I decided to start this, to inform those who may experience one day a medical situation. In this day and age, one has a vast amount of information right at their finger tips. All that is required to spend the time and do the research. Never take the first persons opinion, or in my case keep searching for the truth. What has led me to this point, was having a motorcycle accident on 7-7-76 in Hays, KS. Having two arthroscopic surgeries on my right knee one on 12-29-2003 and the other one 8-19-2005.
Now, here is what I would like to know. How can three [3] doctors look at MRI’s, the narrative written about the MRI‘s, the x-rays taken, the narrative written by the doctor who preformed the last surgery and the actual pictures taken inside my knee, can all come to the same conclusion? That being the only thing wrong is my knee cap. Which is out of alignment and that the right half of it is bone on bone. There is about 1/16 of an inch clearance, when the normal clearance is ½ to 5/8 of an inch. The left half of the right knee cap has about 3/8 of an inch clearance if that.
I basically have very, very little meniscal cartilage and articular cartilage left in the knee area. Then on top of this I have arthritis, which is on the very top of the tibia [shin bone]. How’s does it come to be, that three [3] of these doctors never said any thing about having arthritis or factoring in the cartilage. Plus the fact each one said that I was to young to have a total knee replacement, but that the only thing I needed was a knee cap replacement, but wouldn‘t do it for various reasons. Hmm, on Nov 13th I will be 53.
On Tue the 17th, I had finally found someone who for 25 minutes explained to me in great detail about my condition and what was wrong. He showed me in the x-ray, MRI and the pictures that were taken last year. Then explained what the narratives said. I was asked if I had a computer, I said yes. Then he said, go into a medical dictionary and look up these terms used in these narratives, pointed to what I need to look up. He also said, that don’t take his word 100 percent go look for yourself. He said that it was obvious that I had done some research into this subject and that if I did this on my own, that I would feel more comfortable in knowing the facts and understanding them better. First time that I ever had a doctor explain to me in detail on what was wrong, plus telling me to look up the terms used.
Well, I have just done that, looked for myself. The man was telling me like it was, no more, no less, just the plain simple truth of the facts. What I am going to do? Hard to say, but I do know this, I will not be off from work 4 to 6 weeks like I was told. I told them that I can sit and work just as well as I can at home. Only difference is that at work I am being productive and making money. Being at home, I am making not any money and not being productive. Besides, I have a sister who at the age of 60 had hers done on a Monday and went back to work at the office the following Monday. She turned 70 this last April. If she can do it at the age of 60, then I can at 53.
I have been persistent in searching out the true facts. I am lets say very PO’d, in the fact that the first three [3] doctors didn’t tell the whole story. I do know this, if I have this done, I will have it in writing that I can go back to work after a week of being off. I do know that the day of the surgery, the day after you kept in the hospital. Then on the third usually discharged in the afternoon. So, bottom line, at this point in time I have no idea if I will have a total knee replacement done or not. That depends on this doctor and the time off issue.
Bottom line, just keep searching for the truth until you have found it!!
http://www.saljournal.com/blogs/?p=1444
