Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Laura G on December 22, 2010 at 10:21am

Hi Lisa. Wow 9 knee surgeries? I certainly hope my count doesn't get that high. My surgeon has told me that it may be time to think about a career change, but I am not prepared to that at this point. I love EMS far to much to give it up because of my knee's.

I have seen how fast muscles can atrophy and am not looking forward to that. I will be completely non weight bearing for 6wks and then partial weight bearing after that for another 4 wks or so. I am not sure how far into the recovery he will want to get before the PT gets started, hopefully sooner rather then later. I would like to hang on to as much muscle as I can and get the ROM back in my knee.

My hubby is absolutely amazing and already pampers me...lol...He's actually looking forward to being able to be with me through out the process and take care of me. Fortunately his job as a detective and his seniority allows him as much time off as he will need to be home with me. I am looking forward to that...we don't get alot of time togethor because of our jobs. He's already planned a 2 night get a way for me while I'm off with my knee. Although he won't tell me where...lol

Lisa, I wish you luck with your upcoming surgeries....I wish you all the best. Keep in touch and let me know how you make out.

And, Merry Christmas.

Permalink Reply by Laura G on December 22, 2010 at 10:30am

I've been getting the cortisone shots very 4 months for the last yr and a half. They don't help what so ever and actually make my knee feel worse initially. He's now talking about giving me Synvisc injections...I haven't given much thought to that yet. I want to do my research on that before I go ahead. If the benefit doesn't out weigh the risk then I won't be going with it.

My last appt with my Ortho he offered another cortisone shot to get me through to the surgery but I opted out of that and didn't get it. I won't be going through with anymore as far as the Cortisone is concerned.

But I will research the Synvisc and talk to him about that again after the surgery.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Matschke on December 22, 2010 at 12:29pm

Are you going to be allowed to flex the knee after surgey or is it going to be straght? If you're "lucky" like me, you'll not be allowed to bend it for twelve weeks, and the PT will have to reboot the knees ability to bend. After the frst couple of surgeries, my Doc let me do my rehab and physical therapy. I guess it is a little odd that I'm on a 1st name basis with my surgeon, asst surgeon, anesthesiologist, my pre and post op nurses. They all know me well enough that when I'm in pre-op, they put me in bed # 3, because I'm just a little bit of a NASCAR fan, LOL!

My husband always gets to play nurse with me, too! He had no idea what was being done in the OR until my surgeon showed the video of my surgery. I thought they were going to have to admit him alongside of me! Yeah, seeing the incision, the bent position my leg was in after the incision, and how they bisected my tibia then pulled the tendon down so it could be screwed in between the sections of the tibia, He turned a little green and excused himself before he lost it. Hmm, been a FF/Medic/Chief for26 years, he's seen some nasty stuff, haven't we all? GSW, trauma, delivering babies, open fractures, SIDS cases, but I guess maybe it being MY knee being chopped, it bothered him more. Take the rehab easy, and make sure your PT is only doing the exercizes he prescribed. You don't want to end up in the OR again because a PT thought they knew better than the surgeon. Good luck with yours, too, and Merry Christmas!

Permalink Reply by Laura G on December 22, 2010 at 4:31pm

I will be allowed to bend my knee but NWB. He did say that it will be at good week or 2 before I will even want to bend it though and to expect to be in a lot of pain the first 10-14 days.

He will be putting a nerve block in immediately after surgery and it will give me pain relief for about 18hrs and then I will feel the full effects of the surgery and be in some pretty intense pain and to make sure I stay on top of the pain and start the pain meds before the nerve block wears off.

I am hoping to be able to bend it long before the 10 day mark...if I wait to long it will get very stiff I'm told and then be that much more painful when I do start moving it.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Matschke on December 22, 2010 at 8:03pm

