Hi everyone.......as some of you recall, 2 weeks tomorrow I had to have the entire prosthesis removed due to spreading staph. This is the 4th complete opening of the knee and 10th surgery overall on the leg. Let me assure you, it doesn't get any easier. The surgery went well but required a lot of scraping of the bone due to pockets of infection
This in turn caused lots of bleeding and increased my hospital stay to a week. The morning I was scheduled to be sent to a rehab house I needed a blood transfusion. I have a hip to knee immobilizer to keep the leg straight. Friday I get the stitches pulled and hopefully they will adjust the immobilizer so I can try and get some of the bend back back. I can can now only do toe touches with no weight bearing. If all goes well, I'll get that up to 50% so I can be a bit more mobile and go home from rehab. Next step, early June, I will go back and have an entire new prosthesis inserted and then back to rehab for the grueling rebuild. Low pain levels seem to be easily maintained as you aren't doing any stretching or putting pressure on the joint put I envision it will be rather brutal tearing all of the dormant scar tissue loose when the time comes. Also I am on antibiotic infusion twice a day and will for 6-8 weeks. To all of the long time contributors to tgevforum, hope things are going well for you.
Welcome back! Wow, you don't do things by halves do you!
Does your surgeon believe they got all the infection? If they did get it all (excuse my ignorance) why will you need a new prosthesis?
My own recovery (at 15 weeks) seems to be going well. Got my mountain bike off the wind trainer stand and out onto the bike path for the first time today, as I can finally sit and pedal at a constant rate without having to lift the hip. Guess my knee is at about 120° flexion.
Flew to New Zealand last week and noticed that the scar doesn't like flying. I had a compression sock over the whole leg, but the scar itself was very red and inflamed after the flights to and from NZ. It has since gone back to normal, but I found this reaction really strange.
Hope your recovery is a lot smoother this time.
Take care, Jodi
Wow Roland, you have really "been through the mill!!" Its good to hear from you again, as I've been wondering how you have been doing. My thoughts and good wishes for a fast recovery and as pain free as possible continue for you.
I do hope your wife is getting along OK without you there! Keep your positive attitude and keep us updated on your progress.
Betty
Oh my goodness. And the rest of us shouldn't have anything to complain about. I hope all goes well and starts to look on the brighter side. One never knows, do they? What can happen when we sign on that line for surgery. We have to take the good with the bad. Hang in there and please keep us informed. All the best to you.
They took bout the infected metal and put in a plastic spacer that is loaded with antibiotics and slowly break vup a little allowing the medicine to infiltrate the entire bone. Meanwhile, the twice a day infusions of vancomycin gets into the system and does its work properly. Having the hunk of metal in makes it more difficult to completely kill the bacteria. We went the other route a little over a year ago and the antibiotic pill I was taking failed. This method is a 98% effective route. I need a new prosthesis as I have nothing in there now. All that's holding my leg together is soft tissue and of course, the imobilizer
She is doing as good as can be expected. Kids have been in and out and friends have been bringing her out to see me about every day. The weather warmed up ( it was 5°F when I went in for surgery, a week later, 70+ when I came home) so she can get out in the yard some. I know she is lonesome but doing her best to be upbeat.
Oh wow, I didn't realise the extent of what you're going through! Hopefully this will be more effective for you.
So, so good to hear from you. I know it will be grueling when you first start that physical therapy, but be persistent. Sounds like you're a "doer" and I bet you'll soar right through it all!
All the very best to you keeping fingers crossed this will finally be a complete cure.
A joint infection is our worst nightmare. I've got a friend that has lost 3 separate joints to infection. So I do sympathise,..take care..
Hi,
Makes all our moans seem a bit meaningless when we read of your problems. They warn you of the problems that can occur but I must admit I generally dismissed them. I feel very sorry for you in the situation you have found yourself and hope you and your good wife can stay strong through this. For you it is a long time to wait to get back to where you were at the very start after the firstTKR and I hope you stay positive and have an eventual good outcome.
Regards Paul
Your kind thoughts are very much appreciated.
Hang in the OFG! Brutal .... yep, that is the word that comes to mind.
It's good to have you back and my very best wishes for a speedy outcome 😄. My 81 yr old Father had an ankle replacement last year but after three weeks he ended up in the Bone Infection unit at Oxford with two nasty infections in the new joint. He spent a month in hospital with 80% chance of losing his leg but After three further ops to flush the wound and gallons of antibiotics he managed to get home! He the spent six months on Vancomycin and thankfully recovered! I didn't even know that Bone Infection wards existed until then and it certainly made me very nervous about having my TKR in October last year! Take great care of yourself😄
So glad to hear you have come through this stage. You certainly have been through the mill. It makes all our moans and groans pale into insignificance. I hope your wife is coping ok without you. Rehab, physio etc is a long road for you but you still stay remarkably positive. I think that this attitude gets you through everything. You are a very strong, positive and determined man. All credit to you. I will watch your progress and wish you all positive thoughts and best of luck. Xx
Hi,
So sorry to hear of your awful experience and very impressed with your resilience.
Just a thought and blow me away if I am interfering, Have you been tested for diabetes, or if you are diabetic are your sugars high..
Are you on chronic medications like steroids ( prednisone ) that are interfering with your immune system.
Have they done a workup on you and done a blood screen with a smear to check your white cells and the size of your red blood cells, ferritin levels, Liver function and renal tests.
Sheila
My heart is hurting for you. Be strong. Yohave made me laugh over the last 6 months. Take care
Good to hear from you OFG, and to see that although by no means an easy road you are going along it with your usual enthusiasm for life. I can imagine how hard this is (or maybe not. . .) and I really hope that it does all go according to plan. When the time comes, presumably, they will do a manipulation under anaesthesia??? The after effects will probably be pretty sore . . but hopefully not for too long. Here's wishing that those antibiotics really succeed in clearning up the infection ready for you shiny new knee in June. all the best. . I have missed your posts recently and am so glad to see you back!
You've been through so much. I really hope all this suffering will end soon and you will get a new knee that works with no infection. You've been such a support to us all. I wish you all the luck in the world.
jen x
Thanks....hope things are well with you. I think if things go as planned, there shouldn't be a need for MUA. If in fact they make the immobilizer somrwhat more relaxed and I can get back to 90° by next surgery I'll be in good shape. Therapy right now is keeping hips , ankles loose and strengthened. Upper body is getting plenty of work as is cardio. As long as I in this rehab unit I get 3 hrs of work, 5 days a week and 1 hr sat_& sun
WOWYou are an inspiration to me. You have been through the wringer and still seem upbeat. Kudos. Fingers and toes crossed that everything is complete and well for you this time and you are done with this process in June. I truly appreciate all your input here on the forum. Take care.. Hugs and Prayers.
Candace