Thursday April 15, 2010: Tax Day and 6 days to go!

Yesterday was my pre-op with my hematologist where my platelet count had to be 75,000or more to go without a short course of prednisone beforehand. It was, as it was 86,000. He also was calling the hospital blood bank to make sure it would have platelets on hand for me the day of the surgery in case they were needed. So we're inching forward. Joints are still aching but not much longer!

Friday April 9, 2010: Update

Monday the 5th, I had the autologous blood donation appointment at the hosptial. Platelets were at 86,000. Tuesday the 6th, I had my preop with my primary care physician. Thursday the 7th, she called to say platelets were at 93,000. Today (the 9th) was the preop with the ortho. I had an xray of my knee taken at an angle that hadn't been done. Even I could see the bone on bone arthritis. I described pain level at a 9 at times. I got a prescription for a painkiller for now. PT, it turns out, will start at home, done by the VNA. 12 days! Yea! Can't wait (mostly, lol).

Friday March 25- Friday April 2, 2010: A crazy week

Friday April 2, 2010: Crazy week. Tuesday at 4:40, I got a call from Danbury Hospital about my ortho wanting me to have an MRI of knee and thigh STAT because there is a cyst in there. Knowing nothing, the hospital person said she’d call the ortho office. No call back. It was a long night! Wednesday March 31, I call the ortho office and sure enough, yes I need one. So I call the hospital and make an appointment. Meanwhile, I realize I forgot to ask ortho person something. So I call afterwards: I need to know will my surgery be cancelled or postponed because of this? The answer is no. A lot of relief! Shortly after that, ortho surgery person (not the usual one), whom I had learned the hospital had left a voice mail with last night, called me back and confirmed everything I had been told. Then I was about to leave for work when Henry said there was a voice mail, so I listened and it was the hospital MRI department. Because the MRI was to with and without contrast and I’m on BP medicine, I had to have blood work done and it had to be done that day. So after work, I had to run over to CFO and get a prescription for the blood work and then go to the hospital lab on Sandpit Rd. I took care of that. Thursday April 2 (yesterday) in the afternoon, I took Ativan for the MRI before we left the house. Jonathan drove me. I felt fine. But when I had to lay down on the bed for the MRI, I got dizzy but it passed. The scan proceeded fine until it was time to add the contrast (near the end). I mistakenly told them to do it in my left arm but the vein blew (the contrast started coming out of the spot) – do not get injections/whatever in the same spot as where blood was drawn less than 24 hours before. But then things were okay for the rest of the scan. When it was done, I got up and promptly got very dizzy again. I sat a few times on the way back to the changing room. While changing, I got dizzy again but it passed. I finally got home exhausted. Then last night, the primary doctor called back to say my cholesterol was even higher than before. I’m making it, although I had modified my diet. Oy!!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention that the cyst is something I have had for 15+ years-never think about it, doesn't bother me.

Saturday March 20, 2010: Time for an update

My trip to the Azores was wonderful despite terrible weather. I used my folding cane only once-preventative cortisone shot seemed to do the trick. The shot's effects are gone now, but were good while they lasted!
We attended the hospital joint replacement class and met with an anesthesiologist and nurse. Bumping surgery to 2nd or 3rd of the day so a CBC can be done and a hematologist called if necessary. The next day, I saw the hematologist. I see him a week before the surgery, and if my count is less than 75,000 (it was 76,000 that day), I'll have a short course of prednisone which he thought is preferable to a platelet transfusion since the one and only time I had that, I got a fever and the shakes in the recovery room. Ah the joys of ITP and surgery!
Next thing on the agenda is tomorrow I start the iron pills in preparation for the autologous blood donation. Tuesday I go the rheumy office, Friday the PCP office for a cholesterol recheck. The following week is doctor-free and then lots of appointments after that.
March 27, next Saturday, we're going to Boston, having a small family gathering at Durgin Park. Can't wait!

Friday Feb. 26, 2010: MRI Scan Day

MRI scan for the custom implant today at the hospital. I had been very nervous last night and finally decided I would take ½ of an Ativan pill from my prescription for the trip next week. Henry didn’t break it very evenly so I took more like ¾ of the pill. It was snowing this morning so Henry drove me. The scan was about 2 hours, with a short break in the middle. Technician called me skinny (not really am) and then a troublemaker being skinny and having already an knee implant, when I mentioned it. That knee was kept away sort of from the knee being scanned. I dozed a lot through the 2nd half of the scan. We came home, had lunch, and then tried to take a nap in bed but couldn’t sleep so I came downstairs and watching curling at the Olympics while my husband was working. I managed to doze off and on with that. I woke completely when I heard my cell phone ring upstairs. I'm glad that's over with. I was told the technician would be sending the scans "on the internet" to Biomet and I was given a large envelope with the actual scans. I'm supposed to give them to my ortho the next time I see him, which isn't until April 9.
I am trying to stop wondering that someone looking at the scans will wonder why I am getting a TKR!! Nutty but true!

