Re: Dental Work / and Knee replacement ?

January 19, 2004

Hello C.

My grandma had knee replacement surgery, but that was a long, long time ago and I'm sure the technology has changed since then. She had really bad arthritis and was very much overweight. She was also stubborn and instead of using a walker after the surgery, she would just hold it in the air and walk on her newly input plastic joints. That didn't help much, still she was better after the surgery than before.

I also had a friend who had reconstructive surgery done on his knee and said the doctors told him it was actually worse than having a knee replacement.

I don't know, maybe get a second opinion. Remember though, sometimes we don't realize how bad it is until it gets better. See what a specialist tells you, how big of a chance is there for full recovery or if it really won't make such a big difference. If so, then why go with the stress and the pain. Just do whatever you feel most comfortable with, after you collect all the data.

(I wanted to find a funny picture of you running wild with a walker in the air, but couldn't find one. It's still one of the fondest memories of my grandma. She just had her agenda and couldn't be bothered with a walker).

Mojo

Dental Work / and Knee replacement ?

Greetings Fellow Lupies,........I went to my appt. with my Rheumy today, and she pretty much read me the riot act about .......my teeth......I need some dental work done, like a couple of root canals,and some broken teeth capped . I'm not having any pain with them,and I don't have dental insurance.........so I've just been counting my blessings that I haven't had any problems with them.

Dr. Ali said I am just living on borrowed time as far as my teeth not giving me some serious problems. She said I could get Dental Care at a Dental College free of charge. .....Anyone ever have any dental work done at a Dental College? ....And if so what was your experience? I would appreciate any input that any one has to offer.

Then she started in on me about my `wonky ' knee.......she doesn't understand why I don't want to get a Knee Replacement.......She said, "Quality of Life is what we're talking about here! Why don't you want to do what you can to improve your Quality of life! You need to see your orthopedic Surgeon,and see what he can do, so you are not in so much pain,and you are not afraid of falling because of your knee !"

Any input about this?......Knee Replacemant Surgery just seems so drastic to me .....I'm ` askeered'.

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January 19, 2004

C., Why not see your orthopedist? Why not get an opinion

about a new knee? I agree that if you can have something done that

will help your pain and increase your quality of life at the same

time, it might not be such a bad idea. Yes, major surgery - but from

the way it sounds, it's now or later. Best now while you are as well

as you are than later. Just my opinion. Hugs - a B

>

> Greetings Fellow Lupies,........I went to my appt. with my Rheumy

today, and she pretty much read me the riot act about .......my

teeth......I need some dental work done, like a couple of root

canals,and some broken teeth capped . I'm not having any pain with

them,and I don't have dental insurance.........so I've just been

counting my blessings that I haven't had any problems with them.

>

> Dr. Ali said I am just living on borrowed time as far as my teeth

not giving me some serious problems. She said I could get Dental Care

at a Dental College free of charge. .....Anyone ever have any dental

work done at a Dental College? ....And if so what was your

experience? I would appreciate any input that any one has to offer.

>

> Then she started in on me about my `wonky ' knee.......she doesn't

understand why I don't want to get a Knee Replacement.......She

said, " Quality of Life is what we're talking about here! Why don't

you want to do what you can to improve your Quality of life! You

need to see your orthopedic Surgeon,and see what he can do, so you

are not in so much pain,and you are not afraid of falling because of

your knee ! "

>

> Any input about this?......Knee Replacemant Surgery just seems

so drastic to me .....I'm ` askeered'.

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> ---------------------------------

January 19, 2004

Hi Mojo,

Thanks for your input about knee replacement surgery........You know what kinda makes me mad is that when I broke my knee, they had to do reconstructive surgery on the shin,( I guess......the Tibia) and the knee, they had to rebuild the Tibial Plateau, using coral in place of bone that was crushed. I had a metal rod running down my shin.....then 9 pins in the shin bone, and the knee holding it all together.

Then nine months later I had to go back in for them to remove all the hardware.........Why didn't they do a knee replacement then?............I just don't get it. When I went back for my post op visit with my Orthopedic Surgeon, he told me then that I might have to have a knee replacement later in life!

Also .......I had better insurance then that paid 100% of Hospital stay and surgery,and rehabilitation in a rehab hospital...........Now I don't know what my insurance will or will not pay for .......I do know that it is $600 copay for the hospital . I found that out when I was hospitalized a while back for all the tests to show that I had NOT had a heart attack !......I'm paying that bill off at $10 a month.............I just tried to figure out how long it's going to take me to pay $600.oo at $10.00 a month ........Brain fog is too thick ! Every year my insurance pays for less and less,and copays go up and up !!...........Oh, well....I guess we're all in about the same boat there.......I guess I should just be glad that I have my SS Disability,and any insurance at all.....there are people worse off than I am...........too sick to work, can't get qualified for disability,and no insurance.

I was trying to read all about the new Medicare that they are trying to get passed......some say it will be worse than what we have now.

Mojo......I know how your Grandma felt about her walker.......I hate those things too.......also those stupid Quad canes....... I always stumbled over them more than any thing, and as soon as I was able , relegated my walker and quad cane to the Storage room.......I used a walking stick for a while........It is a really cool one my son got for me at Scarborough Faire.

BLAH.....BLAH.......BLAH.......Enough about me .....How are you feeling? I'm so sorry that you have to go through chemo again. I hope you feel better soon, Girlfriend. Sometimes THE WOLF can be such a bad, bad wolf..........