After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled (for real this time....I hope)

bamaga

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On Oct 15th, I slipped and fell 9-10 feet at work and broke the tibia plateau in several places of my left knee. The plan was to heal the fracture without surgery, no weight bearing for 3 months , then a knee replacement due to deformity of the bone from trauma. Back to work by early June.
That’s when the insurance company stepped in. Knowing the plan, the insurance carrier waited until surgery was scheduled to deny the surgery. Surgery has been scheduled at Piedmont Fayetteville on the Jan 7th, 15th, 23rd and feb 6th. Each time a couple of days before, it was scrubbed because insurance denied the surgery claiming my knee had documented arthritis and would eventually need replacing anyway. This was kind of funny, because I have never been treated nor complained of pain in that knee. The only documentation was a comparative X-ray because of knee trouble in my right knee, Meanwhile, I went twice for an independent medical review both concurring with the original surgeon. After all this, they finally approved surgery, and now the Surgeon is booked up for the next 4 weeks!
SURGERY is scheduled for Thursday, March 14th. Trying to save a little money will end up costing them an extra few thousand dollars , my company even more , plus lost production while I am down. All the while, I am trying to just get back to work! So , it looks like my increased activity on Tidefans will be around a few more months!
 

Bamaro

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Re: After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled( for real this time....I ho

On Oct 15th, I slipped and fell 9-10 feet at work and broke the tibia plateau in several places of my left knee. The plan was to heal the fracture without surgery, no weight bearing for 3 months , then a knee replacement due to deformity of the bone from trauma. Back to work by early June.
That’s when the insurance company stepped in. Knowing the plan, the insurance carrier waited until surgery was scheduled to deny the surgery. Surgery has been scheduled at Piedmont Fayetteville on the Jan 7th, 15th, 23rd and feb 6th. Each time a couple of days before, it was scrubbed because insurance denied the surgery claiming my knee had documented arthritis and would eventually need replacing anyway. This was kind of funny, because I have never been treated nor complained of pain in that knee. The only documentation was a comparative X-ray because of knee trouble in my right knee, Meanwhile, I went twice for an independent medical review both concurring with the original surgeon. After all this, they finally approved surgery, and now the Surgeon is booked up for the next 4 weeks!
SURGERY is scheduled for Thursday, March 14th. Trying to save a little money will end up costing them an extra few thousand dollars , my company even more , plus lost production while I am down. All the while, I am trying to just get back to work! So , it looks like my increased activity on Tidefans will be around a few more months!
Why did they want you to wait 3 months to heal the fracture only to have replacement surgery anyway? Just do it and get it over with. I had a TPF (along with medial meniscus tear, lateral meniscus tear and LCL sprain) a couple of summers ago. June, July and August non weight bearing in a brace is not fun.
 

bamaga

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Re: After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled( for real this time....I ho

Why did they want you to wait 3 months to heal the fracture only to have replacement surgery anyway? Just do it and get it over with. I had a TPF (along with medial meniscus tear, lateral meniscus tear and LCL sprain) a couple of summers ago. June, July and August non weight bearing in a brace is not fun.
.

There were 3 longitudinal fractures of the tibia plateau, Not across the bone, but starting from the top of the tibia (the knee) running several inches Down. It basically broke off the piece in several places that extends over the Fibula . The thinking was originally to do surgery to reduce the fracture with pins and screws, but then it was decided to skip that surgery because a knee replacement would be necessary due to compression of the bone and recovery time for the fracture was the same with or without surgery. So to save the pain and expense of two surgeries , they would just do the TKR , which would help strengthen the bone end as well with the titanium plate over it . .

With a knee replacement, you have to be up walking the day of surgery, and I was told I would have to walk with a walker before being discharged from the hospital. To preserve range of motion! You can’t do that if the bone is fractured, no weight bearing.

If you think no weight bearing and a brace in the summer was tough, try doing it over the holidays and football season , and the dr tells you to lose weight while you are basically a slug!
 
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Go Bama

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Re: After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled( for real this time....I ho

.

There were 3 longitudinal fractures of the tibia plateau, Not across the bone, but starting from the top of the tibia (the knee) running several inches Down. It basically broke off the piece in several places that extends over the Fibula . The thinking was originally to do surgery to reduce the fracture with pins and screws, but then it was decided to skip that surgery because a knee replacement would be necessary due to compression of the bone and recovery time for the fracture was the same with or without surgery. So to save the pain and expense of two surgeries , they would just do the TKR , which would help strengthen the bone end as well with the titanium plate over it . .

With a knee replacement, you have to be up walking the day of surgery, and I was told I would have to walk with a walker before being discharged from the hospital. To preserve range of motion! You can’t do that if the bone is fractured, no weight bearing.

If you think no weight bearing and a brace in the summer was tough, try doing it over the holidays and football season , and the dr tells you to lose weight while you are basically a slug!
That’s tough, BG. Glad you’ve got it worked out. Godspeed for a speedy recovery when you get the new knee.
 

Tide Rev

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Re: After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled( for real this time....I ho

My sympathies to you as a veteran of 4 knee surgeries. Hope it all goes well! Keep your head up!
 