Wednesday Feb. 24, 2010: More progress

More progress moving toward surgery day, which is 8 weeks from today. I got a call from the hosptial confirming my MRI scan for FRiday morning, regardless of the weather (which isn't supposed to be very good). A bit nervous due to always having had open MRIs for all my other scans. This one, required for my custom implant, has to be a closed machine. I know my head will be out but I hope it's enough that I can breathe. The woman I spoke to suggested maybe an Ativan (something I never took until last week when I tried it once to see if it worked for my upcoming plane ride) but I rejected it, knowing how knocked out and for how long it knocked me out when I tried it.
Then in the mail came a letter from the hospital comfirming my joint replacement class. It mentioned scheduling an appointment with a nurse and anesthesologist prior to surgery, if desired. I thought that had been included in the class, but apparently not. So I had to call the ortho office which got me an appointment with them right after the class. With my PKR, I had told the anesthesiologist in the holding area that my hematologist said I should have general rather than spinal anesthesia due to my low platelet count. Since I don't remember anything after being given a femoral block and sedative, I don't know if I consented to the spinal during the period I have no memory of. I don't remember the OR at all. As far as I know, I ended up with a spinal anyway, so I want to get things cleared up beforehand.

Monday Feb. 22, 2010: Cortisone shot day

I got my shot in my left knee this morning in preparation for my trip. The office again was running late. That never happened before. I don't know if they're trying to get more patients in an hour or what (or their new computer system is causing problems-which is was last time). Anyway, he gave me the shot. We discussed and poked at the other knee. I described where and when that knee is hurting (going down stairs and bent when I drive mostly) and he said that is kneecap/patella issues---arthritis----and possibly in another spot where it's hard to tell because it's still numb there from the PKR (nerves haven't regenerated completely-smaller area than at first). He said when it gets troublesome, we'll check that one out. He doesn't like to go in arthroscopically to see what is going on because that in itself can stir up problems. It is feeling better. I am no longer having the muscle cramps since I seem to have figured out what motions trigger them (although when they first started 10 or so days ago, they'd just cramp up for some reason) so I avoid those motions. I don't see him again until my pre-op in April so he told me to have a nice trip:)
So Friday I have the MRI for the implant scan---closed machine but my head will be sticking out. And they have it in their records (noted when I made the appointment) that I am slightly claustrophobic so they're prepared if there is a problem.

Friday Feb. 19, 2010: And so it goes

Time for a short update. We decided earlier this week to go tomorrow to Mohegan Sun (Indian casino here in CT) for the day. We're going to leave early, play the nickel and quarter slots, and have a big lunch. Looking forward to getting away for the day.

NExt week I'm scheduled to work on Tuesday 11-3. Of course, it's supposed to snow again that day so I'll probably end up calling out. Then I'm on vacation for 2 weeks going to and from the Azores and getting back into the time zone. Then I work until my medical leave starts which is April 18, but the scheduler will probably make my last day early in the week than the 17th.

LEft knee (the one soon to be operated on) hasn't been horrible, but hasn't been comfortable either. For the most part, the cramping is mostly gone unless I get up wrong from a chair or go down the stairs wrong. But I have definitely concluded that I now have arthritis under my kneecap in my PKR knee that occasionally will really let itself be known. I'm going to the ortho on Monday for my pre-trip cortisone shot and he's going to be checking my PKR knee too (he doesn't seem to be as much a stickler about checking out other body parts than what the appointment is for as my 1st ortho is!). If I'm lucky, he may suggest a cortisone shot in that knee too. Then Friday I have the MRI for the scan of my knee for the TKR implant.

Once back from the Azores, I have a ton of appointments, from several pre-ops to an appointment for the autologous blood donation to a cholesterol retest appointment to hemo to rheumy office. And also my Joint Replacement class will be coming up too, a week after I get back.

Busy weeks ahead! So it'll be fun to get away to Mohegan Sun tomorrow. Extra nice if we manage to win something!

