October in Scottsdale was a big month for medical activities for me. My experience involved several surgeries, crutches, physical therapy, and a significant reduction in pain! Yes, a REDUCTION in pain.
Preamble
After much complaining about pain in my right knee, which I had replaced in 2023, I decided action was required. Tests earlier in 2024 indicated there was an issue with my implant and I would need a revision (a new replacement). All of the descriptions I read suggested it was a decidedly unpleasant experience.
But, alas, I really couldn’t tolerate the pain going up or down stairs anymore. So we decided to drop into Scottsdale for a month for the surgery and recovery.
Meeting with the Orthopedist
My surgery was scheduled for a Thursday, a few days after we arrived, to provide as much time as possible for rehab before returning to Mexico. At our meeting on the prior Tuesday, the orthopedist said he couldn’t do the surgery because his revision specialist partner had left the practice. I started to panic, but he said he understood our time constraints and would find someone to help. His commitment was to text me with a plan. I would highly recommend Integrated Orthopedics and Scottsdale.
Next Steps on My Knee
The next step turned out to be an appointment with another revision specialist in Scottsdale. So, Wednesday, i.e, the next day, I went to see the specialist. After another X-ray and a thorough exam, he told me I didn’t need a revision. What?! There was nothing wrong with my implant. He told me to tell my orthopedist to do a scope to clean up scar tissue and then inject PRP. PRP injection is a process where platelets are extracted from your own blood and put back into your bloodstream to promote healing. After another discussion with my orthopedist, I got a call asking if I would like to do the surgery on Friday, just one day later than originally planned. So, we rejoiced.
Special note: Whenever I tried to describe the pain in my knee, I referred to it as a pinch and a pain in a specific spot. That spot was nowhere near the implant, which was consistent with the issue being scar tissue.
The Other Problem
For some time, I have had pain in my left hip and leg related to the leg I broke in Africa. My orthopedist studied the xray and determined the rod in my leg extended past the bone and so did the screws. This wasn’t really a problem until I lost weight and the related padding. So, he agreed to take the screws out at the same time he scoped my knee.
I hate surprises, but he told me at the surgical center just before prep he didn’t want to remove screws because he was concerned about future bone weakness. He suggested I contact the doctor who put the hardware in. Again, I asked him to call and explain my time constraints, which he did.
The First Surgery
So, the doc scoped my knee on the Friday after we arrived in Scottsdale. I know PRP improves healing, but my experience was amazing. No pain at all after surgery. The bandage that had to stay until Monday was a little cumbersome, but I was so bored and relatively pain-free by Sunday that we took a drive and stopped at a bar with saddles for bar stools. I even walked a few thousand steps. Yeah me.
The part of my quad that hadn’t worked for at least two years started working, too. It was no longer bound up in the scar tissue.
Addressing the Problem with my hip
The knee doc was able to get me in to see the leg doc the following Tuesday. After a careful study of my X-rays, the leg doctor agreed the pain was from the hardware and to take it all out. It was an all-or-nothing thing. Again, time was of the essence, but he said he had time on Friday, three days later. Ah, the joys of doctors in Scottsdale are that they are available! He also told me he would put synthetic bone in all of the holes left by the hardware, so I had to use crutches for four to six weeks. I wasn’t happy about the timing, but at least bringing my crutches down wasn’t a waste.
The Second Surgery
One week after the first surgery, I was back in the operating room. Removing the hardware required another three slices on the outside of my left leg. I think the total is near 15 on that leg. The surgery didn’t take long, and I went home after a few hours. Aside from numbness due to the nerve block, again, there was no pain. The hip pain I had been living with for the last year was gone, along with the hardware.
I tried to stay on the crutches, knowing the “bone in a can” hadn’t set up yet. But I could walk on my leg with no problem. I was already going to physical therapy for my knee, so the therapist worked on hip mobility, too.
I went back to the leg doctor after two and a half weeks to have the stitches taken out, and the physician’s assistant told me I didn’t need the crutches anymore. A welcome reprieve. I guess they just tell everyone four to six weeks and then assess how they are doing at their post-op visit.
No Pain
This is going to sound weird, but it has taken a while to get used to my new painless state. Consider that cortisol increases in response to pain. No cortisol feels pretty odd. I’m also working hard with my trainer to strengthen my knee and my hip. Physical therapy isn’t necessary, it’s just lots of somewhat painful exercises.
The leg surgeon even told me I could ski after 10 weeks, which pissed off my kids. They don’t want me to ski anymore for fear of more injuries, but I figured I would see how I feel come mid-February when we head to Colorado. Fast forward to now, at the beginning of March, and I can tell you that after intensive training for several months, I have successfully skied for nine days so far. I am thrilled to be able to ski, and I expect to continue skiing throughout our winter ski holiday. Nothing too daring or scary, but I do love skiing, and I want to be able to continue in the future. We might go to Europe again to ski; that would be awesome. I will also say that Mike is extremely happy (if not ecstatic) to have me skiing with him again.
I was extremely fortunate to be able to take care of all of my leg pain-related issues in just a month. A small miracle. I will admit that with the other pain gone, I am starting to feel my back again, but I am working out aggressively.
How would you handle multiple surgical procedures within one week?
