The Question of TKR & Age

elainebadknee

Hi There

I have recenty found out that a male living in the Glasgow area of the UK needs two new knees aged 44. He has been told if he loses weight, his wish shall be granted....I dont know approximately how much this person weighs but id guess about 17 stone, he is over 6ft.
This of course contradicts what I have been told aged 41 n 3 quarters!!! Now i know that it does differ from area to area, that each person is different but so far Ive been told my quest for TKR an age based decision - im too young....Nobody else has mentioned weight to me.
I pray to god this person I see at the Wrightington on Sept 13 is at least honest with me....I mean if he tells me that he would consider doing TKR if I lost weight Id do it......But if I get the age card again Im gonna think theyve got a conspiracy against me....
Also money matters too...Seeing that Pauline Quirke on Emmerdale, i remember she needed THR about 5-6 years ago, think she paid for it...she certainly hasnt heeded the note about weight mind, looks like someone has pumped her up over the years...

Interesting...

Elainex

dreamdaisy

Surely it depends on what is wrong with the person. If one has OA or another bone-degenerative condition then yes, a knee replacement may be required. My cousin's wife had her first knee replacement done aged 21, due to bone cancer. Does your condition affect the bones? If it does, then it must be considered an option, I would have thought. DD

dorcas

Hi Elaine,

I can see why you are so frustrated by being told you are too young for a TKR...especially as you know there are examples of others of your age and younger who are having/ have had this op.....

When you see the Consultant in September ask him if the damage and pain and loss of mobility warrants a TKR. It's not / should not be all about age... it's the pain in your knee and the impact it has on the quality of life that he needs to consider (be reminded to consider)

I know all the surgeons look at the length of time the various replacement joints will last and the likelihood of further replacement joints when they are weighing up when to offer surgery....but I really do hope Elaine that at your next appointment the consultant will listen to how bad this has been for you and consider all the factors

Irisx

elainebadknee

Hi

Well he is just a working man whose knees have worn out, he hasnt got OA or anything.
I do have Oesteochondritis Dissecans which has affected my bones and has done since I was 18+ over the years.

Elainex

elainebadknee

Hi Iris

Well yes it is puzzling to me when others seem to get the offer with ease while Im struggling away and trying to make them see my point of view.
I know, as Ive said many times before there are people lots worse off than me and less fortunate, but I feel I should be treated as an individual. I know also Ive got to stress this at my appointment, but not come across as neurotic, to the consultant it has made life changing differences to me in a negative way...In most respects it runs my life now:- I cant consider hols abroad as cant imagine queueing at airports or even getting onto plane/up steps and sit in such a restricted place, I cant walk about like others can, cant drive long. I do everything in short bursts and then recover for a while till can do another short bursts...I also feel a fall is imminent as my balance is getting worse....

Thanks for your good advice
elainex

dorcas wrote:

Hi Elaine,

I can see why you are so frustrated by being told you are too young for a TKR...especially as you know there are examples of others of your age and younger who are having/ have had this op.....

When you see the Consultant in September ask him if the damage and pain and loss of mobility warrants a TKR. It's not / should not be all about age... it's the pain in your knee and the impact it has on the quality of life that he needs to consider (be reminded to consider)

I know all the surgeons look at the length of time the various replacement joints will last and the likelihood of further replacement joints when they are weighing up when to offer surgery....but I really do hope Elaine that at your next appointment the consultant will listen to how bad this has been for you and consider all the factors

Irisx

dreamdaisy

Elaine, we all do things in short bursts and then sit and recover! Once upon a time the only thing I did sitting down was urinating and reading. Now I include cooking and ironing - it's hell when I muddle them up tho! For us it's called arthritis, for you it's COD. I do feel for you though: I've done some research and you are a rare one, aren't you? Not many people have your condition, unlike us common-as-muck arthritics! As you are so keen on a TKR I guess you have multiple areas of lesions, rather than just the one that they show on the Xrays and MRI scans on tinterweb. It's also a mis-named disease, which doesn't help! Apparently it should be chondrosis as the cartilage softens - it doesn't suffer inflammation. If you do have inflammation in your knee, perhaps something else is amiss.

