Wellness

[151949]

On 11/3/2014 gazelle77 said: An MRI is not necessary unless the X-ray does not show arthritis. If you have pain and rule out arthritis, than you would go further with diagnosis and perhaps go the MRI route. MRI's are expensive and only show soft tissue. My hip replacement and both knee replacements were done just with X-rays, no MRI's. My doctor is known nationwide for joint replacement.

Arthritis changes are easily seen on simple x rays. If there is no space between the bones in a joint that means the cartilage has deteriorated and the joint is bone on bone. You don't even have to be very good at reading x rays to see it.It is a blaring defect.

[ChouChou]

On 11/1/2014 ceegee2 said:

On 11/1/2014 PamelaSue72 said:

On 10/31/2014 MathisFan said:

I need to have both knees replaced but I refuse. I know 3 people who threw blood clots and died after having it done. Let's see...live with the pain...or die?

That's the most ridiculous thing I've read in a long time. Live with the pain or die? Are you going to die from the surgery? Just because others may have died, you're automatically going to die, too? How about dying because you're in so much pain that you can't move around....so you throw a blood clot because of your sedentary lifestyle? That's OK? Or living your life in pain? I guess that's fine.

You're in pain so you don't do anything. Anything at all? I guess that's your decision and you're allowed your opinion.

I know people who have had knee replacements and they're so happy they had it done. They walk, they bike, they travel, they do everything. One man is in his early 70s and he's one of the most active people I know, since his knees were done. Nobody I know "threw a clot". That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I'm sure.

I prefer to live life and be as active as I can. For as long as I can. If it means having knee replacements when I'm older, so be it. I'm 59 years old now with four blown disks in my lower back and a bad left knee. When my back gets too painful to move, I'll have an operation; right now it's not necessary. If and when I need knee replacement surgery, I'll be there. Yes, I'll be scared. And I know it's not easy to go through it. But being alive and not being able to do the things I love to do is worse than death.

I just don't understand that kind of mentality. To be in pain and choose to live a life in pain because you're just know you're going to die if you have an operation.

Some of us have no choice but to live with that "kind of mentality". I have a congenital defect which causes DVT and PE. It has nothing to do with a sedentary lifestyle. I have had several very serious blood clots, one from my foot that extended into my pelvis. It occurred after a back surgery even while I was on heparin. I have a friend who is a cyclist who mountain bikes daily for miles and he had a clot and they can not determine the reason. I belong to a support group made up of very real, people who are coping with questions like the OP's. I take coumadin every day and my Dr. has literally told me that I will most likely die of either a bleed or a clot because of the amount of blood thinners I have to be on to prevent the clotting. I have bone on bone arthritis in my knees and it is terribly painful and I have been told that if I did not have this genetic disorder, that I would be a knee replacement candidate. So I am very interested in non-surgical treatments. When you live with something like this it can change your perspective. I choose to live the best I can even though my pain does limit some of my former favorite activities. I would much rather be alive. JMO.

Ceegee, like you I have a clotting disorder and cannot have knee surgery. I probably wouldn't even if I could. Because of the coumadin I cannot take NSAIDs (Motrin, Aleve, etc.) because of the risk of a gastrointestinal bleed.

I am a retired RN who worked many years in a hospital that was known for its joint replacement surgeries. And, while I am aware that the vast majority of those patients have wonderful outcomes, I am also aware that there are significant numbers who don't have good outcomes. I have seen too many bad outcomes for me to be comfortable with the procedure.

I have bone on bone osteoarthritis and a bone cyst on my right knee. I have my knees injected with Kenalog and Lidocaine about every 3-6 months. It gives me relief and I'm thrilled. Also, I have a pilates reformer with a rebounder. I use it every day and it really helps to keep my knees pain free. I am content to use non-surgical modalities.

[Black Cat Back]

On 11/2/2014 happy housewife said:

On 11/1/2014 DARING GREATLY said:

My friend needs knee surgery so badly, but she has been suffering from a bladder infection that won't seem to clear up. They won't do surgery on her knee as long as she still has the infection. The poor woman has been on every antibiotic known to man with "supposedly" no results. I say supposedly because I worry that the urine tests are not accurate or she's not being tested properly.

It's a darn shame that people have to live with such pain with all the technology that is out there.

As long as doctors can keep getting richer and make patients jump through all kinds of hoops to get relief, things will never change.

I'll also look into the laser procedures you are describing.

They can't operate on someone who has an infection because the bacteria will colonize on her replacements and she will really be in big trouble. No one is making her"jump through hoops" they are doing exactly the right and proper thing for her.

Why do people think they know better than the surgeon who has had 8 years of college and 3 to 5 years of internship and residency? Geeze!

If you read my post correctly, I wasn't saying she should have the surgery with an infection. I am saying that she can't get one urologist that will help her get rid of the infection. They keep giving her antibiotics (she's been on 8). They keep bringing her in for more and more tests and charging her more and more office visits for a bladder infection that has been going on for a year. I was praising the orthopedic surgeon for not wanting to do surgery because of the infection.

