Re: Thoughts for Today!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/16/2001 7:48:57 AM Pacific Standard Time, coz1@...

writes:

> Since I fall an average of 4 or 5 times a night at home, I have busted my

> ACL and PCL in my left knee. It really does not hurt as my lower leg is

> numb up to my knee joint...

Do you wear AFO's?

jenny

[Guest guest]

Good Morning,

Well, the past few days have been a whirl wind for me. Doctor appointments

after doctor appointments. Just what is at the top of my list to do,

especially when I can't seem to make a decision. Well, I have two of them

actually to make and I just can't seem to sit down and think about them.

Maybe some input from you all will help.

Both involve surgeries. The first thing you need to understand is that I

have already suffered through 24 surgeries on my right knee (including 3

total knee replacements). All before I knew I had CMT. Now it seems that

part of the reason that I am on my butt more than I am on my feet is that my

patella tendon is no longer attached to my patella. This has been the case

for the last 3 years. I had two different surgeries to try to attach

cadaver tendons to it and make it functional however the first ended up in

an infection and removal of my total knee. And the second was just too weak

to last and blew away with walking... even after months of careful PT. Now

they want to put in a cable attached to my hip so that I can lift my lower

leg and foot. Besides this malfunction, I do have drop foot really bad.

But they figure an orthodic will help that. This surgery sounds like

overkill to me... I just cringe every time I hear the word anymore... So

think on this while you read the next surgery they want me to have.

Since I fall an average of 4 or 5 times a night at home, I have busted my

ACL and PCL in my left knee. It really does not hurt as my lower leg is

numb up to my knee joint... However, the knee does pop out of its joint

while I am at rest and it is a bit difficult to get it to return to normal

position at times without pain. Although I have never really had to go to

the doctor to get it back in place. The thought here is to go in and repair

these ligaments so that I would have one strong knee. Only problem is while

recuperating, I would not have any leg to stand on. My right knee does not

really take any of my weight now. It never really recovered from the other

surgeries to be able to bear full weight.

Thus my delimma. I am fairly happy riding around in my electric cart,

getting where I need to go - both at work and play... but my orthopedic and

pain doctors want me to be up and mobile for a bit more of my life before

resigning to the cart full time. So they are suggesting these surgeries as

necessary. Sometimes I think they are not listening to me. But then maybe

I am giving up and should consider doing these surgeries. See< I just don't

know what to do.

Then on top of all of this is my pain... and all of the medications I take

just to keep it at bay each day. My fear is if I begin walking, I will

awaken the sleeping dragon and it will make me feel really more miserable

than I did at the beginning. It has taken years to find the right

combination to control the pain to reasonable levels. I don't want to upset

the cart here. Is this stupid or what?

Now I am asking for opinions here, so don't be worried you will offend me...

I'mm pretty strong when it comes to that.... You go through the some of the

same decisions, how do you handle things like this. Next week I go to a new

neurologist, someone who specializes in CMT. I am sure he will offer me his

advice on this matter. But ultimately it is me who will make the decision.

Thanks for the help....

Colette Zyrkowski