Wednesday Feb 10, 2010: Oh my! Pain!

Snowing here (southwestern CT) like crazy. I walked down 6 stairs this AM and my already replaced knee hurt so badly at the bottom of them, I had to stand there a few minutes. I finally hobbled to the sofa nearby and rubbed which helped for a bit. Now it's awful again. I can barely put any weight on it or bend it without a lot of pain. If it's still this way tomorrow, I'll call the ortho. Mine does surgery on Wednesday so he wouldn't be there today even if I called (and even if the ortho office is opened--=a lot of places are either closed or are closing early). I've also iced it. It hurts right where the implant is. I have a bruise there (which I've had a few days, from walking into the corner of the dishwasher). Maybe it's the tendon. I don't know but it hurts A LOT!

Feb,. 9, 2010: Blood donation date & surgery approved

I arranged yesterday for a date for the autologous blood donation but wrote down one date in my notebook and another date on the calendar so I had to call this morning to get that cleared up as to the correct date! So it's Monday April 5, the day before my pre-op with my regular doctor.
This morning, the surgery scheduler from the ortho office called while HEnry was on the phone and so I had to call her back and then wait for the return call. She said surgery was approved by insurance and that she had gotten a notice saying I had scheduled the MRI date. So as of now, this is what my schedule looks like (it includes yesterday's appointment):



Availability (for work):

1) Not available at all:
Monday Feb. 8- Regular doctor, airplane drug appointment, 11:15AM
Monday Feb. 22 Ortho., cortisone shot, pre-trip, 10:30
Friday Feb. 26: MRI at the hospital of my knee, 8:45AM
Sunday Feb. 28 - Saturday March 13 Azores trip
Tuesday March 16 Joint replacement class, hospital, 12:30
Monday April 5: Blood bank, autologous blood donation, 1:30
Tuesday April 6: regular doctor, pre-op, 9:30
Friday April 9: Ortho pre-op, 10:00


2) Available in the afternoon:

Wednesday March 17 Hemo, 9:30
Friday March 19: Regular doctpr cholesterol retest
Thursday March 25 rheumy office, 9:45AM


3) Medical leave to begin Sunday April 18. Surgery is scheduled for April 21.

Sunday Feb. 7, 2010: A long weekend

This weekend seemed very long. It was supposed to snow late late Friday night into Saturday but it didn't. However, south of here, there was a WHOLE lot more snow.
Thursday I started feeling sniffy and by Friday afternoon, I had a full-blown cold. No fever, just lots of nose blowing and sneezes. And then my PKR leg decided to return to the cramping it had after the PKR: the calf, hamstring and right behind the knee would clamp down tight. It is still doing it, but not doing it quite as much. On a good note about, it seems to take away from the left knee waiting for its TKR, which still hurts, but not as noticeably when I'm trying to ignore the cramping pain! Hopefully that will ease up. Today I'm still blowing my nose but have only sneezed about 4 times, and that wasn't until around 8PM and in one big sneezing attack.


So tomorrow morning, I have to take the Subaru in to get the license plates put on since the dealer neglected to give us screws for the front license plate required in CT. I'll go there before I had to Ridgefield to get my airplane drugs for my trip. She’ll probably check me out due to the cold and I'll tell her about the upcoming TKR. I'm also bringing the paper that has the information about the autologous blood donation and iron recommendations to see what she says about that. Hopefully tomorrow the hematology office will call back, speaking of the blood donation. I'll probably make the appointment for the donation tomorrow too, for the day of the joint replacement class, which the paper says they like to do.

Tuesday Feb. 2, 2010: Another entry-MRI scan & more

I got the call today for scheduling the MRI scan which will scan my knee for measurements for the new custom knee. It'll be Friday Feb. 26 in the morning. It isn't, as I thought correctly, an open machine but my head will be sticking out and there is a note saying I am slightly claustrophobic.

I also got the packet of papers from the ortho office. Good thing I got them as I had the pre-op date with the ortho one week later than it's scheduled.

Tuesday Feb. 2, 2010: A Cane

Just a quick note to say I ordered a cane today. After calling the local medical supply store to see if they carried folding canes (they do not), I ordered one online that I think will look nice. I may end up taking it to the Azores since it folds and is adjustible (no more men walking by me and whispering "your cane's too big," which happened at the grocery store after my PKR) for my height. So here is the link:

http://www.fashionablecanes.com/80182.html


Henry has also agreed to attend the class with me.

