Knee Replacement & Fibro

I asked if anyone had done this a couple of months ago and got no response, so I went for it and now can inform all of you! I got a total knee replacement a week ago today, due to OA, no cartilage left. Lots of people told me it was a great surgery, but I have had a lot of trouble. I'll try to post in a few weeks in case I change my mind, but right now I would not have another. I got sick from the opiate pain meds right after I came home from the hospital and thought I was having a heart attack, so ended up in ER for several hours. Also I had pneumonia so I now have to cough big time 5 times an hour and am on antibiotics. Taking Celebrex and tylenol for the pain, which is not touching it and it is bad. Also my leg is hugely swollen and I still have to walk and go to PT in an hour. I've had other surgeries with fibro and didn't have a problem, but this is a big surgery and my fibro is flaring high.

Anytime I have surgery it's very rrisky for me. I get so sick for some reason and I mean sick. I have trouble with blood clots and horrible stomach problems. This doesn't count on the place you do the surgery site, it's my secondary problem. I really need a few surgeries but my dr told me I was too risky this time. I need a knee job too and a hysterectomy. I have seizures and on coumadin. I would have to stop the coumadin and I had a small stroke last year. So now I have to put up with the irregular periods from the coumadin. You Just got to love this fibromyalgia!

Thanks you for the input.

I am supossed to get the knee surgery as well. It will be just to clean up the arthritis and trim the meniscus tears and drain the cyst on my knee cap but a full/partial replacement is in my future. I am trying to put it off as long as possible because I don't want another surgery right now, already had two this year.

hope you start feeling better real soon.

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Denita
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Fibromyalgia. Arthritis/bursitis/meniscus tears in both knees.
Cancer survivor

This is another been there done that. What the wonderful doctors fail to tell you there is two types of
knee replacement. One is glued in and the other is pounded into place. I'm allergic to glue and
get lipoma tumors from any hard bumps.

I had torn maniscus and cartelidge tears in my left knee done and went back to work (doing a
very heavy job) in 2 months. The right knee they did the maniscus tear and chrondoplasty, which
is shaving the bone for the arthritis and then sending you home without crutches. Wonderful,
It was 3 months just to start the bone to healing by using DMSO and comfrey tincture together
in a 50/50 mix to help with the pain and heal the shaving. What they don't tell you is that the longer
you have arthritis, the longer it will take to heal. Seeing as it's been 50 years of pain, you do the
math. I still have problems with it but I can deal with most of it. Never again will I let them touch
my knees. After I had it done I found Super Cissus RX and Bio-Sil. One repairs the tendons, ligaments
and muscles and the other rebuilds cartilidge.

Good luck to anyone debating on having this done.

Wow,

This all scares the crap out of me. I have bad knees. I am going to double up on the glucosamine, lol... And calcium. I don't want to have knee surgery. I wish you all the best. I hope everything goes well for all of you having surgery.

Hugs, Karen

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Moderator-Depression and fibromyalgia


fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue, depression, allergies

Getting By,
Some input if it'll help you...for both the allergies and fatigue get raw local honey. It has to be
raw and unfiltered. With the stuff from the local honeycombs it will build up an immunity to
the allergens. For the fatigue use the honey along with cinnamon capsules. It's made a world
of difference in me. There's a good site called Earth Clinic and between that and the wonderful
guy at the herbal shop I'm doing a lot better.

Nana Monster

Thanks Nana,

There is a place not far from here that I can get the honey. I love comb honey, I think that is what it is called. I will try the cinnamon capsules. I am taking a med holiday right now, to see if my meds will work better again. Just from the adderall. Not the pain pills. I will check out that site. Thanks for the info., But my knees are still cringing with the thought of a knee replacement one day. Maybe in the future they will be easier.

Hugs, Karen

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Moderator-Depression and fibromyalgia


fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue, depression, allergies

I have had fibromyalgia for about 9 years. I had an accident and shattered my tibia and that is when the doctors realized I had fibro - I was not healing as quickly/normally as regular patients and I could not stand my leg to be touched. I, now, have a plate and 6 screws in my left knee and it is in much better shape than my right knee. I am going to have a total knee replacement, on my right leg, on April 2, 2013 and I am very much looking forward to it. I have read so many negative testimonials but I refuse to go into the surgery without positive thoughts. I KNOW I will have some pain, but I plan to work through it and get ready to have the left knee done. The left knee will be more extensive, since I have to have the "hardware" taken out, the tibia and fibula rebuilt, THEN the replacement fitted in. It sounds like a challenge (and the doctor said it would be), but, again, I am looking forward to it all, in spite of the pain I may have. I am 61 years old and if I cannot have a good quality of life and live it as it should be lived, why am I here? I will re-post POSITIVE testimonies, once my surgery is over. I promise to be honest about any pain or complications that may arise, as I want people to know that, even with fibromyalgia, we can achieve a great quality of life and (in my Auntie Mame voice) "LIVE, LIVE, LIVE"! I ask for prayers for the doctors hands, minimal pain, and a great recovery!

