Micheles Uni is June 17

[ghost]

Hi Michele,

YOu're right on the money.  I've met so many people on this site who have been supportive and inspirational. It makes the heart sing to know there are so many wonderful people in this world.  I've met (at least in this cyber world) many people from across the country and around the world that I'm blessed to call friends without ever having met them in person.  Some day we'll have to find a nice stretch of beach and hold a KG reunion.

Sue

FYI, I'm also betting the billing is a coding issue.  I was warned that the code for PFR is a bit dicey and they sometimes reject the billing until the code is corrected.  I did contact my health care provider and was told by them, that as long as the doc says the pfr is medically necessary, they would approve it.  They better!!!

Sue

[Papa]

Hi Michele,

I agree with you from the bottom of my heart. I only went looking for a little info on the PKR surgury. I got that and a family to boot. I'm all for the stretch of beach and a KG reunion someday.
I agree with Sue on the coding issue. My OS was talking about doing the PKR on an out-patient basis. He was going to do a conformis and because of the extras involved, (read, a thought-out detailed, custom unit) the insurance was skeptical about covering it. He ended up going with a Zimmer and they had no problem with it. We have to remember that 99% of the people give up without a fight with this stuff. That means there is plenty of money left over to cover us squeaky wheels. We just have to make sure we squeak! I'm sure your capable of taking care of them.

Talk to you later,
Stan

[michelel]

Hey yall ,well today was the second day, for being back to work.  Can I just say OMG.  I was so tired and my knee hurt so bad, I just iced it took my pain meds and went to bed,  When I got up this morning, wow it was hurting bad.  My friend kepp telling me sit down sit down, but no, not me I jusy kept on going. DUMB.  So today, I did sit more than I did the day before, but I was up alot and on the go.  When I got home I was kinda wandering if I was gonna be able to get out of the car,lol. So Im icing, taking the pain pills and just relaxing on the couch. Its a lot harder than I thought it would be.  But I am determned to make it.  Anyway thought I would give yall an update.......later
PEACE & LOVE
Michele

[jerrypat]

Michele,
I love your positive attitude, even though you had a bad day at work today! You just overdid a little, that's normal, we all do that, working or not.
That knee is talking to you, but I firmly believe that actually working, moving, going through life is the best "physical therapy" for getting our knees healed and strengthened up. And for every bad day, you will 2 or 3 good days, and it will increase until there are no more bad days at all!
Pat

[ghost]

Hi Michele,

It's ok to let others pick up a bit of the slack for you while you work back into a routine.  Those parts are new and still have some time left to learn to work and play with the rest of the parts.  You're not long out of surgery and have a demanding job.  Do what you can and leave the rest.  I agree with Pat, the knee will speak it's mind and you've got to listen to it, but on the other hand life is the best rehab there is.  Just don't overdo.

Sue

[Papa]

Hi Michele,

I went through the same thing. It's a lot like theraphy...only longer! Like Sue and Pat, I think it speeds up the process, but not without a cost. I'm just starting to feel like the imaginary, wrapped too tight, ace bandage is no longer on the knee. You are doing great and it's my turn to tell you I'm proud of you! Perservere, you're almost at the end of the tunnel.

Stan

[michelel]

Hey yall, I dont know where to start... . As yall know I went back to work Monday,  Yall I came home in tears today.  I could hardly press the brake on the way home it hurt so bad.  What is wrong with me??  My knee hurts so bad and is so swollen, I mean Im crying here.  Did I go back too soon? Too late now, I dont want to let them down,  They are so happy that I am back, and theres just not anyone to take my place.  So I guess its SIUC.  Right now I dont know if I can yall OMG it hurts so bad.  I got the polarcare on and pain pills in but not easing off yet. Im sorry for unloading on ya but hey yall my buds who else am I gotta bit** to?  Give me something yall...........plz!!!!!!
Michele

[Peg Leg]

Michele,

I am so sorry for your pain! I wish I could give you a hug right now. I felt like you were rushing, but we all have to make those calls for ourselves..  Is there any way that you could work half days?  If not, is it worth the pain you are experiencing right now?  You would be worth more to your employer to pull back now than to push too hard and only be half as good two weeks from now. Have you got a Tens Unit?  I put mine on today and have not had the need for pain meds since this morning, even with PT. If you have one, it's worth a try. Also, don't forget compression for swelling and of course you've got it elevated.  Hang in there and let me know when it eases off.

Love You!

Peg

[jerrypat]

(((((Michele)))))
So sorry for your pain. The area around your knee must be really inflamed. Take comfort in knowing that it's NOT your new joint, it's the tissue around it that's acting up, and it will settle down if you pamper that knee a few days. Plus you had very major surgery only one month ago, and your body is still adjusting to regular activities, and I bet you are coming home after work so tired. Fatigue makes pain so much worse.
Does your OS have a PA or NP you can call? My OS is not the type to take calls, but he has a wonderful PA plus a nurse that would do anything to help. Maybe an anti inflammatory might help. Can you ice and elevate during the work day? When I went back to work with the other leg in November I would ice whenever I could, and keep the leg elevated as much as possible. Can you take time several times a day to ice? All I had was those gel packs with a velcro wrapper that they gave me in the hospital, and it worked fine.
Blessings and hope it gets better. We are hear to listen.
Pat

[ghost]

Michelle,

Feel free to rant and unload as long as you want/need to. That's what we're here for and we all take our turn doing it at various times.

