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!

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.

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.

Tuesday Sept. 15, 2009

I haven't updated for a while. I took the Lisinopril but it made me cough without having a cold. I finally went to the doctor's yesterday and have changed medicines to Hydrochlorothiazide (I hope I spelled that right), 25 mg.. While there, I got my flu shot too.
In a couple of days, it will be the first birthday of my partial knee replacement. I'll discuss then how things have gone in that year. I probably won't get to it until the evening because I'm working all day.

Wednesday August 5, 2009: Ortho visit for the hip

I had my follow up appointment with the ortho today for my hip shot. The hip is looking good. He was very happy the shot worked. No renewal of PT prescription=just finish one of the two more sessions scheduled as PT guy has to close out my case. He mentioned hip resurfacing if necessary, if it really starts bothering me but doesn't need a total hip replacement. It replaces part of the joint, not the full thing, He warned me the huge bruise could spread to my toes (it's almost there already). Now supposedly, I don't need to go back to the ortho office (except for the PT in the same building tomorrow) until January. I hope that actually happens!

As far as the hip resurfacing goes, it sounds good to me, although, obviously, I hope it doesn't become necessary. It can be done when your hip need something but it's not so bad that it needs a total replacement, and it leaves things in tact so that if you do need a hip replacement down the line, it can be done. Sort of like my partial knee replacement which can, when necessary, be made into a total knee replacement. It's also minimally invasive, like the PKR versus the TKR.

Tuesday July 14, 2009: Hip PT starts

Happy Bastille Day! I had my PT evaluation today, and it turns out it was with my previous PT guy, but that was only for today. Lots of muscle tightness, which the PT will loosen up and I will be doing some strengthening exercises too. I was also given a set of exercises to do 3 times a day (in addition to the 1X [at least] a day exercises I do for my new knee. Appointments have been made for Thursday and then Monday of next week. The cortisone shot at the hospital has now been scheduled for that Wednesday (no Mobic for at least 5 days prior!!!!) and will make more PT appointments once I find out from the doctor who does the shot how long I have to wait before starting PT again. When in the parking lot, I called Henry to say I was on my way home and he told me CFO called to say I needed a follow up appointment with Dr. Rogell so I went back into the building and made that appointment for August sometime (before our vacation). PT guy also said my new knee is looking good and acting well!

Monday June 14, 2009

One more day to go to get the results of the shoulder MRI. I should know by this time tomorrow. Good news or bad news. COnsidering I wasn't called a few days afterward by the rheumy office (which is what happened back in Sept. 07 when an MRI scan showed 2 meniscus tears), I have my hopes up that it isn't anything more than a diagnosis of advancing arthritis, although it could also be a huge bone spur poking at my bicep tendon which is why it has gotten tendinitis several times. We'll see!
Meanwhile we attended a lovely wedding on Friday afternoon. I did wear heels for about 2 hours, after which I switched to my sneakers which I had in my purse. My ankles are feeling better but a couple of times a day at least, I've felt this kind of shocky electric feeling there, especially if I put my foot down wrong and my arch gets hit in the wrong spot. I see Dr. Gray on Friday afternoon and will mention it.
Twice in the last couple of weeks, I managed to jar my right leg, making the whole thing, the new knee and everything else. Youch. Left knee had some sharp pains last night. Surprise surprise (not). And my left hip has been aching since we got back from Boston. Urgh!
Meanwhile I got my itemized hospital bill which to me confirms that I had spinal anesthesia for my partial knee replacement, even though I had said I didn't want. I keep thinking perhaps I agreed to it when I was in LaLa Land and don't remember anything. Who knows! Wednesday marks 9 months, which is hard to believe. I'll be back tomorrow with the results of the scan.

Tuesday April 28, 2009: Da Feet, Part Deux

I had my ortho appointment with Dr. Gray today for my feet and ankles. Lots of xrays were taken so he could check all the nooks and crannies, bones, etcetera. I do NOT have any signs of arthritis in my feet or ankles.. I don't have flat feet. At the moment, there is no swelling. I do have a bone spur by the arch but he said that is nothing that would be causing the current pains (which are far less because of the nice weather this week compared to last week). He thinks it is a soft tissue issue probably and after I go back in 2 weeks with my existing orthotics and the sandals that I have for pronating feet, he will decide what to do, but he thinks I just need some OTC orthotics for the pronating at this point. He also gave me 2 tubes of Voltaren to try on my feet. I have tried it previously on my (now replaced) right knee and it did nothing but it was probably too far gone by then and not used for long enough to have any impact. He also thinks at least part of the problem might be related to the funny walk I had for months too. He also was very pleased with the good outcome of the PKR and was happy that sending me to get it done was a good decision. WHen I mentioned the other knee getting worse, he said I could get that one replaced eventually too! Hopefully not too soon---he remembers how much surgery I've had in the last 18 months, since he did 2 out of the 3. Dr. Gray also said it could be an alignment problem caused by the funny walking and now the new knee. he checked the tendon and of course, today it isn't sore like it sometimes is. He said it wasn't swollen or hot today but could get a shot of cortisone when it does act up.
So I go back again on May 12.

