I have been so busy and tired with Physical Therapy at INOVA/Fair Oaks and home exercises assigned by PT that I haven't be physically able to blog!! Sorry but energy level is S L O W L Y progressing.
During my chemo regimen, I continued to have knee pain, excruciating at times. I was on heavy pain medications which clogged my brain. No medical personnel could figure out what was causing the knee problem. Many, many tests revealed no infection. Finally two doctors came up with a staph infection diagnosis. One said let's open her knee (infectious disease dr) while the orthopedic dr said "No way". It was decided to try STRONG ANTIBIOTICS orally. After a couple months with only slight improvement it was decided that I have IV antibiotics at home. This helped another slight amount. By now I was having leakage below my knee necessitating bandage changing every two hours. Suggestions were made that I use a thicker pad on my bandages. I explained that I go to the bathroom every two hours for my bladder problem anyway so I just change the bandage while I'm up. I wanted to have my bladder tacked long before these other problems arose. I went through tests at Geo Washington Hosp and the tests showed I had no problems with my bladder other than incontinence, for which the dr recommended oral medication. By the time I'd given it a fair trial to no avail, I had too many additional problems to have surgery for it. So it continues today! Chemotherapy continued with the main side effect being drops in blood counts. I had oodles of transfusions. One time it took 9 UNITS to bring it back up to "passable." I was very weak & miserable often with no appetite. My last chemo was in November. I hadn't finished my planned course but the oncologist wanted me to regain enough strength to celebrate Christmas. Meanwhile my knee was being treated and I continued to changed the bandages. In February we along with our kids & grandsons went to Greenbrier Resort In WV for Hampton's 74th birthday. It was a wonderful FUN time for all, including Hampton's brother & sister-inlaw (Gene & Tommy Jean) who worked out a co-insiding trip. FINALLY after months of antibiotic treatments, the orthopedist said "I'm going into your knee, I will not let you suffer any longer." Now we have switched opinions! Infectious disease dr saying "Are you SURE you want to do this?" On May 23 I had my 9 yr old right knee prosthesis removed. A cement spacer was put in to "hold the space" for a prosthesis. The surgery went well and the dr felt he had removed all my infection. That evening as he checked everything, the dr decided it wasn't "perfectly straight" so he would put a cast on my leg. This cast was from my upper thigh to my toes. I was not to bear any weight on my foot. OK use a walker & hop on one foot!! Let's mention TIRED again! Unable to do anything while I was "up" I spent most of my time in bed -- sleeping, reading, or a bit of handwork on a quilt. On June 16 the cast was removed. My knee incision had healed but I still had to HOP and only toe touch. This continued until August 29 when I had a new titanium knee put in my leg! Again the infectious asked the day before surgery "Many people live with the cement spacer, are you SURE you want to open this knee a THIRD time?" Again the orthopedist answered "ABSOLUTELY."
"Trusting an invisible God doesn't come naturally. A trust relationship grows only by stepping out in faith & making the choice to trust. The ability to believe God develops most often through pure experience."
from: Breaking Free
by: Beth Moore
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