Call from doctor - Surgery New Year's Eve for DS

[DaisyFace]

So far, the pediatric rheumatologist has run a whole battery of tests on DS...

They've been able to rule out cancer, infection, and a host of diseases -

and so they are saying Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis....but they are not able to tell me why or what's causing it.

They have scheduled DS for surgery on New Year's Eve. They are going to drain DS's knee and inject some steroids into the joint.

It will be his first time under anesthesia - so he is worried and scared...

And so am I.

But mostly - I am just upset about how unfair this all this. DS has enough on his plate dealing with difficult child at home. That poor kid!

I just want to stand outside and scream

"IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!!!"

but I can't because I have put on my strong, supportive, loving Mom face so that DS knows everything will be OK...

Maybe you all could do some yelling on my behalf?

And keep DS in your prayers that everything goes well and his knee gets better soon.

Thank you.

 

[DammitJanet]

Yes its not fair...poor DS!

Are they just going to drain his knee and inject the steroids? Is that all they are going to do while he is under?

If so, that is good and not a big deal. They are just putting him under a very light sedation because of his age. If he was older, they wouldnt even consider sedation. They would just inject a numbing agent and then do the procedure. If had that done in a a doctor office. In fact, not too long ago, I had the steroid injection done at the ER.

If he is having the light sedation, he should be able to go home within a few hours. When I had my arthroscopic surgery on my knees, I was let go about an hour or so after I woke up. Didnt take too long. He may get a knee brace or he may not. They may just bandage him up.

Tell him from someone who has had it done that it isnt something to get afraid of. Neither the getting put to sleep, because it isnt a really deep put to sleep, or the actual knee surgery because it isnt a big surgery...they wont cut him. He may see a magic marker mark on his knee when he looks but little else. It wont leave any big scars.

I hope Im helping. LOL.

 

[DaisyFace]

Janet--

You ARE helping - a LOT! And I really appreciate it!

I am glad to be able to pass your advice on to DS....It is great to have the perspective of somebody who has been through this.

Yes, it sounds like the procedure you describe is exactly what they are going to do. He had a hard time when they just removed a few vials of fluid in the office - so they definitely want him "out" for the next one.

And they are talking about sending him home after just a few hours and then spending a few days with his knee up on a pillow.

So not too bad - but still scary for a "first-timer" !

 

[trinityroyal]

Jumping up and down and yelling "It's not FAIR!!!" on your behalf.

The leg-up-on-a-pillow-and-resting-while-being-pampered part doesn't sound too bad. Give DS a big hug and a Merry Christmas from this board Auntie. I'm sorry that he has to go through this, but glad to hear from Janet that it's not too bad. My husband had arthroscopic knee surgery a few years ago. Very light anaesthetic, AND he was able to walk away from the hospital when he went in on crutches.

Many hugs to both of you.

Trinity

 

[TerryJ2]

Awww, I'm so sorry.
It is NOT fair.
I hope the procedure helps.
I've heard that the staff is usually really good in children's areas of hospitals. Maybe they'll get him treats and he can watch movies?
Many hugs.
Oh, and I would LOVE to scream on your behalf! I can use any excuse.

 

[KTMom91]

I've had arthroscopic surgery three times...twice on my left knee, once on my right...and it really wasn't bad at all. In fact, I thought the Synvisc injections in the doctor's office hurt worse than the surgery!

 

[DammitJanet]

Take this time to pamper him and I would get him plenty of his favorite goodies too for the first few days. Believe me, I made my family cater to me for a couple of days...lol.

 

[Shari]

another one who's been thru this procedure and its not bad at all tho i also recal how scary it was the first time. many hugs and prayers and hope for an answer!!!

 

[gcvmom]

As for the why or what's causing it? It's an autoimmune disease. There is likely a genetic component. They don't yet know what the specific triggers are that turn the genes for autoimmune disorders "on" in someone.

The good news is that there is a lot of sharing of scientific data going on right now between researchers working on diseases like Crohn's, RA, MS, etc., because they share a lot of genetic similarities (we now know thanks to the human genome project) and they are finding that medications that work for one can work for another autoimmune disease. And there are lots of different medications out there now that weren't even there five years ago, and many more in the pipeline.

Hopefully he's got a good rheumatologist who will start him on some kind of treatment therapy that will put this into remission and hopefully last a very long time. My difficult child 1 with Crohn's has been in remission four about 4 years now. When he was diagnosed at age 11 1/2, he only weighed 57 pounds and wasn't even on the growth charts for height because he was so malnourished and delayed because of his disease. Once we hit remission, he grew steadily and has now caught up to where he is supposed to be for his age. In fact, since September, he's gained 10 pounds and grown 1/2 an inch. So remission is possible.

 

[Hound dog]

I had pediatric arthritis...........not pediatric RA......just the reg sort. Docs were baffled for years. Me? I was just in misery. Docs wouldn't have been so baffled if my Mom had thought to tell them I'd had rheumatic fever. ugh

I hope he comes through with flying colors and finds relief afterward.

((hugs))

 

[DammitJanet]

I think I told you before but I had a coworker that had JRA and she took gold shots every so often and you couldnt even tell she had it she was so healthy appearing. I only found out because she had to leave early one day to go to the doctor and she told me. She knew I was going through so much and told me she felt sorry for me because her problems were so much easier than what I was dealing with. Go figure.