Wednesday April 22, 2009: Oh my aching feet!

After having a terrible night's sleep yet again due to my feet and ankles hurting, I got up this morning and told Henry that I thought it was time to see the doctor about it. He said he had been waiting for me to decide this! I wasn't sure if I should see Dr. Schweitzer (replacement doctor) as part of the problem is caused, I'm sure, by the change in my gait since my PKR, or if I should see Dr. Gray, whom I've seen previously about my feet (although I had seen him a whole lot more recently about my knee, last in June 2008), because he's an ankle and foot specialist. I called CFO and ended up getting an appointment with Dr. Gray this coming Friday afternoon. Issues are pain on the bottom of my feet, by the base of my toes on the bottom of my feet (some stiffness), the arches of my feet aching, the heels aching, my ankles aching and feeling like they need to crack frequently, and lastly the anterior tibial tendon issue (which I think is tendonitis) still. That tendon and the ankle cracking are things that started after the PKR, so I think they are related to the gait. I am guessing he'll send me to PT for possibly iontopheresis and ankle strengthening exercises or something. I will not consider any suggestions of surgery!!! No way, after 3 surgeries in 11 months! It;s been nice not having any in 7 months !!
I had been hoping not to have to go to the ortho office again until January when my next appointment with Dr. Schweitzer is scheduled, but that's not going to happen. When I made Friday's appointment, I made sure that it was for a bilateral problem so I don't have to go back to have one foot looked at then after the other foot is looked at Friday. I also want to be sure Dr. Schweitzer gets a report of the appointment.

Tuesday April 14, 2009

I realized last night that my new knee is actually now beginning to feel normal again, with the few moments of discomfort mostly when I'm trying to get comfortable or trying to sleep and either I turn wrong or I'm putting too much pressure on the Oxford implant area. My right leg no longer feels like it's longer or heavier than my other leg. I had some tightness on the lateral side and that's slowly fading. The hamstrings are rarely tightening up now. Yea! Only took nearly 7 months (although everyone told me it would be a year before I felt completely normal again) after my partial knee replacement, and my ankle is still feeling like it needs to crack frequently. But on the whole, it really feels so much better! Now I just wish my left knee would stop reminding me all's not well there!

Thursday April 9, 2009 SHoot!

Yesterday while I was at work, only straightening tables of tables that were a mess, my left knee, the knee that doesn't have bionic parts, decided to give out not once, but twice. I took some Tylenol while still at work to see if that would help with the pain I had there after the giving out (I had already managed to hit the knee on something earlier). Helped sort of. Once home, showered, and dinnered, I iced it which helped a bit more. Today it still hurts and is slightly swollen, although not nearly as pouffy as the right knee used to get, pre-partial knee replacement. I went to Costco earlier this afternoon and wore my old knee brace which felt weird since I had only worn it on the other knee before! I was happy to take it off once I got home. Consulting with my friends at Knee Geeks, one thinks I am most likely on my way to new parts in that knee. I tend to agree with her but hope it will be a while before that happens. However, if things don't feel better with it, I'll probably end up calling the rheumy office or the ortho office and possibly get a cortisone shot (if I'm lucky). The last MRI of that knee was done in December 2007 and the knee was operated on in February 2008. The operation was a meniscus trim, chondroplasty, and a chondral defect was seen. Dr. Gray told me after the surgery only 1/2 of the medial meniscus is gone and probably even more is gone just by wear and tear.
Ah, the joys of bad knees......not.

Tuesday April 7, 2009

I didn't realize it had been 2 weeks since I last made an entry! Things are progressing. I noticed my scar is finally looking less red in the red spots. I worked Sunday and my hamstring behaved very well, although my feet were killing me in the evening.
I am continuing to be busy on Facebook. There are now 19 people in the Oxford Knee group. However, no one says anything (or hasn't in at least a couple of weeks)!
I sold a Le Creuset pan on eBay. What a pain but done. Someday I will get the right amount to charge for shipping. I also have shipped off the Depression Glass, again underestimating shipping costs, but I sucked it up and paid what I needed to pay.
Really pretty boring now as far as the new knee goes. Other knee has been not so wonderful but tolerable still.
I guess that's it for now!

Thursday March 26, 2009

I did a lot of yard work yesterday, raking leaves and vines from the daffodil beds and along the front of the house. Knee held out fine, shoulders today (the next day) minimally sore. Yea ! However, I've been having a weird pain today between the bottom of my knee cap (I believe it's the distal end) and the Osgood-Schlatter bump under it. It comes and goes. Left knee is achy. Might be because the weather has been cloudy all morning and now has finally decided to start raining.

Nothing else new to report, although I still wonder if anyone else is reading this besides me!

