Please reconsider, Debs!

[Guest guest]

I have to agree with a, Debs. This is not the time to swear off all

doctors. More than ever, you need a good medical team to help you. It is

imperative that you immediately find someone else who can determine if

the infection is still present and where it is. What if it is in your

other knee already? As a's links demonstrated, there are various

ways of determining whether a prosthesis is infected. This is not a wait

and see situation. If you are not proactive and you don't determine the

extent of any infection and eliminate it, you could lose one or both

prostheses, face amputation, or, as you did in your last hospital stay,

confront death.

As you yourself have admitted and know, you are dealing with a very

serious complication of your knee surgery. No matter what similarities

you want to draw between you and your father, remember that every case

is different and that decades have passed since he first became ill.

Treatments are better today, and we know more. If you feel as if Mayo

let your dad down and can't get beyond that idea, go somewhere else.

But please keep in mind that he was there many years ago.

People come from all over the world to the Mayo Clinic, s Hopkins,

and the Rehab Institute of Chicago. There are many good reasons for

that.

At places like Mayo, JH, and RIC, physicians work together as true

teams. Multidisciplinary collaboration is central to the strategy they

use to diagnose and treat. They also have the tremendous advantage of

volume - thousands and thousands of people come through their

institutions every year. Meticulous records are kept and innovative

research is done. These physicians have incredible resources at their

disposal.

And even though your orthopedic physician studied at s Hopkins,

according to what I read in his resume, it was for only one year. Also,

there is always someone who finishes last in the class. The value of the

entire institution does not rest with this one man.

Even at medical centers such as these, there are no guarantees; not

every patient will have a success story, and no doctor there is without

flaws. However, I am a betting woman, and I like to go with the odds. I

have a feeling that it is much more likely that you will get better care

at one of those locations than you are currently receiving. In a

complicated case like yours, five heads at Mayo are better than one most

other places. These doctors will also not be as likely to be playing the

games we all know too well such as Pass the Buck, Cover My Ass, and

Blame the Patient.

Nobody ever questioned your intelligence. You are very bright and

capable. We care about you. We simply want you to be happy and healthy.

Only you know the entire story and why you needed to stay with your

current doctors as long as you did. That decision was entirely yours to

make. Anything I or anyone else here suggests that is contrary to what

you have chosen to do is motivated by our concern for you, nothing else.

More than that, what's done is done. There is little value in looking

back and lamenting. Too, as a noted, you shouldn't waste your time

and energy in that way - you need it to fight for yourself now. Please

get competent help. Please leave your current orthopedic surgeon.

Please.

With a lot of love and worry,

Re: [ ] Debs

Debs,

Here¹s a few more. This first one sounds like what should be done:

If there is a concern about infection, you may be scheduled for an

Indium-111 Radioisotope Scan. This requires removing some of your own

blood

and labeling it with an isotopic material (Indium-111) which is then

re-injected. You will return one day later and the area of the joint

will be

scanned. This procedure is sometimes used in combination with other more

routine types of scanning agents so as to evaluate patients with

infection

or sepsis.

http://www.jri-oh.com/hipsurgery/hip_special.asp

Here is a different type of bone scan that shows infection in the bone:

http://www.msit.com/t_bone.htm

Group B Streptococcal Prosthetic Joint Infections

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/431319_3?WebLogicSession=PYiQyjjBa6T

NnBI

wK22ufeS2FKsNhT96hM2pMAB7xbt5ccPlH2Rw|2922250761261221669/184161393/6/70

01/7

001/7002/7002/7001/-1

If your knee is still draining, what¹s the reasoning for closing it? I

don¹t understand the rush or the fact that it¹s of utmost importance.

Dealing with the infection and your pain should be highest on the

priority

list. You should be on better pain control. The phentonal pain patch

would

help you so much.

3-4 weeks to get an appointment with the infectious disease doctor is

not

acceptable.

I cannot believe that they expect you to wait that long with something

as

serious as sepsis.

My personal opinion is that you should use your remaining energy and

focus

on finding better medical care. What is happening with you is just not

right. Please Debs, consider it.

Hugs,

a

> Thank you for the links a. I have no idea what his thinking was

behind

> this change of plans. My knee is still draining like a faucet. I am

now

> self treating with steri strips to attempt to close the hole in time

(a long

> time). I don't know how successful this will be, but hey, it looks

like I am

> on my own anyway. I have called the nephrologist and because the

hospital

> sent incomplete hospital records, he won't see me until my next appt

in

> December because the records he received didn't show the low potassium

of

> 2.9, it just showed the lab results of the normal potassium of 4.3 so

no need

> to see him right now. I was supposed to receive another shipment of

IV

> antibiotics but they were going to hold off until after I got home

from the

> hospital and I call the nursing agency and they have to get this

straightened

> out with the doctors, nothing of which was done today. Appt with

infectious

> disease doctor was canceled on Thursday as I was supposed to be in the

> hospital and they won't have another opening for 3-4 weeks. I am

still

> getting around in a wheelchair as I cannot put any weight on that

right leg

> whatsoever due to the severe pain. I am very tired of fighting this,

the

> original surgery was on 8-8-02 and just can't fight anymore. It took

a lot

> of strength for me to muster up the energy to do the surgery that was

planned

> and had my mindset that this was the best way to go and now to have

the

> entire game changed in midstream, makes no sense to me. If something

is

> infected, I was always under the impression that it should be taken

out.