Hi, Drindiva, and welcome! I think your positive attitude will be an immense help to you with your upcoming surgery. I had major surgery after developing fibro and did just great! I had my colon removed but yet I was Christmas shopping at the mall eleven days later....with 89 staples that hadn't been removed yet! Yep! I'm a positive thinker. I was younger at the time...42 years old....but now I'm 65 and still smile broadly when I think of this. My doctors were so surprised because when I went to get the staples removed. I had all my Christmas shopping done and my Christmas cards too. They agreed that it was my positive attitude and my faith that helped me do this.

So I do think you will do good...probably better than others your age or younger. Just keep your eye on the goal, keep smiling, and before you know it you will be up and about again. I'll pray for an excellent surgery and a quick recovery for you.

Sherrine

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Forum Moderator/Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, Crohn's Disease, Ostomy, Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Glaucoma, Scoliosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis
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God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Thank you so much Sherrine, for the welcome and wonderful comments! I cannot believe you did all that shopping with 89 staples still in! You have truly reinforced what I fell and believe about my upcoming surgery. Thank you for being the moderator of this site and I pray others, who are hurting/suffering find us too. I have tremendous faith in God and stay as positive as I can daily. I love and enjoy this life, despite it's ups and downs. But hey, how boring would life be without them, lol.

I plan to stay in touch with this group (bookmarking it now) and reading all the encouraging words and I will, also, try to be an encourager to others.

Thanks again for the opportunity and congrats on coming through your surgeries so magnificiently!

When I saw someone had called up my old post, I thought maybe I should update it a bit. That was posted right after all the pain meds had worn off and I was in bad shape. I realized later that I was so doped up I don't remember most of the three days I was in the hospital. I have since talked to lots of people with knee replacements and none of them every stopped the opiates the day after coming home from the hospital. I am NOW so happy with my knee replacement--it is definitely my good knee and rarely ever hurts. I am thinking about getting my other knee replaced--the pain in it is nearly 24-7 regardless of what I do and regular pain meds don't touch it (nor do they do anything for my fibro pain.) What worries me is that I won't be able to take them for the first couple of weeks I'm home again--that was really awful. So I'm still waiting, but I think most people are able to take pain meds and shouldn't have as much trouble as I did. Also among the people I've talked to, it seems older patients, 70 and up, actually have less trouble.

Diane,

Here I was, reading your post yesterday and not realizing how old it was... anyway, I'm glad to hear you're so happy with your knee replacement!

How soon are you planning to have the other one replaced? Which pain meds are you unable to take, and why can't you take them for the first couple of weeks? It sure seems like it's always something....

Debbie

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Moderator, Fibromyalgia Forum

Fibromyalgia, herniated disc L4-5, (recent discectomy), DDD, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, IBS, migraines, tachycardia, hearing loss (probably Menieres) with balance issues, chemical sensitivities

When I've taken opiates--Vicodin and Oxycontin--for my fibro, they do absolutely nothing. When they gave me the same stuff to take after my surgery, I was really sick to my stomach and totally not lucid. I was saying things that didn't make any sense. They also didn't touch the pain. I have read that some people with fibro have defective opiate receptors in their brain. Maybe that's the problem. I quit the pain meds cold turkey the day after I got home from the hospital and spent one whole day crying and blubbering. I haven't decided when to get my other knee replaced. I moved to Florida and I'm a little uncertain about my drs.

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Fibromyalgia since 1984, Sjogren's, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Auto-immune eczema, GERD, osteoarthritis, IBS, RLS, sleep apnea

Oh, that's too bad. You'd think that in this day and age, they could find something that would be effective for your pain. I hope it works out.

And I hope you like Florida! I sure wouldn't mind going there when my husband retires.

Debbie

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Moderator, Fibromyalgia Forum

Fibromyalgia, herniated disc L4-5, (recent discectomy), DDD, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, IBS, migraines, tachycardia, hearing loss (probably Menieres) with balance issues, chemical sensitivities