my sister has severe oestoarthritis...

[Medusa]

I have osteoarthritis of the spine, unfortunately they can't replace the spine.

Ditto for me.

I have a couple of friends who have had knee replacements on both knees; one of the friends had both knees done at the same time and she was in her early 80's when she had it done. They both say that it changed their lives for the better. I think if your sister has the surgery she'll be happy that she made the decision.

[K9karen]

I know people who've had one knee done at a time, as well as both at once. Regardless, after physical therapy, lots of hard work, they all seem to be doing fantastic! IMO, medical science has evolved so beautifully, they can do wonders. Of course every patient is different, but after the 2 back surgeries I've had (need more and 2 hip replacements), I feel better than I have in years. Nobody wants surgery, but if it makes a profound difference in your life, I say, Go With It!

[carole]

Thank you all, gosh some of what you wrote scared the heck out of me, i did not realise so much could go wrong and it was so painful to have done,i know it was not the norm what happened to you, and i will keep that in mind.

I am sure my sister will be having the surgery, she cannot continue to live in pain trying to run around after a two year old, who is very active and fast, faster than most two year olds, a budding runner in the family we think lol.

She has chosen a very good surgeon, he is the surgeon who did all the operations on the ALL BLACKS, for those of you who don't know them , they are our famous rugby team, and he has operated on her husbands knee, so they know who they are dealing with here.

Again thank you for the information and advice, always appreciated, and gosh Karen i had no idea you had been through so much and have so much to go through, i really feel for you,you are so brave, i am such a coward, i am scared to death of surgery of any kind.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I'm so sorry, Carole. I didn't want to upset you but to point out that doctors don't always inform the patient of what's to come. I would have been so happy if my doctor or nurses would have educated me ahead of time. Fortunately, alot of doctors suggest watching a film about the surgery beforehand. I was never told about that either.

Again, my case is very rare. Extremely rare and unusual. Most people have the surgery and are like new people afterward. In my area, we only have a few knee doctors to select. That's why we have so many stories. We all have the same "questionable" doctors.

There are some great books out on the market for a person to read too. I have one of them and it's fantastic. I don't recall the name right now but I can find it. Some people refer to it as the knee replacement patient's bible.

Your sister will be fine. She will have a new life after it's over and she's recovering. Best of luck to her and please let us know how she does.

[carole]

oh please don't feel you need to apologise, it is always good to know everything there is to know, i am just worried for her, i don't want her to have go through something as traumatic as this appears to be,but i know in the long run she should be better off, i understand your case is probably quite rare and i am so sorry you have had to endure this, it must be terrible for you, you are indeed extremely brave, i hope things improve dramatically for you and soon,best of luck.

Yes i am sure she will be ok, just have to hope for the best, got to wait until the surgeon is back from holiday, it is that time of year down under, everyone on holiday,and take it from there, sounds like they have one of the best surgeons,so that makes a huge difference.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Thank you, Carole. It seemed real difficult when it was all going on but now I barely remember the hardship of it. I never thought I would see this day come. I kept a positive attitude and that helped alot.

I wish your sister all the very best in this thing. I am so glad she has a great surgeon.
Please don't hesitate to PM me anytime if you or your sister have questions.
If there's one thing I can do that will make me happy, it's trying to help somebody with concerns they might have.

Terry

[K9karen]

Carole.. sounds like your sis found a great surgeon. I'm sure the sports team wouldn't continue to use him if he didn't do a fantastic job and get the guys playing again! And he operated on her husband. I'd say, it's a GO! She's young yet, and with a 2 year old, she needs her life as painfree as possible, and be able to intercept him!

There are always complications with ANY type of surgery. Even the easiest and simpliest. I was a trooper and rather excited before my 1st surgery (cervical spine-neck) but just as I was being wheeled into the OR, I burst into tears. I guess the reality hit me. It is scary. I know, I'm petrified of having my hips done and am going to try to talk the doc into doing both at once. But you can only pray for the best. It'll be what it's suppose to be.

I know your sister will make the right decision. I'll keep her in my thoughts.