Synvisc is another trade name for hyuralonic acid, which is the natural lubricant in the joints. It's a single shot delivery, versus some of the other ones. Hyalgan is the same thing, but given over a period of 3 weeks, one shot per week. My Orthopaedic surgeon started me on the Hyalgan shots after the 3rd or 4th surgery. It's given as the three weekly shots, and is supposed to last for six months. When that one started giving me more discomfort than relief (due to the needle having to be inserted deeply into the knee, where I have the worst of my scar tissue buildups) we tried the Synvisc. I only had that shot in both knees the one time. My knees swelled up, it hurt to even walk, and once my tissues were inflamed because the Synvisc pissed it off, both of my knees seized up. Well, wasn't that just so much fun?? Uh, not no, but hell no! It's intended to be a relief alternative for osteoarthritis, and some people get great results with the hyaluronic acid providing some "grease" in the joints.l My knees and left shoulder are too far gone for the shots to do me any good. And, of course, every time we cut, glue, screw, wire, pin, or snip things in my knees & shoulder, the osteoarthritis gets worse. There is tons of info on the different trade names and dosing floating around on the internet. Try to find one of the sites that ISN'T a division of any of the pharmaceutical companies, because they all represent their products in the "yay us!" format. It reminds me of the yellow fuzzball critter in Horton Hears a Who named Katie. It should be on my page if the stupid thing uploaded! I was having an extremely crappy day when one of my friend sent me the clip, it's just too funny. I think Katie has been into the Narc Lock Box!

Permalink Reply by Laura G on January 12, 2011 at 5:37pm

Well, the countdown is on. Mon is the big day. Will be in the OR at 11:30 Mon morning. Just trying to figure out what I should make sure I have and have done prior to then so I"m not left scrambling trying to figure things out when I get home..lol

Trying to keep myself busy in the mean time to keep from worrying too much, however I seem to failing miserably at it..lol

Permalink Reply by Sarah on January 12, 2011 at 5:48pm

Best of luck Laura!

Permalink Reply by Laura G on January 16, 2011 at 5:58pm

Thank you!

Permalink Reply by Laura G on January 16, 2011 at 6:00pm

I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice, kind words and well wishes.

Early night tonight and off to the hospital in the AM. Again, thank you...you are all such a great bunch of people.

Fingers crossed it goes well and that I will have successful surgery and quick recovery.

Permalink Reply by Nancy Lankford McCain on January 17, 2011 at 11:12am

I post this for you, and please, pass on to ALL THE GIRLS out there in Fire/EMS World. I was one of those in the days before women were truly accepted. I didn't know anything except I had to do everything the boys did and twice as hard. So after 21 years I quit playing in the freeway so that I could keep walking! That lasted another 11 years until thyroid disease tried to kill me by destroying the already damaged knees. (too many holding babies during cat scans and xrays without a rad badge)

I graduated to a scooter and frankly, that was not acceptable. At 46 I had BOTH knees replaced same day. Then, I learned to walk again!

Here's my message to all the ladies in public safety. You are different! Wait, Breathe! I learned this the hard way and have tried to spread the message as far and wide as I can, so here we go girls;

YOUR KNEES ARE NOT LIKE THE GUYS KNEES! Our creator never envisioned equal rights and us playing in the freeway. Girls YOU MUST build and work on daily the muscles around the knee. You need double the quad of any man out there to protect your knees. Very simply the construction manual for girl knees and boy knees have different schematics. Slight, yes; Suttle, yes! BUT DIFFERENT.

These are the things I learned while preparing for bilateral TKR. You know how the paramedic mind thinks, I have to know more than the doctor to tell him how to do his job!

Next, since I had my titanium and teflon installed there have been giant leaps in technology! They make special knees for girls, they make knees that twist now. I on the other hand have straight forward boy knees. However, my legs are straight and I told my ortho if he ever needed a new wife to call me. I send him a birthday card every year for my now 10 year old knees.

Before your surgery, do everything you can to build your quads. It will make recovery so much easier.

Drop me a note and I'll talk you thru! I might even share a tshirt ballcap or bumpersticker!

Permalink Reply by Laura G on January 17, 2011 at 7:15pm

Surgery is done...yay! I'm not too uncomfortable yet. Although I have a nerve block in. Once the nerve block wears off I expect my good mood will go with it. Keep on top of the pain and it shouldn't be too bad. Still very sleepy, my knee is about twice its normal size and tightly wrapped in surgical dressings.

Blackberry in hand, tv on, and being waited on hand and foot...could be worse!

Permalink Reply by Laura G on January 20, 2011 at 10:04am

Beginning of day 3 post op. I have had very little sleep and am having a very difficult time controlling the pain. Tues night was spent in emerg. The ER Dr, the attending and an ortho consult, morphine and 8 hrs later I was sent home. There is some debate as to whether or not it is infected. So rather then aspirating some fluid and making a definitive diagnosis regarding infection, the ortho decided to outline the area suspected with pen and told me if anything changes or the pain increases further to come back.

So, I have been flat on my back in bed going on 3 days now, in excruciating pain that even morphine isn't controlling with absolutely no appetite and crying all the time.

I wasn't expecting the pain to be this bad, nor was I expecting it to be so emotionally taxing.

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