You list the things you can't do - I remember the queueing at an airport one - use a wheelchair! Queue sitting down , much more civilised! They do have them in airports for people to use, and there is no shame in availing oneself of them. They can also help people onto planes etc. I too suffer the frustrations of limited movement and there are things I miss doing, but there are still things I can do, and things I force myself to do. Don't give in: fight it. Is there a support group for OCDs? If not, why not start one? Yes, it's rare (I cannot remember if the quoted figure was 1/20,000 or 1/200,000, but there must be people out there who are in a boat like yours. You do have a lot on your plate, but so do most people, you are not alone in that. Yes, your condition does limit life, and we all know how that feels! I really hope you are given the chance to go back to where you liked working - I think you need the confidence boost. There's only so much we can do here: we'll help as much as we can, but I think the chance to get out and about again will really help you - and, you never know, it could lead to bigger and better things.

I wish you well with your appointment: don't pin all your hopes on it tho, I have learned the hard way not to do that. Present your case clearly and succintly, ask for as much information as they can give you, give as much as you can, calmly, and we'll keep our fingers crossed for you. I hope you have a good day today. DD

elnafinn

Hi Elaine,

Take a list with you of all the things that you cannot do, including tiredness, not sleeping at night if applicable, anything you can think of. If he replies with the "too young" issue, ask him how he would feel if he was in a similar situation as you or watching someone he loved suffering this way. Interesting to hear his reply. I wish you well with the forthcoming appointment.

Luv
Elna x

elainebadknee

Hi

Well to be honest I thought my OCD was quite common. If it was the Wikipedia website you were on it does explain my condition although Im not sure if I have lesions as pictured on there....I have had 3 loose bodies taken out between ages of 18-27 and back then they did a 4 inch scar on inside of knee (can never remember the correct term for that side of knee).....I have further had about 4 arthoscopies to date.....
My x-ray shows that my knee has no bit between it, no cushion so to speak, its literally bone-to-bone and quite uneven.
I shall look to see if there is support groups for OCD that is something to investigate.
I had solicitor on phone today and doctor has agreed with my descriptors - cannot walk more than 100 metres without stopping due to severe disc, cannot stand for more than 15 mins even if free to move around b4 needing to sit down, cannot bend kneel or sqaut to pick up light object/piece of paper 15cm from floor to low shlef and straighten up. She does however feel I may benedfit from wrok suported type ESA help....I told her dont feel I will win appeal as others arent doing so.
However shall keep going, oh and ps phoned up for app form for that job which was advertised in paper today.
My hopes are just medium for consultant app, not up too high but a little optimistic.
Its sunny here, have a good one.

Elainex

dreamdaisy

I didn't wiki - I don't trust any info on that website. I just put in osteo dissecans and looked at what came up. www.radgray had some very good info, another site says it's 15-30 per 100,000 that is affected, it's also known as Konig's Syndrome. Your scars are on on the medial side of your knee, that's where most damage is done as it is the inside of the knee joint, not the lateral (the outside), there's a lot of info out there, much of it technical! Happy hunting.

Hello Dreamdaisy,
The link you gave doesn't work, so for anyone interested this is what you need
http://www.radgray.com/
Moderator
YEH

speedalong

Elaine all these stories are just making you feel more frustrated.

When is your imminent appointment?

Speedy

annebr

Elaine,

I think any op depends on your condition, prognosis & a variety of factors including probably the budget of the hospital you are attending.

I will need 2 THR's, I live in Glasgow and again age is a factor, I am 39. For my right hip I underwent a far bigger procedure (osteochondralplasty) to try and save the joint for a few more years.

The advice DD and others have given you is all you can do.

Anne

elainebadknee

Speedy

Well no it doesnt frustrate me to the point that its upsetting me or becoming a bugbear. It just puzzles me and I feel if there are criteria to meet or conditions to be meet it should apply to all. I have respect if people are honest, even if I dont like what they say. What has happened to me so far has not been honest, I have not been given any concrete answers or solutions and that is the least a patient should be told about their condition.
App is Sept 13, I have also applied for the temp job I did last year as I feel i can do it and they can accomodate me.

Elainex

elainebadknee

Hi Anne

Well all ive been offered so far is a kneecap removal which from the information I have only been able to obtain on this forum (no advice or info from consultant) is an extremely risky operation which is quite a big procedure and does not necessarily mean my life can be improved by any considerable margins.

Elainex

speedalong

Glad you have applied for the temp job, it sounded a good option. (I read about it on your other thread.)

Speedy