Friday Jan. 29, 2010: A surgery date is set

The surgery scheduler called me this morning. We have a date of April 21 (a Wednesday), first thing in the morning. I'll be seeing other doctors in the practice for 2 days afterwards (while in the hospital) as he'll be away, but I can live with that. I am also registered for the mandatory (apparently not mandatory for the PKR) joint replacement class at the hospital on March 16 where you also get to meet the anesthesia team (individually). A pre-surgical blood donation for myself from me will also be done, as long as my hemo says it's fine (which I can't see why not). I'll be seeing him mid-March and will discuss the whole thing then, including required platelet count for the surgery. I now also have a pre-op appointment set up with my regular doctor and one with the ortho. Then this afternoon, as I was walking into Sear's, I got another call from her on my cell phone. I have to have a special MRI ASAP at the hospital as the ortho uses a customized implant.

http://www.biomet.com/mySignatureSolution/

So now I'm waiting for a call from the hospital for that. It's a good thing I'm not working next week!

Tuesday Jan. 26, 2010: Big News!

I saw my ortho today for a one year check up on the PKR right knee and had a chance to discuss my ever-worsening left knee. He poked, looked at the xray of the left knee, discussed the pain, where it is, how much it hurts, and he said whenever I'm ready, I should call the surgery scheduler to schedule a total knee replacement. The pain isn't all in one place as it was with the other knee, it's much more diffused across the whole knee, which is why he said it is better to have the one surgery and replace it all rather than having the partial knee replacement and needing another surgery in a couple of years. So I cancelled the appointment I made to see him next week about that knee and have instead an appointment to see him about a week before I go to the Azores when he'll give me a cortisone shot in that knee to get through the trip. He said they're already almost booked for MArch for surgeries,and I don't want to do it in March anyway, but I'm thinking toward the end of April or the beginning of May.

Jan. 21, 2010: Happy Birthday Demian and I bit the bullet

First, happy birthday to my nephew. It's hard to believe he's 39!

Second, this morning, I went to the mall (Macy's) to shop for my upcoming trip to the Azores. Not a particular successful one, but it was much easier to try clothes wearing my new clog-style (slip on, no-laces) Merrell shoes. Henry also wanted me to look for a new key ring for him while I was there, so I headed out to the rest of the mall (Macy's is at the very end of one side). I could barely walk, my left knee (the non-replaced one) was hurting so much, I didn't even bother to go more than 1/2 down the length of the mall (it's New England's biggest mall so it's pretty big). It was then I decided I had to bite the bullet and act proactively. I have an appointment on Tuesday to see the ortho for a year check up on the replaced knee. I am pretty sure he doesn't/won't discuss my other knee at the same appointment, so I made myself an appointment to see him about the other knee the following week, as he's all booked up for next week. If he's willing to discuss that knee on Tuesday, then I'll cancel the other appointment. But at least for now, I have one. And if he agrees it's time for the TKR, I'd like to do it in late April or May. What a pain it is!!!

Thursday Jan. 14, 2010: Thank you, Duck!

Thank you, Duck, for leaving a comment. I am glad I'm not just talking to myself although I have been known to:)
Knees are continuing to ache as are feet again, which I think I related to walking funny because the knees ache. Who knows??
Big happenings going on since I last posted. We will be picking up the Subaru Forester on Saturday morning. The Jeep has been cleaned out, 10 years worth of emission test result papers thrown out, about 6 years of expired car insurance ID cards from AMICA, some pens, a 2006 phone book, a CD of unknown origin, all gone to the trash. Unfortunately, no money was found.
On another front, I am unexpectedly going to a small family reunion in The Azores in March! A little concerned for my knees but they'll live. Now if I could just not think about the plane part of the trip!

Saturday January 9, 2010: My Pain Will Go On!

A quick update. Left knee has been deteriorating. Buckling, pain when turning/twisting. Not a happy camper. New partially replaced knee has also been hurting but may be because of compensating for its sister knee. It’s not happy going to work with me. I am a bit concerned because the PKR'd knee is hurting where the replacement isn't at time (but also where the replacement is) so who knows. I'm just glad to be seeing the ortho. in a couple of weeks.

However, that hasn’t stopped us from putting a deposit on a new car today which we’ll pick up next Saturday probably. It’s a Subaru Forester:


http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/25xp/index.html


Wondering if anyone is reading this. If you are, please leave a comment just so I know I'm not talking to myself.