> When I suggested that another washing be done prior to the removal of

the

> original prosthesis, he said that would do me no good as he might miss

a

> piece of infection and then he would be doing me no favors. His first

> suggestion today was just to go see a plastic surgeon in 3-4 days to

get a

> skin graft to get this hole repaired. I asked why he couldn't do it

and that

> is when the other plan came into effect. He may do another washing

and

> possible closure of the hole on Thursday but it seems that his office

and the

> hospital can't get it all together so I think it is best to just walk

(?)

> away from the situation and try to figure out something myself. What

a mess,

> my poor tummy is taking the brunt of all this stress and the tears

keep

> falling. It seems like it has been a very long day for me. Yes, I

can see

> where I have made the big mistakes in choosing a physician and until I

can

> learn to trust again, I best stay away from any and all of them.

>

> Once again, thank you for the links that you have passed along to me.

>

> Debs

[Guest guest]

,

You very eloquently voice my views. I often wonder what would have happened

if I stuck with the ortho that messed up my knee surgery. I really have to

give a lot of credit to my late husband. He freaked out at the doctor for

saying he was going to do one thing and doing another, leaving me with a bad

result. Me being under the influence of so many narcotics wasn¹t in any

condition to make decisions. I really though he was going to punch that

doctor out. I am very lucky to have found a great ortho that has done a

wonderful job reversing the damage done. I¹ve since found out the best way

to find a good doctor is ask the nurses. A good friend of ours is an OR

nurse and she told me I had the best in the area. This was long after I

found this out on my own.

Sepsis is a big fear I have. That is one reason I hesitate to try Remicade.

With 2 knee replacements, I don¹t want to take the chance of getting an

infection that could do something to them. Even something simple as an

infection in the gums can affect these replacements. I¹ve never been prone

to infection, but I don¹t want to risk it with remicade. I¹ll stick with

Enbrel although it comes with it¹s own set of risks.

If I had a life threatening infection, my choices would be made for me by

all the doctors in my family.

I¹d be carted off so fast my head would spin. My MIL, a doctor, has 2 knee

replacements and knows the seriousness of sepsis. Hers by the way are over

20 years old and still going strong! I only hope I get the same results

with mine.

All of us are faced with dealing with doctors regularly, and it¹s so

important to have one that you trust. Our lives are in their hands. The

face of medicine is changing due to this great web. Now we can find out

information ourselves and check out the course of treatment that is

prescribed.

We can locate doctors anywhere in the world and find out who is highly rated

and who¹s not.

It¹s scary to see a new doctor, but getting another opinion doesn¹t mean you

have to go to this new doctor or let him do anything that you don¹t want.

If you don¹t like what he has to say, move on.

I got a second opinion for my knee replacement even though I liked and

trusted my ortho. I needed to hear from another doctor that this was the

way to go.

Our medical choices are ours and ours alone. I want the best there is

because I want the best result. Debs I really hope you will go searching

for the best so that you can live your life again. Your children need a

healthy mom and one day you will have grandchildren to bounce on those

knees. As I sit here with my grandson on my knees, I bless my doctor¹s

skilled hands.

Hugs,

a

> I have to agree with a, Debs. This is not the time to swear off all

> doctors. More than ever, you need a good medical team to help you. It is

> imperative that you immediately find someone else who can determine if

> the infection is still present and where it is. What if it is in your

> other knee already? As a's links demonstrated, there are various

> ways of determining whether a prosthesis is infected. This is not a wait

> and see situation. If you are not proactive and you don't determine the

> extent of any infection and eliminate it, you could lose one or both

> prostheses, face amputation, or, as you did in your last hospital stay,

> confront death.

>

> As you yourself have admitted and know, you are dealing with a very

> serious complication of your knee surgery. No matter what similarities

> you want to draw between you and your father, remember that every case

> is different and that decades have passed since he first became ill.

> Treatments are better today, and we know more. If you feel as if Mayo

> let your dad down and can't get beyond that idea, go somewhere else.

> But please keep in mind that he was there many years ago.

>

> People come from all over the world to the Mayo Clinic, s Hopkins,

> and the Rehab Institute of Chicago. There are many good reasons for

> that.

>

> At places like Mayo, JH, and RIC, physicians work together as true

> teams. Multidisciplinary collaboration is central to the strategy they

> use to diagnose and treat. They also have the tremendous advantage of

> volume - thousands and thousands of people come through their

> institutions every year. Meticulous records are kept and innovative

> research is done. These physicians have incredible resources at their

> disposal.

>

> And even though your orthopedic physician studied at s Hopkins,

> according to what I read in his resume, it was for only one year. Also,

> there is always someone who finishes last in the class. The value of the

> entire institution does not rest with this one man.

