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Author: Howard Buchin The Write Place
Diary of a Knee Replacement - Part 2
November 10, 2008
Well, here I am once again, approaching another knee replacement procedure. It's the second one this year. The first knee replacement was completed last January, and this one's taking place in just under two days from now.
Many people I have spoken with have said, "Hey Howard, at least this time you know exactly what to expect [from surgery]." Uh, just a second, that's been one of my major problems this time, ever since I scheduled my second knee [March/08] operation. The problem is I know pretty close to exactly what I can expect, and it ain't good.
The first day after surgery involves more than a reasonable amount of significant pain. Last time, I remember hollering in the direction of the nurses, that I needed morphine to combat the pain. My first time undergoing this surgery taught me it's never a good idea to be shy about asking for pain relief. Of course, you can imagine what it’s like to have a stainless steel prosthesis installed in your tibia, and then one into your femur bone. Well, you get the picture. I spell it D-i-s-c-o-m-f-o-r-t! Plain and simple. The feeling is brutal the first day.
I guess this is one of those gnarly things you run into with life: that you find there's no easy way to get through. Of course, you can always skip the pain of surgery now, and then you can suffer with the never-ending pain that happens after. Especially if you are like me, and you have one leg straight, and one leg bowed. I was born with both legs bowed. Now my right and left legs are of unequal length. I walk kind of funny, with a bit of a hop [I'm told]. One side takes more of the weight and the muscles get stretched in a weird way on the left leg.
With my particular condition, there is no sense in having one leg with a knee replacement and one leg not. It just doesn't really make for a very good all around experience. With this go-round, two delays have occurred with the scheduling of surgery. Last August, only one day prior to the scheduled surgery my left elbow swelled up and had become very painful. It was diagnosed as bursitis. There was a suspected infection that caused the extra swelling to occur. 
The surgeon [Dr. H.] didn't think this elbow condition provided a good scenario for me undergoing surgery as scheduled so we cancelled. It wasn't too exciting having to wait while the infection got better until I could reschedule the surgery. The problem with having an infection going on in the body at the time of surgery is, it can spread to the knee joint, where a new prosthesis is being installed. So the August date was cancelled.
I was actually supposed to have surgery last Wednesday, but I found out at the last moment that the date was rescheduled to this Wednesday. My right knee is doing very well. Although my knee swells sometimes, it just needs icing and it feels pretty much normal. Aside from that, I feel minor discomfort in my fixed knee. The problem area is that my legs are uneven, so I walk with a bit of a hop, and this misalignment throws out my entire back. At times, it can be sort of uncomfortable.
When I was still doing the letter-carrier work, I used to get shooting pains going down the back of my leg. I thought this was a signal of a spinal back problem. I think in actual fact, it was a signal my knee problems were causing me to walk unevenly.
Sometimes I think back to when I first met with the surgeon September 2007, and he recommended that I have bilateral knee replacement [both knees]. My 'knee-jerk' reaction was "No flipping way, doc!" Now I have had some time to reflect on that decision, wondering if I could do it again and would I choose differently. It's a difficult conundrum to think about. On the plus side, getting the whole thing over and done with quickly is a good idea. Then you can try to get back to a normal life right afterwards. I am not certain that I was up to the pain and discomfort of surviving having both knees done at once. Thinking about it now, no I was not.
The other factor that needs to be considered is, how it feels to have a pending surgery in the back of your mind for so long. It kind of ruins your enjoyment of holidays, summer, and just about everything, when you know that you're on a waiting list for something like this. In a way, I feel that the past year and half of my life has been messed up.
Like many others of the male population, I don't deal well with pain. I have a low tolerance to pain, so I thought I'd make a lousy candidate.
I went through a high number of pain pills getting over the first knee and physiotherapy treatments. I suppose the way that it has worked out is the way that it would be best for my system. I think that too much discomfort, all at once, would have been too great a shock to handle. So here I am.
Anyway, to all of you out there who are thinking about doing this surgery, good luck. Push yourself to work out, and build up your muscles so you will be ready for it. It's not so bad after you get through the first brutal week of recovery. I plan to start working out as soon as I can after the surgery is done. Keep in touch.
Regards,
Howard Buchin
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