A glimmer of good news, maybe.....

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Well, its been a strange old week....had my diagnosis of premature loosening of my right TKR last Monday (17 months post-op) and the need for Revision Surgery, Ive been all over the place - mood swings, bursting into tears all the time....its almost felt like its happening to someone else and Im an outsider....but I think Im geting a grip on it now, its got to happen, no point burying my head in the sand - time to pull up my Big Girl Pants and deal with it! Ive just had a lovely chat with one of the Ortho Registrars - she phoned me at home to see how I was getting on -   and I had a good meeting with my GP yesterday so Ive got the support from the medics....and the GOOD NEWS? My blood tests have come back and all the Inflammatory markers are within relatively normal limits. Ive still got to go in for aspiration of the joint, but it looks like NO INFECTION!!! SO -  trying to grasp a little bit of hope from the situation, at least it looks like a one-stage surgery, rather than the 2-stage it would need for an infected joint. 

Just waiting now for a date for the aspiration, and Im going on holidays in 5 weeks, then its back on the old merry-go-round - at least I know the drill now, I suppose......Id better start reading back through some of my posts where Ive been supporting others, see if I can glean a bit of strength and inspiration from them.....

Healing thoughts to all those in pain, and a virtual hug to anyone who needs one - Terri xx

2

Hi Terri

Wishing you the best with the revision! You sound very strong, and knowing the routine helps.

Thank goodness that there is no infection!!!

But my burning question is - why does premature loosening happen? After 17 months? What prosthesis do you have and was your procedure custom? How does the orthopedist explain this?

I'm 6 weeks into this "new knee game" and want to avoid any future problems especially having bilateral TKRs.

3

Great news...eliminating the need to fight staph is a giant hurdle. Hang in there now and best of luck

4

Hi Annfed, thanks for taking the time to reply.

My prosthesis is an "off the shelf" one, nothing custom made or special. It was a standard surgery, and primary recovery and PT was good.

I think Im just one of the unlucky ones, one of the small percentage of TKR's who go bad, and for no apparant reason. If an infection is present, then that will cause loosening, but we are thinking (hoping, wishing, praying,fingers crossed...) that it is an aseptic loosening (no infection), and usually a definitive cause isnt found. A severe trauma/fall, especially in the early days can also cause a problem, but again I have had nothing like this - on the contrary, it was my first TKR (2nd was done 7 months later) and I was SO protective of it, youd have thought it was a newborn baby! I might as well have carried a placard around with me saying "MIND MY KNEE!!!"

 What I HAVE been told, over and over, is that is is NOTHING Ive done wrong. So If youre worrying about it happenng to you, then try not to. Ive felt that mine hasnt been right since last September, I was 6 months post-op at that point, but its taken till now to get a diagnosis. 

You have my admiration for getting Bilateral TKR, it must be very hard for you, but I can understand why people choose to get it done that way - mine were 7 months apart, but with hindsight BL may have worked for me.

Thanks for your time, good luck with your recovery, and Im always lurking around if you have any questions - I've been working at this for nearly 18 months, so I think Ive got a fair bit of experience lol 

All the best

Terri xx

5

Thanks OFG, its good to know theres someone who knows how it feels, and how depressing and  isolating it can be, waiting waiting waiting.......not knowing how long this road is, or how long its going to take to travel down it.....or what the future holds.....

6

What were the symptoms of having to undergo aspiration.

I'm now 6 months post op and I seem to be in this kind of yo-yo recovery.

I can't get the measure of how I'm doing

I just want to walk and move normally again

7

Hi Mary, the main symptom for me has been severe pain and worsening stiffness. The first 6 months were a pretty textbook recovery, nothing out of the ordinary. But gradually the pain has got worse and worse, so they started investigations. The really telling one was the bone scan, which is showing bone growth/repairing activity in the exact place that the pain is at its worst. This diagnostic test isn't usually done until at least 12-14 months after surgery, as up to that point the bones ARE actually still repairing. So although it doesn't feel it, and I understand how frustrating it can be, the 6 month point really it's still early days. I'm sure you'll be fine, but it's a good idea to maintain regular contact with your GP or Surgeon , it can't hurt.

Good luck with the rest of your recovery

Terri xx

8

Hi Terri

I'm now almost 10 months post revision. It certainly has been a bit of a plod - but I feel I'm getting there. The 1st painful year with the misaligned one & mechanically loose (my leg would suddenly swing backwards & forwards!!) is becoming more of a memory). I only need a couple of paracetamols when I overdo it (& being a woman - I tend to do that!) - my sleep pattern is finally returning, & I now walk both my lively dogs (one of my goals).

Now to get rid of the 2 stone I put on when I was a crying, blubbering, immobile wreck with that 1st year!!

Strangely - despite all hte pain that first time around - I actually looked forward to the revision - as soon as I knew the date, I counted it down! 

As I've said before though - I'm hanging onto my left knee forever - despite it being bone on bone too - I can cope!!

9

Hi Veronica,

Thank you so much for taking the time to think of me and post your message - believe me it really means a lot to me. Im pretty much a crying, blubbering wreck for part of every day at the moment - I try to keep as busy as much as my pain allows, but as soon as I have some down time, or I start talking to friends about whats happened/is going to happen....Niagara falls!! For the first week post-diagnosis I was a nightmare, couldnt even mention it without breaking down. But Im getting there - havent cried today (yet!) lol! 

I know what you mean about looking forward to the surgery, I was like that with my 2nd TKR, 7 months after the first, even though I knew what it entailed. This new revision surgery? Not so much! But I know I cant go the rest of my life with it as it is (and worsening by the week), I turned 50 a few weeks back, but I frequently feel at least 20 years older....

Again, thank you. Its good to hear from someone whos been through/is still going through the revision process. It really does give me hope that this IS all going to work out ok in the end, its just a rather big bump in the road to recovery that Im travelling. xx