Sigh...back from ortho doctor

[DammitJanet]

Not good news.

Basically Im rotated thoroughly. I did chip a bone in my knee but it has already started to reattach itself so he doesnt want to go in to mess with things. I have three choices. Go back and do the fake cartilage shots every 6 months, do knee replacements or live with the pain.

Today I just got cortisone shots in both knees to reduce inflammation.

I really dont want to do more of the cartilage shots. They have stopped working for me. Doing the knee replacements right now is an option I am so not wanting to consider. I dont want to go through rehab again to learn to walk. I just dread it. I know what it will be like and I just do not think I have the fortitude to do it right now.

So I guess living with the pain is my decision. Lovely.

 

[KTMom91]

My sympathies. I'm so afraid the ortho is going to start making noises about knee replacement when I get in.

 

[gcvmom]

I'm so sorry to hear that Janet. Was the bone chip the result of your midnight tango with the coffee table a while back?

 

[hearts and roses]

Just scheduled an appointment with my knee guy today also. I am worried about the knee replacement suggestion as well. I have massive imflammation and a baker's cyst - a lot of fluid retention! And my left knee buckled this weekend, scary.

I hope the cortizone helps while you sort out your next step. Hugs~

 

[totoro]

Crud- I am so sorry. You would think we would have better options than, "Well one choice is to live with the pain."

 

[Hound dog]

((hugs))

 

[DammitJanet]

I am going to go with the live with the pain option for now because I cant even think of the surgery right now with my dad in his condition. I cant be down if something happens with him. Nope. Not now.

 

[Star*]

Call DF and talk to him about those "knee shots" --------WORTHLESS.

 

[everywoman]

My ortho will not do the knee shots----He is waiting for me to make the decision about replacement when I'm ready---Losing weight has really helped with the pain, and as long as I don't do a lot of climbing---ladders or stairs---I'm okay for now. I hurt, but I can live with it right now.

 

[DammitJanet]

The first set of knee shots lasted about 5 months which wasnt too bad. I mean it took 5 weeks of shots so that was a month and a week out of the 5 months so I ended up with just a tad over 4 months that I felt okay.

They second time they lasted about 3 to 4. This last time, the shots ended in October and I was in agony in December. Im not doing them again.

I think I am going to ask to have a referral to an arthritis doctor to get their take on my situation. Frankly an ortho is simply a surgeon. When I need surgery, I will go back to him. He is wonderful. I think I will see what this arthritis doctor says and then get referred also to a pain management doctor too. I want and need long acting pain medications since I am choosing to just deal with pain at this time. I dont need to take this much tylenol either. That junk will kill my liver. I need medications which are pure like plain oxycodone or morphine or fentanyl.

 

[Shari]

That's a good plan, Janet.

I had my first knee surgery at 27. Somehow, I had torn the cartilage off the weight bearing surface of my femur and it was just a dead flap of cartilage hanging on. Obviously, that doesn't come back, so I've dealt with bone on bone for 10 years already. When I finally got released from my surgeon, I went to another doctor who looked at it from a maintenance perspective. He put me on a maintenance plan using ketoprofen with yearly (or so) steroid shots to the joint. It was amazing how the perspective changed the treatment options and the outcome. I am by no means pain free, but I can live with it.

 

[DammitJanet]

Shari...Im bone on bone now after they scoped and scraped. What is irritating to me is I cant get them to put me on maintenance nsaids. I loved ketoprofen. I got a big bottle of that from the ER one time for a toothache and it really did well for my joints. I told my GP and he gave me 20. UGH. But the GP will give me 120 vicodin! I need something for pain that helps with the inflammation too. Yes I have fibro and my muscles and joints hurt but I am complicated...lol. I need all points covered.

 

[Fran]

My f i l, had both knees at once. He is a different man. He was grumpy, quiet and withdrawn(that generation doesn't talk about pain) After surgery he is so much better. He said the first few days were horrid as was rehab but he is very glad to have done it.

 

[DammitJanet]

Fran, if and when I have it done, I will do both at once. I know me. If I have to do them one at a time, I wont do the second one. I have had to relearn to walk one time and it was a bear. Im really not looking forward to it again. This time will be much worse because I will have all my faculties about me. Last time I was a bit mentally out of it and quite childlike. This time I will be quite unhappy. I am going to insist on going back to the same rehab though. Im taking the known over the unknown.

I will probably opt for it after my dad dies. I refuse to be down incase he needs me.

 

[Shari]

Maybe the new doctor will give you the ketoprofen again. It changed my world. And once the cycle of inflammation and pain was interrupted, I was actually able to regain a lot of the lost muscle strength, which also helped.

Fingers crossed the new guy will help!

 

[busywend]

Janet, sounds like a good plan. Although I hate to hear that you will be in pain until you are ready for surgery. Aren't you young for a knee replacement? I thought they only did this for 60+ year olds as the new knee only lasts so long.

 

[DammitJanet]

Busy, yes. We are trying to limp (pun intended) me along as long as we can because of the fact that knees only last so long. The earlier I get the first one means that I will have to have more of them predicting my length of life. I mean, I could get run over by a car the year after I get one but we seem to think with my parents genes that I may live at least until Im into my 70s so thats at least 2 to 3 knee replacements if I start now.