....an emotional

mess....not a good candidate for surgery at this time....finances are

all tied up due to the legal fees....I only have about 3 months earned

sick time at work....has anyone had spinal fusion and rods and pins put

into their backs? how long were you out of work? the surgeon tells me

this procedure should be easier to recuperate from than either of my

two hip replacements. No bending or lifting for three months = not

easy as I now live alone = Marcia

________________________________________________________________________________\

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[Guest guest]

DOnna, glad you listened to your body and not the doc's, best wishes on the

replacement. You'll be walking better by Arthritis Walk time!!!

and Rob 19 JAS

surgery again

ajao_young_adults ,

>

> eenie meenie minee mo....which joint is next to go? I wish I may

> I wish I might know the answer that will be right!

> Last May, after a few days of horrible pain stopping me in my

> tracks.....for me that means I could'nt go shopping or when I

> did I had to cut the trip short, I called my?-at that time-

> ?ortho surgeon. After looking at my hip xrays it was decided my

> 16 year old hip replacements needed some revision. The left,

> which he said was worse, would go first and surgery was

> scheduled for June 19th. As many of you know that didn't come to

> be. I went to the hospital that morning. The anesthesia team

> came in the room to talk with me of their plans. After seeing my

> limited neck movement and mouth opening they seemed a bit

> bewildered and honestly put?alot of?fear in me. The attempt to

> intubate was made, but failed with poor results for me. Short of

> death, I was admitted to the hospital due to the torture

> committed to my body, leaving me with bloody fluid in my lungs.

> After 3 days I was released and left to plot for another

> attempt. I rescheduled for July 17th but with my hip feeling

> fine and being

> very skeptic I cancelled and never rescheduled. Imagine

> that!

> One of the reasons for my skepticism was not that my doctor had

> insisted on a revision of the left hip but that he wouldn't

> listen to me when I said repeatedly my left knee hurts. AND it

> hurt bad all the time and left me unable to do my favorite

> pastimes, window shop at the local malls and go for walks at my

> favorite parks. Worse than that it would wake me at night, make

> me stand 3 minutes on the left leg before I could even think of

> putting the right leg to the floor. Then seveal minutes of

> " whoa, wow and please " followed but eventually the foot made it

> to the floor, I could walk and the knee allowed me 30 - 60

> minutes of walk time before saying sit the hell down but don't

> sit for more than 15 because the procedure would start again.

> Left leg first......the best I could get was an injection of

> steroid in the knee and let me say, those don't feel good, last

> only a little while, and?then the ritual starts again. Pain,

> injection, feel good, thenz back to pain....you get the picture. I

> had 8 injections in about 4 years but not one xray. Why

> did I not say anything or do anything is because I thought the

> doc knew what he was doing yet, I knew better.

> The peculiar thing is, prior to my June 19 attempt at hip

> revision I told family and friends I didn't understand how the

> right knee was going to see me through the rehab of a left hip

> revision. I was very concerned about this.

> Now, as I look back , I once again can say things happen for a

> reason...........Two months ago, I was reduced to taking the

> demonic prednisone dose pack?to see if it could help my knee and

> it did until I went off of it. Last week I could not take

> anymore and played with the decision what ortho do I call? My

> old ortho who now has as his assistant my very old ortho. My

> very old ortho was my doc from time of diagnosis in 1970 until

> his retirement a few years ago. Damn him....to leave me like

> that! Well he is back on?a part time basis and only assist in

> surgeries but hey, he is back and he knows me and knows me well.

> He did my original bi lateral hip surgery in 1993 as well as all

> of my other ortho surgeries. It didnt take me long to decide to

> go see my old and very old orthos for a second opinion, if you will.

> I told Tony before we went into the orthos office to not say

> anything about my failed hip revision because when I made

> the?appointment phone call I told them my knees and hips were

> bothering me. My hips were 16 years old and needed to be looked

> at anyway. Upon arrival I was escorted to the wonderfully hard

> and cold xray table for what was a trip of curiousity and

> hopefully a resolution.

> With anticipation I waited for what is now, once again, my ortho

> to come in and go over the xrays. Tony and I both were wondering

> what the conclusion would be and hoped for an answer to what was

> causing me to hurt. Was it the hip(s) making the knee(s) hurt or

> vice versa or was it just sciatica??The doc?looked at the hips

> first and his first 'make-my-jaw' drop comment was, " the hips

> do not look that bad but eventually will need some revising " . I

> looked at Tony, Tony looked at me and I said " which one appears

> to be the worst? " , like I didn't know. His response, which is

> what I thought, was, " the right hip is a little more worn and

> has some wearing that has created cysts and will likely need to

> go before the left " . WOW... less than a year ago it was the

> left! What the hell???? Ok so lets move on to the

> knees....... " Hmm " , he said, " the right knee is hurting alot " .

> No crap doc thats why I am here!! Bone on Bone, no cartilage,

> leaning to one side and will not come close to being

> straight, the doc says it needs to be replaced. Wow, can

> ya believe that? I knew all along even back last June it was the

> Rt Knee not the left hip and for this reason I postponed and

> postponed the hip revision.

> Needless to say I have shook my head alot the last few days and

> I have been telling myself what I have always known.... I do

> know my body and its alarm system better than any doc on this

> planet. I listened to my intuition and did not have the revision

> and I did follow my knees plea to call the old ortho. Medicine

> is a science and it is just that that it not always a given nor

> is it always correct but I believe the intuition the resides in

> us all is sometimes the best alert system we have, so follow

> that and precede, which is what I am doing.