I agree with Peg,  if you're in that much pain the body may be telling you that you're pushing too hard or too soon.  I'm only planning to RTW after three weeks and I've got a sit on my butt job.  I do some walking but it's fairly limited and even then my OS tells me I may not be ready.
Will they let you cut back to half days or 3 days a week?  I'm also in agreement that its not the new parts but the tissue and muscle that support them that are the problem. 

I got my pre-op calls yesterday.  I confirmed that they are still planning this as outpatient.  I also spoke to one of the anesthesiologists and I asked about a femoral block.  He said that it's optional and everyone is different because of where the nerve crosses the knee so for some people it works really well and for others it doesn't do anything.  He also explained the how's and whys and we agreed that it's worth a shot.  If it works It will at least help with the first day of post op pain.  So I'm giving it a shot.  The next call should be the scheduling office to tell me when to show up for the party.

In the meantime I have an abscessed tooth.  I got some antibiotics from my dentist and have been taking double doses all day trying to get it under control.  That may help the infection but the pain levels are through the roof.  Hence I'm up at 1 a.m.  If I can't get a few more z's and control the pain I may not be going to work today as I'm not really very functional at the moment.

Sue

[Papa]

Hi Michele,
Like Peg said, I wish I could give you a hug. Like Pat said, it's not your shiny new parts, it's the stuff aroung them. Right now I imagine your hurting both physically and mentally with this thing. You are not having a setback. Like the other concerned members of our merry group have said, it's all part of it. So much different than a PT session which is relatively short, controlled and has ice at the end. Instead, it's X amount of hours of activity with no real break periods or downtime to give the knee a break. I'm so sorry that your hurting. It will get better. It may be a little at a time, but it will happen.

I pray that you feel to blessings from above today.
Stan

[Peg Leg]

Michele,

I've been thinking about you a o lot yesterday and today and hoping things are better for you.  How about letting us hear from you and tell us what's going on.  What did you decide about work?  Hope you're feeling lots better!

peg

[michelel]

Thanks guys yall are so cool.  Well I am still working 8 hours, and crying all the way home,  .  I thought about asking about going to half days, but I just dont see how, like I said theres no replacement.  I have had 9 calls from work since I left work from other techs and nurses with frivilous questions that they couldnt seem to anwer them selves AWWWW.  I took the PolarCare to work today although never used it I didnt have time.  I am so torn I dont know what to do, they really need me and I really need to stop hurting so bad.  My husband has been so sweet, from bringing me my fav lemon poppyseed muffins to getting me ice for the Polarcare to just listening. I REALLY DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO.  All of this could of been prevented if I would of just chilled and waited to go go back to work but NO, not me I gotta go in with both feet and screw everythng up.............post later yall..................
Love
Michele

[ghost]

Hey Michele,

You didn't screw thing up.  You did what every one of us has or would have done.  We all have the same goal to get back to living our lives with some semblance of normalcy.  There isn't one of us who hasn't pushed the envelope a bit.  That pushing is how we grow and learn what our limits are.  That's perfectly normal and perfectly acceptable.  Now the trick is now that you know the limits you've got to muddle through and find a way to live within them comfortably.  There's no right answer here.  But my $.02 which ain't worth much in today's market is that at this point in time you've got to be your own number 1 priority.

Speaking of screwing things up, I screwed up my surgery schedule.  I ended up with an abscessed tooth.  The OS office wouldn't touch me until the tooth was out and I was done a full course of antibiotics.  Apparently mouth bacteria are very septic and head straight for a joint and can cause a nasty staff infection.  Despite my wishes, mouths and knees cannot be taught to play together.  So 1/2 hour after that call from the OS office I was in the Urgent Dental Clinic, the tooth ( a molar way in the back) was out, I had a script for an antibiotic and Vicodin in hand and I was back on the phone with the OS office trying to get back on the surgery schedule.  At the moment, I have a tentative new date of August 11th.

Sue

[Papa]

Hi Michele,

I'm so sorry that your hurting. You've said many great things to me about being a hero and such. I want you to know that it's 4:30am again! I'm typing on knee guru instead of cuddling and sleeping next to my wife because my knee hurts too much to lay there any longer. So I start my day behind the 8-ball knowing that I'm going to get tired too soon and I'm going to have to count on patience for other people that I don't have. I'll fall asleep tonight at 8-8:30 even though we have company coming over. My lovely and gracious wife will make excuses for me. As I'm typing this, I have no doubt that the knee has begun to slowly swell, as it does everyday, until it's not only visibliy larger, but also stiffer due to fluid. Shouldn't this be over with by now? You and others have said that many great things about me. Shouldn't I be better? I guess what I'm trying to say is that you (and I and others) are right in the path of a tropical depression called rehab and it's stalled right over us. We can only hunker down and wait until it moves on and the skies brighten again.You are standing firm in the midst of the storm.That doesn't mean you don't get soaked, or battered about or left unscathed. As much as you get beat up, this storm will pass. The nice thing about this site is that after before during and after the storm, we have friends that are in it with us to help clean up the storm's mess.
Thanks for getting back to us. We were worried.
Keep up good work,
I'm proud of you.
From one slightly tarnished hero to another,
Stan