GrayTide

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Re: After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled( for real this time....I ho

Hate to hear that, bamaga. Hope all goes well and know that your buds on Tidefans will be thinking of you.
 

bamaga

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Re: After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled( for real this time....I ho

Hey, today is the day. Thursday 5:30 show, 7:30 knife at Piedmont Fayetteville finally going to get closure.... maybe!
 

92tide

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Re: After 4 months, I finally have knee surgery scheduled( for real this time....I ho

good luck with everything. hope the recovery goes well and you are at home resting soon
 

Bazza

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Congrats on getting this procedure done. I know when all is said and done you'll be like a new man! I have no personal experience with this but wish you all the best and please keep us posted with your progress. :)
 

bamaga

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Thanks everyone. The surgery happened this morning, I’m in the hospital bed now at 3:00 am in pain, can’t sleep. This will pass. Surgery went well! Doc said everything is good, took my first steps already!
I woke up about halfway through the surgery and they were hammering on my knee. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel and hear it. I guess they were hammering the plate in place, I don’t know. Then I felt them suturing my leg. The anesthesiologist asked if I could feel pressure or pain, I told him I can feel a stick and then a tug. The surgery was almost over, so he just talked to me and didn’t administer any more drugs !
 

Bamaro

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Thanks everyone. The surgery happened this morning, I’m in the hospital bed now at 3:00 am in pain, can’t sleep. This will pass. Surgery went well! Doc said everything is good, took my first steps already!
I woke up about halfway through the surgery and they were hammering on my knee. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel and hear it. I guess they were hammering the plate in place, I don’t know. Then I felt them suturing my leg. The anesthesiologist asked if I could feel pressure or pain, I told him I can feel a stick and then a tug. The surgery was almost over, so he just talked to me and didn’t administer any more drugs !
:eek2:
 

TIDE-HSV

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Thanks everyone. The surgery happened this morning, I’m in the hospital bed now at 3:00 am in pain, can’t sleep. This will pass. Surgery went well! Doc said everything is good, took my first steps already!
I woke up about halfway through the surgery and they were hammering on my knee. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel and hear it. I guess they were hammering the plate in place, I don’t know. Then I felt them suturing my leg. The anesthesiologist asked if I could feel pressure or pain, I told him I can feel a stick and then a tug. The surgery was almost over, so he just talked to me and didn’t administer any more drugs !
It takes a lot to keep me under also. It's genetic. I've not waked up to the degree you did, though. The last colonoscopy I had, the nurse anesthetist complained that it took her three times the amount of Propofol to keep me under, like I had some control over it...
 

4Q Basket Case

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It takes a lot to keep me under also. It's genetic. I've not waked up to the degree you did, though. The last colonoscopy I had, the nurse anesthetist complained that it took her three times the amount of Propofol to keep me under, like I had some control over it...
Earle - you’ve mentioned that in the past, and I seem to remember you had located the genetic reason.

Could you go over that again? I think I might be resistant to that stuff as well, though probably not to the degree you are.

I’ve had only one ream-o-scope, but I did wake up enough to ask for my glasses so I could watch the monitor. The memory is hazy, but it’s there. I think they may have given me some more juice because I have no memory of the end of the procedure.

Also, my Internist gave me some Ambien to sleep on a long flight. One did nothing. After about 30 minutes, a second one had very little effect, barely making me drowsy, even though I broke the rules and had a couple of glasses of wine. I didn’t take a third one, and just gutted it out the rest of the way.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Earle - you’ve mentioned that in the past, and I seem to remember you had located the genetic reason.

Could you go over that again? I think I might be resistant to that stuff as well, though probably not to the degree you are.

I’ve had only one ream-o-scope, but I did wake up enough to ask for my glasses so I could watch the monitor. The memory is hazy, but it’s there. I think they may have given me some more juice because I have no memory of the end of the procedure.

Also, my Internist gave me some Ambien to sleep on a long flight. One did nothing. After about 30 minutes, a second one had very little effect, barely making me drowsy, even though I broke the rules and had a couple of glasses of wine. I didn’t take a third one, and just gutted it out the rest of the way.
I actually carry a wallet card for it. Its. ASSAY CYP450-2C19, Alleles *1*17, Phenotype Rapid. I sent my 23 results off to the livewello.com site and they sniffed out a lot more info. They used to be free but no longer...
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,552
39,661
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
Earle - you’ve mentioned that in the past, and I seem to remember you had located the genetic reason.

Could you go over that again? I think I might be resistant to that stuff as well, though probably not to the degree you are.

I’ve had only one ream-o-scope, but I did wake up enough to ask for my glasses so I could watch the monitor. The memory is hazy, but it’s there. I think they may have given me some more juice because I have no memory of the end of the procedure.

Also, my Internist gave me some Ambien to sleep on a long flight. One did nothing. After about 30 minutes, a second one had very little effect, barely making me drowsy, even though I broke the rules and had a couple of glasses of wine. I didn’t take a third one, and just gutted it out the rest of the way.
I'm a rapid metabolizer of the the entire benzodiazapine group (Vallium, etc.) Ambien acts similarly, binding to the GABA receptors...
 

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