>

> Even at medical centers such as these, there are no guarantees; not

> every patient will have a success story, and no doctor there is without

> flaws. However, I am a betting woman, and I like to go with the odds. I

> have a feeling that it is much more likely that you will get better care

> at one of those locations than you are currently receiving. In a

> complicated case like yours, five heads at Mayo are better than one most

> other places. These doctors will also not be as likely to be playing the

> games we all know too well such as Pass the Buck, Cover My Ass, and

> Blame the Patient.

>

> Nobody ever questioned your intelligence. You are very bright and

> capable. We care about you. We simply want you to be happy and healthy.

> Only you know the entire story and why you needed to stay with your

> current doctors as long as you did. That decision was entirely yours to

> make. Anything I or anyone else here suggests that is contrary to what

> you have chosen to do is motivated by our concern for you, nothing else.

>

> More than that, what's done is done. There is little value in looking

> back and lamenting. Too, as a noted, you shouldn't waste your time

> and energy in that way - you need it to fight for yourself now. Please

> get competent help. Please leave your current orthopedic surgeon.

> Please.

>

> With a lot of love and worry,

>

>

>

>

> Re: [ ] Debs

>

>

> Debs,

> Here¹s a few more. This first one sounds like what should be done:

>

> If there is a concern about infection, you may be scheduled for an

> Indium-111 Radioisotope Scan. This requires removing some of your own

> blood

> and labeling it with an isotopic material (Indium-111) which is then

> re-injected. You will return one day later and the area of the joint

> will be

> scanned. This procedure is sometimes used in combination with other more

> routine types of scanning agents so as to evaluate patients with

> infection

> or sepsis.

> http://www.jri-oh.com/hipsurgery/hip_special.asp

>

>

> Here is a different type of bone scan that shows infection in the bone:

> http://www.msit.com/t_bone.htm

>

> Group B Streptococcal Prosthetic Joint Infections

>

> http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/431319_3?WebLogicSession=PYiQyjjBa6T

> NnBI

> wK22ufeS2FKsNhT96hM2pMAB7xbt5ccPlH2Rw|2922250761261221669/184161393/6/70

> 01/7

> 001/7002/7002/7001/-1

>

> If your knee is still draining, what¹s the reasoning for closing it? I

> don¹t understand the rush or the fact that it¹s of utmost importance.

> Dealing with the infection and your pain should be highest on the

> priority

> list. You should be on better pain control. The phentonal pain patch

> would

> help you so much.

> 3-4 weeks to get an appointment with the infectious disease doctor is

> not

> acceptable.

> I cannot believe that they expect you to wait that long with something

> as

> serious as sepsis.

> My personal opinion is that you should use your remaining energy and

> focus

> on finding better medical care. What is happening with you is just not

> right. Please Debs, consider it.

> Hugs,

> a

>

>

>

>

>> > Thank you for the links a. I have no idea what his thinking was

> behind

>> > this change of plans. My knee is still draining like a faucet. I am

> now

>> > self treating with steri strips to attempt to close the hole in time

> (a long

>> > time). I don't know how successful this will be, but hey, it looks

> like I am

>> > on my own anyway. I have called the nephrologist and because the

> hospital

>> > sent incomplete hospital records, he won't see me until my next appt

> in

>> > December because the records he received didn't show the low potassium

> of

>> > 2.9, it just showed the lab results of the normal potassium of 4.3 so

> no need

>> > to see him right now. I was supposed to receive another shipment of

> IV

>> > antibiotics but they were going to hold off until after I got home

> from the

>> > hospital and I call the nursing agency and they have to get this

> straightened

>> > out with the doctors, nothing of which was done today. Appt with

> infectious

>> > disease doctor was canceled on Thursday as I was supposed to be in the

>> > hospital and they won't have another opening for 3-4 weeks. I am

> still

>> > getting around in a wheelchair as I cannot put any weight on that

> right leg

>> > whatsoever due to the severe pain. I am very tired of fighting this,

> the

>> > original surgery was on 8-8-02 and just can't fight anymore. It took

> a lot

>> > of strength for me to muster up the energy to do the surgery that was

> planned

>> > and had my mindset that this was the best way to go and now to have

> the

>> > entire game changed in midstream, makes no sense to me. If something

> is

>> > infected, I was always under the impression that it should be taken

> out.

>> > When I suggested that another washing be done prior to the removal of

> the

>> > original prosthesis, he said that would do me no good as he might miss

> a

>> > piece of infection and then he would be doing me no favors. His first

>> > suggestion today was just to go see a plastic surgeon in 3-4 days to

> get a

>> > skin graft to get this hole repaired. I asked why he couldn't do it

> and that

>> > is when the other plan came into effect. He may do another washing

> and

>> > possible closure of the hole on Thursday but it seems that his office

> and the

>> > hospital can't get it all together so I think it is best to just walk

> (?)

>> > away from the situation and try to figure out something myself. What

> a mess,

>> > my poor tummy is taking the brunt of all this stress and the tears

> keep

>> > falling. It seems like it has been a very long day for me. Yes, I

> can see

>> > where I have made the big mistakes in choosing a physician and until I

> can

>> > learn to trust again, I best stay away from any and all of them.

>> >

>> > Once again, thank you for the links that you have passed along to me.

>> >

>> > Debs

>

>