There is no reason that she should go on with 8 antibiotic treatments with no changes. The urologists don't seem to care. I've worked in healthcare, there are SOME physicians who don't give as good of care to an older individual as they do a younger person. They did that to my parents, and both parents had 4th stage cancer (mis-diagnosed months before as something else). The urologist she went to told her "I don't take questions from my patients, you need to listen to me," and he put his hand up to make her stop asking anything! That isn't the way it should be.

I have full respect for dr's who CARE for their patients and do all they can to relieve them of their pain and low quality of life issues. There is a HUGE difference between CARING and SEEING a patient in their office.

[Gooday]

On 11/3/2014 happy housewife said:

On 11/3/2014 gazelle77 said: An MRI is not necessary unless the X-ray does not show arthritis. If you have pain and rule out arthritis, than you would go further with diagnosis and perhaps go the MRI route. MRI's are expensive and only show soft tissue. My hip replacement and both knee replacements were done just with X-rays, no MRI's. My doctor is known nationwide for joint replacement.

Arthritis changes are easily seen on simple x rays. If there is no space between the bones in a joint that means the cartilage has deteriorated and the joint is bone on bone. You don't even have to be very good at reading x rays to see it.It is a blaring defect.

Any good ortho surgeon will order AP/lateral/standing views of BOTH knees. That is the best way to determine joint loss. Think about it - if the only views that were taken were while lying on a table, you could not get the accurate measurement of joint space. Now, stand up and take the pictures - full weight bearing and there's your accuracy.

[151949]

On 11/3/2014 Gooday said:

On 11/3/2014 happy housewife said:

On 11/3/2014 gazelle77 said: An MRI is not necessary unless the X-ray does not show arthritis. If you have pain and rule out arthritis, than you would go further with diagnosis and perhaps go the MRI route. MRI's are expensive and only show soft tissue. My hip replacement and both knee replacements were done just with X-rays, no MRI's. My doctor is known nationwide for joint replacement.

Arthritis changes are easily seen on simple x rays. If there is no space between the bones in a joint that means the cartilage has deteriorated and the joint is bone on bone. You don't even have to be very good at reading x rays to see it.It is a blaring defect.

Any good ortho surgeon will order AP/lateral/standing views of BOTH knees. That is the best way to determine joint loss. Think about it - if the only views that were taken were while lying on a table, you could not get the accurate measurement of joint space. Now, stand up and take the pictures - full weight bearing and there's your accuracy.

Ok - where did anyone say they should only take one view?

[Cookie777]

On 10/31/2014 Fortune said:

I live in a three-story house, don't have anyone to take care of me, and am too old for major surgery.

maybe move to a one story house? 3 stories must be so hard on your knees! Also ,it could be, your insurance would cover someone, to come to your home to take care of you.

[lovescats]

On 10/31/2014 Fortune said:

I live in a three-story house, don't have anyone to take care of me, and am too old for major surgery.

Have you priced having a stair lift installed. I think moving would be more work than the surgery.

[goodstuff]

On 11/4/2014 lovescats said:

On 10/31/2014 Fortune said:

I live in a three-story house, don't have anyone to take care of me, and am too old for major surgery.

Have you priced having a stair lift installed. I think moving would be more work than the surgery.

Chair lifts can be helpful when you need to negotiate stairs and have mobility limitations. However, as people age and may begin to have problems with coordination, balance, vision, etc., they can be dangerous. I've known people who have suffered falls getting in or out of lift chairs at the top of the stairs. Sometimes the lifts stall or get stuck, too......which is bad especially if you live alone.......

[gazelle77]

I think if you are getting older with joint issues, three stories is not a good situation. It is time to move to say a one story OR a ranch style if you do not plan to have knee replacement.

I have two flights of stairs to climb, but, I had both knees replaced and now have no problems climbing them. Prior to my knee replacement, I could barely climb them and it was MISERY. Now I climb them like no bodies business!

[Mominohio]

On 10/31/2014 happy housewife said:

On 10/31/2014 hckynut said:

Trying to Avoid Total Knee Replacement

Why?

John, many times on this BB I try to figure out why anyone would prefer to be in constant pain when there is a surgical solution - but yet , many do seem to prefer to live like that. How often here you read about people who won't have back surgery, or a joint replaced. To each their own.

Total knee replacements aren't as successful as the medical profession would have you believe. Like any procedure, there are risks, and the outcomes vary by individual. I, too, need knee replacement surgery, and have decided not to do it at this time. I don't believe the payoff is there for a good percentage of the people who go through it. There is always the possibility that one ends up either no better off, or worse off after the surgery, and if one can find alternatives to cope with, relieve the pain, it is often the better option.

As to OP's reason for posting, I have found that certain physical exercises help, and a friend who is a physical therapist says there is some physical therapy that helps some people. I have tried the laser therapy, and it did some good at first, but not a real long term solution for me. I'd suggest trying everything you can think of before having surgery. But, only you can know just how limited you want to be or how much pain you want to tolerate before moving on to what should be that final step of surgery. Don't let people shame you into doing something you don't want to do.You will have to live with the consequences not those here trying to make you feel like a fool.