Monday March 23, 2009

After Friday's awful hamstring pain all that afternoon and evening, I went to bed after taking a Flexeril (a muscle relaxant) which finally loosened the muscle(s) that were so tight. Saturday, I worked again but tried wearing my good Ryka walking shoes instead to see if that helped or at least eased any muscle issues that would come up while I worked. It did the trick as far as the hamstring went but my ankle area still hurt. But it was an improvement.
After a suggestion by someone on the Knee Geeks site, yesterday I returned to my 3 times a day post-partial knee replacement exercises that strengthen the quad and stretch the calf and hamstring. So far I've noticed some improvement, but that might be all in my head. I did the exercises again 3 times a day today and will continue to do so until further notice, unless I can't do all of 3 sessions in one day because of something going on (like work), which probably won't be happening any time soon again unless something shows up on the self-serve menu.

Today we've also decided we'll be going up to Boston/Cambridge to see Andy again on April 18.

Thursday March 12, 2009

I saw Lenita yesterday, a non-practicing physician, who told me she is sure I had a spinal, after looking at my papers. I had an appointment this morning with the hematologist (platelet count was 91,000) and mentioned the spinal for the PKR and he said it was typical hospital behavior! I also asked if I could make my appointments every 6 months to which he replied he'd compromise and see how 4 months between goes. So I don't have to go back until July instead of June.

Tuesday March 10, 2009

I got my operative reports today for my February 2008 meniscus surgery and my partial knee replacement from Sept. 2008. Very interesting. I tried scanning them to make into documents but it didn't work (at least for now). Surprised to see I had a spinal for the PKR considering I told the anesthesiologist before I was knocked out with the sedative that I didn't and shouldn't want one! I'm going to see if I can find a copy of his bill from September and see what it says. If I figure out how to get the papers into Word documents, I'll post them.

Sunday March 8, 2009

With the weather finally nice this weekend, especially yesterday when temps were in the upper 60s, I took a walk around the circle 6 times each day. And what I've discovered is that my new right knee feels perfect while I walk. That alone makes having the partial knee replacement worth it. But what tightens up is my hamstring and my ankle hurts, like it doesn't have much stability. It happened with both walks. My ankle feels like it could crack almost constantly. Not sure what to do, but nothing will work for now.

I listed my Depression glass on Facebook last night and someone tried to scam this morning by offering $3200 in an email asking for my address, cell phone # etcetera, for the $300 price I put on the goods. I've reported it to the FB Marketplace people and hopefully something will happen.

Thursday March 5, 2009

Still waiting for my medical records to arrive. No mail at all yesterday probably because Jonathan parked the black Jeep too near the mail box for the mail truck to pull up close enough. So I am hoping today will be the day.
I am pretty sure I'm not working next week at all. Going to check again later. I am. however, working Friday and Saturday of the following week, having found them on the self-serve stuff of the Macy's site again.
Despite the bash of my knee into the dishwasher door the other day, I didn't get a bruise. Maybe some slight discoloration but definitely not a bruise. I think my platelet count will be lower next week than it's been judging by the number of little bruises I've managed to get. But I could be wrong. A week from today I have an appointment with the hematologist and I guess I'll find out. New knee is still doing well for the most part. Only at night do I get some pain for some reason along the side of the Oxford implant, but nothing terrible. Yea!

Saturday Feb. 28, 2009

Just a quick post to say that I noticed a few days ago that my new knee (Oxford Partial, which is the brand of implant I have) clicks when I bend it and the lateral side of the same knee makes crunchy noises (ut oh!) when I bend it.

Thursday, Feb, 26, 2009

Good morning! Nothing very exciting going on knee-wise which is a good thing. I did, however, call Connecticut Family Orthopedics yesterday to request the surgical notes from my PKR and the surgical notes from my February 2008 surgery. I was curious to read what was said in the PKR and with the February surgery, I want to find out where and how big the defect Dr. Gray found in my left knee. I had to send in a form available on CFO's web site which I put in the mail yesterday. I could've faxed it to them but that would've meant going down to Staples and paying for the fax. So it went in the regular mail. They'll probably get it today and if I'm lucky, I'll get the reports by Wednesday of next week at the latest. I was tempted to get all of my medical records but since I've been going there for 7 years, the cost would have been too much, although it probably would've been interesting to read all that and see how all this orthopedic stuff began back in 2002.
I realized Wednesday evening that in the last year I've lost about 9 pounds. I know most of the weight loss is due to the increased level of exercise and I have basically stopped drinking soda. And not having cookies around a lot has helped, although I sure haven't stopped making cakes and having desserts! 1 Pop Tart (hot fudge sundae) for dessert toasted has been working for me lately!
I did start a family group on Facebook for Burkats and Gumners. It took a lot more work than I anticipated but it's been worth it. I haven't included any of my evil post-surgical knee pictures and people should be happy I didn't!