----- Original Message -----

From: anitariley65

To: stomacentralint@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 6:21 PM

Subject: [stomacentralint] Re: Hello all, ROLLCALL

Hello Sandara. Please let me know how well the knee surgery goes and if it helps your life. I am in serious need of replacement for both of my knees, and I am just scared out of my mind that it will just make things worse. It will be 4 years ago next Saturday that I was put in the hospital for a serious illness, of which I had no idea at the time, nearly killed me. I had been getting cortisone shots in both of my knees for a few years. I hate needles like the ones they used for that. I got a shot in the left knee on a Monday, and then the right knee the following Monday. About 4 days later, I became very bothered about the fact that my right knee felt very "wobbly". My PCP knew that that knee had been dislocated 2 different times in the past, so he had me go get fitted for a knee brace. I put on the knee brace around 5 that evening. When I went to take it off that night to shower, (by now it was hurting pretty bad) a huge pocket of fluid dropped from the area above where the brace had been, and right into my knee, with GREAT force. I was instantly in great pain. I couldn't even move. I remember standing there and bawling from the pain, and the fact that I didn't think I could even make it to the phone. But I did. My boyfriend at the time came immediately. He knows how tough I can be and knew that it must have been pretty bad to floor me like that. By the time I got to the ER (we lived way out in the country) my right knee was HUGE. I was in so much pain that I passed out for just a few minutes. The Dr. there gave me a very nice pain shot as I was near passing out every time he tried to look at it or touch it. They then took a series of Xrays and last but not least he drew a big syringe of fluid out of the knee. By now it was around 6 am on Sunday morning. We picked up the 3 RX's and headed home. Thank goodness for the pain med at that time. Around 7 am on Monday I got a call from my PCP giving me orders to pack a nice bag and get to the hospital immediately.
It was MRSA. It had spread into my blood, lungs, and (very weird) my wrists. I was put in isolation and early Tuesday morning I was rushed to surgery. They did an ortho. surgery on the knee, trying to get out all of the infection. On Saturday that week they did a second surgery on it. I spent 6 weeks in isolation, on heavy pain med. and 3 different antibiotics. It was horrible. But thank God they had caught it when they did. My I.D. Dr. told me that 2 days later I would have died more than likely.
When the did the ortho. they cleaned out a lot of arthritic deposits. And up until about 8 mo. ago my knees felt wonderful. It was so nice to have my life back at that time.
Now I am feeling the grind again.
I am so sorry to have written you a book here, LOL.
Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. And I look forward to hearing from you once you are back on your feet again and well.
Be blessed~ Anita

--- In stomacentralint@yahoogroups.com, William Hiel <wahiel@...> wrote:
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> hey sandara - im still here. peeking in once & a while. sorry @ your knee. Best of luck & I HATE MRI's as well! Will
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> --- On Wed, 3/4/09, sandara4_sci <wildpurpleflowers@...> wrote:
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> From: sandara4_sci <wildpurpleflowers@...>
> Subject: [stomacentralint] Hello all, ROLLCALL
> To: stomacentralint@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 3:20 AM
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> Hi everyone,
> its me again, I know..I know..its been ages. :-) I thought I would call for a rollcall, see how everyone is doing. I do think of you all and hope you are all well at this time. Post an update if you feel up to it. I would love to know how you all all. Here is my update.
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> My date for my knee replacement is the 16th March. I have to go into hospital on the 15th. I am worried about it. But there is nothing I can do. I dont have a choice now, as every step I take is filled with pain. I struggle each day. And even my sleeping is affected now. But still I feel a rising panic. I know that Im going to be in a right anxiety state when I go towards the operating theater. So silly, I know it! I had to go for a MRI because during my x-rays they discovered that I have a bony cyst in my femur, just above the knee that is going to be replaced. And its been there for years, and not bothered me. I have started to get pain in that area, but I think its just to do with my knee pain. Which is quite constant. I was in such a panic just having the MRI. Its so silly, to have such anxiety feelings, but it I think it all goes back to my initial illness and getting my ileostomy.
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> Anyways, asides from that. I am okayish, on the emotional front. I didnt think I would get through the past year but I managed it. What doesnt kill us makes us stronger, time is great healer..all the old cliches, but very true. Time IS a great healer, And what doesnt kill us DOES make us stronger. But, enough about me and mine..and tell me about you and yours.
> All the very best to you all
> Sandara
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