Saw PM and new update on leg

Went to my PM clinic today.  Told PA that 20 mg oxicontin twice a day isnt touching my pain.  I am up to an 8 all the time.  PA concerned about the amt of pain I still have even though it has been 6 months since my total knee replacement.  She conferred with staff Dr and he said that I shouldnt have this amt of pain at this time unless my implant is coming loose.  Now they want to do a bone scan.  I will call the imaging center on friday and find out how much that will cost.

 

I was also told that if my knee is loose then I would need to get it redone.  I cant emotionally and finacially handle that.

 

I am puffed up like a rooster and taking in shallow breaths.  STRESSED!

 

Scared to death.  The amt of pain that I endured during the first 72 hours were horrible.  I dont want to go thru that again.  I cant do it.

 

Betsey

 

      ...Betsey, I'm terribly sorry that you are still dealing with this amount of pain level. Did they happen to up your dose for you? And I was thinking you were going to see if there was a less expensive med you could try?...did you ask about it?

    I hope you do not have to have the knee redone...just the thought of more surgery in the same place would make me sick too!

      What a sad and stressful time for you. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and hopefully another surgery won't be necessary.

  SE

Good luck, I live with knee pain from misaligned kneecaps and damage to the bone so I know it's not fun.

Thanks for replying everybody and offering sympathy. That helped me. Im breathing better.

On tuesdayI will find out the cost of a bone scan.

Betsey

Medicare will come 4-13. Then I have to buy medicare supplimental insurance. I asked about less expensive meds and Im on oxicontin 30 mg twice a day and for 60 tabs it cost $273.00.

That helps relieve the pain so it goes down to a 6. I am so scared about the results of a bone scan. Emotionally I cant go thru another knee implant if this one is indeed loose. It is one thing after another since 2010 when my acccident occured. I am exhausted.

Betsey

So not too far off so that is good! Belive me..I only just applied for disability this past June and I haven't had insurance in years...It's just awful!..

I was thinking that the Oxycontin was more expensive than that. My MSContin for 60 tabs at 30mg is $61. That is for Mallincrodt so maybe your pharmacy still has other generics. So it's something to think about to save some money...As I've mentioned many times...that was the whole reason I switched from Oxycontin to MSContin was because of not being able to afford the price each month.

Are they giving any reason why they think the surgery may have failed completely and badly enough to possibly need another? That is just such a shame...I know at least 5 people who have the complete reconctructions and are doing wonderfully. Did your surgeon come highly recommended?

I will continue to pray that they can find other ways to help your pain then another surgery...

My lymph edema on my left lower leg is really puffy today. Hurts so much so I took a 30 mg oxicontin.

Monday I will call the imagining ppl and I will see how much a bone scan costs. Im scared to find out. What happens if I cant afford it?

Betsey

Good evening Betsey!…..you have dealt with this for a very long time, and still suffer greatly from it. However, I'm not going to tell you how to spend your money, and I know you can't afford to keep throwing money on all directions looking for an answer.

How much is it to see the Ortho? If it's a matter of an office visit for a $100 or so…then I suppose it may be worth visiting him, but really I don't have a clue as to what is best for you to do.

Sorry your still hurting, and especially so without an answer as to why yet.

SE

I cant emotionally handle more knee surgury. The pain was to intense after I woke up and pain meds werent given 1 hour before PT. PT was horrible! Surgury....no way!

I will get a copy of my bone scan so I can give it to my ortho doc. He can read them.

Thanks for your help, Retiredmom and everyone else who replied to my plea.
Betsey

I am so sorry that I didnt go into detail. *I didnt get my bone scan done yet. Im sorry for the miscommunication. I am waiting for the PM clinic to call me after they talk to another hospital that does nuclear bone scan. I will touch base with PM place on friday to see if they had time to call the hospital.

I will keep everyone updated when things start to roll.
Betsey

I didnt hear from the secretary of pm clinic about her phone call to the hospital. I called the pm clinic and asked for her but she wasnt in the office. So now I wait until monday to talk to her and see if I can work out a finacial arrangement with the hospital.

I am scared of the results of a bone scan on my knee. The cost is one thing but the results are another.

Knee hurts tonight. Went out to dinner with another couple and put on my smiling face.
It drains you.
Betsey

My bone scan is wednesday at 9:00 am to get injected and go back at 12:00 to have pictures taken

 

 

Im hopefully thinking positive that I just need more time to heal.

 

I will post about it once they tell me something.

 

Betsey

 

 

Betsey

Just to let you know that i am thinking of you. As a person who has had many knee ops, and has bilateral partial knee replacements, I can sympathies with your knee pain, it is up ther with back pain when it is bad. It is just unrelenting. It definitely sounds like something is going on, I hope for you it is nothing to do with implant being loose. I do think having the scan done will be beneficial, if only for the peace of mind.

If you do need more surgery, you need to speak to your surgeon upfront and tell him of your awful experiences. Unfortunately the exPerience with waiting for pain meds is all too common, here in the UK too. The anaethetist here is responsible for immediate post op pain, so you have to speak to them too. I know after I woke up in horrible pain after my first back op, I was really frightened for the next one. I kept mentioning my previous experience to doctor nurse anaethetist, I am sure they thought I was like a broken record lol, and my subsequent experiences were much better. So have hope Betsey, it might not be as bad

I am sure you are right, that you need more time to heal. It takes a long time to recover from joint replacement surgery and it is very painful trying to get full movement back. I have seen some people almost skip out of the hospital but I know for me recovery was slow. Same when I broke my leg, it took seven months to heal. So yes, it could be just that you need more time