It's official, the knees are wrecks
I went to the best Ortho doctor in this end of the country (Temple) that takes my insurance. He sent me off for X-rays of both knees before he ever me, in a wheelchair. I limped way too slowly to get there and back and still keep stuff on schedule.
I expected to need surgery on the right, but had not seen x-rays of the left in 6-7 years. They are both bone on bone, have spurs that catch surrounding tissue with motion and both need to be totally replaced.
Rehab time (average time till one is ready to go back to usual life and work) is 8-12 weeks for one knee, 10-14 weeks for both. The numbers are the same for problems during rehab. In either case I would have 3-5 days in the hospital, then home to do the necessary exercise and healing.
I got print outs of the x-rays, and will post them when I get them scanned, on photobucket, as photos are sharper there.
I have done the chalk talk with my husband, and will have to do the same with my primary care physician next week. I need to take off as much extra weight as I can by late January or early February as I can to take the stress the knees now and the new joints later. (any advise or encouragement is welcome, I do not do well with milk products or fasting.)
After watching me walk back to the exam room and looking at the knees and x-rays, he did write me a Permanent handicapped car tag paper... I have to re-register the car this month, so I may be wearing handicapped tags on my Buick by the end of the month.
I expected to need surgery on the right, but had not seen x-rays of the left in 6-7 years. They are both bone on bone, have spurs that catch surrounding tissue with motion and both need to be totally replaced.
Rehab time (average time till one is ready to go back to usual life and work) is 8-12 weeks for one knee, 10-14 weeks for both. The numbers are the same for problems during rehab. In either case I would have 3-5 days in the hospital, then home to do the necessary exercise and healing.
I got print outs of the x-rays, and will post them when I get them scanned, on photobucket, as photos are sharper there.
I have done the chalk talk with my husband, and will have to do the same with my primary care physician next week. I need to take off as much extra weight as I can by late January or early February as I can to take the stress the knees now and the new joints later. (any advise or encouragement is welcome, I do not do well with milk products or fasting.)
After watching me walk back to the exam room and looking at the knees and x-rays, he did write me a Permanent handicapped car tag paper... I have to re-register the car this month, so I may be wearing handicapped tags on my Buick by the end of the month.