> Although, I am still a bit confused by it all, I have a sense of

> satisfaction and on February 16 I will start my bodies repair

> work by having a new right knee put in which I know will put me

> back in the malls and back on my walks in the park. I know the

> road will be long because I also know eventually?the left knee

> will need replaced? along with the hip revisions but at least

> for now I feel I am on the right road.....

>

> A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy

> steps!

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

We tell the parents here they are their kids best advocates.  I'm glad you are

your own best advocate! Best of luck on your surgery.  Keep us posted!  Hugs..

 

Beth

" We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails " -author unknown

________________________________

From: " ajaoky@... " <ajaoky@...>

ajao_young_adults ;

Sent: Friday, January 9, 2009 11:57:08 AM

Subject: surgery again

eenie meenie minee mo....which joint is next to go? I wish I may I wish I might

know the answer that will be right!

Last May, after a few days of horrible pain stopping me in my tracks.....for me

that means I could'nt go shopping or when I did I had to cut the trip short, I

called my?-at that time-?ortho surgeon. After looking at my hip xrays it was

decided my 16 year old hip replacements needed some revision. The left, which he

said was worse, would go first and surgery was scheduled for June 19th. As many

of you know that didn't come to be. I went to the hospital that morning. The

anesthesia team came in the room to talk with me of their plans. After seeing my

limited neck movement and mouth opening they seemed a bit bewildered and

honestly put?alot of?fear in me. The attempt to intubate was made, but failed

with poor results for me. Short of death, I was admitted to the hospital due to

the torture committed to my body, leaving me with bloody fluid in my lungs.

After 3 days I was released and left to plot for another attempt. I rescheduled

for July 17th but with my

hip feeling fine and being very skeptic I cancelled and never rescheduled.

Imagine that!

One of the reasons for my skepticism was not that my doctor had insisted on a

revision of the left hip but that he wouldn't listen to me when I said

repeatedly my left knee hurts. AND it hurt bad all the time and left me unable

to do my favorite pastimes, window shop at the local malls and go for walks at

my favorite parks. Worse than that it would wake me at night, make me stand 3

minutes on the left leg before I could even think of putting the right leg to

the floor. Then seveal minutes of " whoa, wow and please " followed but eventually

the foot made it to the floor, I could walk and the knee allowed me 30 - 60

minutes of walk time before saying sit the hell down but don't sit for more than

15 because the procedure would start again. Left leg first......the best I could

get was an injection of steroid in the knee and let me say, those don't feel

good, last only a little while, and?then the ritual starts again. Pain,

injection, feel good, thenz back to

pain....you get the picture. I had 8 injections in about 4 years but not one

xray. Why did I not say anything or do anything is because I thought the doc

knew what he was doing yet, I knew better.

The peculiar thing is, prior to my June 19 attempt at hip revision I told family

and friends I didn't understand how the right knee was going to see me through

the rehab of a left hip revision. I was very concerned about this.

Now, as I look back , I once again can say things happen for a reason......

......

Two months ago, I was reduced to taking the demonic prednisone dose pack?to see

if it could help my knee and it did until I went off of it. Last week I could

not take anymore and played with the decision what ortho do I call? My old ortho

who now has as his assistant my very old ortho. My very old ortho was my doc

from time of diagnosis in 1970 until his retirement a few years ago. Damn

him....to leave me like that! Well he is back on?a part time basis and only

assist in surgeries but hey, he is back and he knows me and knows me well. He

did my original bi lateral hip surgery in 1993 as well as all of my other ortho

surgeries. It didnt take me long to decide to go see my old and very old orthos

for a second opinion, if you will.

I told Tony before we went into the orthos office to not say anything about my

failed hip revision because when I made the?appointment phone call I told them

my knees and hips were bothering me. My hips were 16 years old and needed to be

looked at anyway. Upon arrival I was escorted to the wonderfully hard and cold

xray table for what was a trip of curiousity and hopefully a resolution.

With anticipation I waited for what is now, once again, my ortho to come in and

go over the xrays. Tony and I both were wondering what the conclusion would be

and hoped for an answer to what was causing me to hurt. Was it the hip(s) making

the knee(s) hurt or vice versa or was it just sciatica??The doc?looked at the

hips first and his first 'make-my-jaw' drop comment was, " the hips do not look

that bad but eventually will need some revising " . I looked at Tony, Tony looked

at me and I said " which one appears to be the worst? " , like I didn't know. His

response, which is what I thought, was, " the right hip is a little more worn and

has some wearing that has created cysts and will likely need to go before the

left " . WOW... less than a year ago it was the left! What the hell???? Ok so lets

move on to the knees....... " Hmm " , he said, " the right knee is hurting alot " .

No crap doc thats why I am here!! Bone on Bone, no cartilage, leaning to one

side and will

not come close to being straight, the doc says it needs to be replaced. Wow,

can ya believe that? I knew all along even back last June it was the Rt Knee not

the left hip and for this reason I postponed and postponed the hip revision.

Needless to say I have shook my head alot the last few days and I have been

telling myself what I have always known.... I do know my body and its alarm

system better than any doc on this planet. I listened to my intuition and did

not have the revision and I did follow my knees plea to call the old ortho.

Medicine is a science and it is just that that it not always a given nor is it

always correct but I believe the intuition the resides in us all is sometimes

the best alert system we have, so follow that and precede, which is what I am

doing.

Although, I am still a bit confused by it all, I have a sense of satisfaction

and on February 16 I will start my bodies repair work by having a new right knee

put in which I know will put me back in the malls and back on my walks in the

park. I know the road will be long because I also know eventually?the left knee

will need replaced? along with the hip revisions but at least for now I feel I

am on the right road.....

A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!