Update

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Went to the ortho doc yesterday. He has scheduled surgery for 8/8/02. He is

going to do an open procedure so I will have to be incarcerated in the

hospital. I need to have a CT scan prior to surgery as he thinks that the

cement in the patella is cracked. Last year before he redid my left knee, he

had me go for a bone scan and the right knee lit up like a Christmas tree.

The tech kept asking me if I had any pain in that knee and at the time, nope,

just the left knee which needed to be revised. The doctor explained it that

a knee replacement can " show " hot for up to one to one and half years. Me,

not knowing any better, believed him. He says yesterday that that test is

proof that something was going on in that knee as long as a year ago. It is

OK that he didn't do anything about that as at the time I was asymptotic, but

when I started complaining, he should not have given me such a hard time and

made we wait for so long to get this corrected. Sending me home in tears

that one day was just so wrong. He says that he is kicking himself in the

butt for not looking closer at this test, but all I can do now is go forward

and pray that this will be the last surgery on either knee for quite a while.

My tummy condition remains the same, sometimes worse (like right now)

sometimes not so bad. I have called the general surgeon and he is on

vacation until 8/22. However, he has left orders that if I get any worse, I

am to call his office and see one of his associates immediately. Both

associates have been his assistants in the OR during previous surgeries.

Nice man who cares about his patients. He knows that I am pretty good about

judging what I need to do and when I need to see him or go to the ER.

I went for iron infusion today FINALLY. Good thing I went when I did. My

count came up very little from the last infusion, so the hematologist doubled

the dosage and the nurse said that if I am having any type of surgery, I will

need this iron desperately. I was supposed to go for the CT scan today, but

was too tired. In fact, while getting my mail, I knocked the mail box & but

a big gouge in my van. So I called and rescheduled for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we do Christmas in July at my house. We watch Christmas movies,

make Christmas cookies and decide what our holiday plans are going to be, how

we are going to decorate the house and decide what we need for the upcoming

season so we can start bargain hunting. We don't have much money, but we

sure do have simple fun.

Hope you all have a restful night!

Gentle, tender, angel hugs,

Debs in FL