Elbow Replacement Part 2

lindalegs

Hello everyone,

I started a thread in September 2014 enquiring whether anyone had had an elbow replaced because this was an option I was having to consider at the time.

As promised I said I would update those interested when I had seen my surgeon, which I now have. After listening to a brief synopsis of my situation my surgeon said he would be mad to touch my elbow! He looked at the x-rays and said my bones have grown together over the years so my arm is one long bone. If he replaced my elbow he would have to break the bone in two before fixing the prosthesis. This alone would cause it to be painful and with having no ‘bend’ muscle support I would have great difficulty in moving it again even with intensive physiotherapy. This in turn would make my arm very weak whereas at the moment it is my strongest arm and I would be unable to use it even as I do now.

I then asked about the possibility of my thumb fusion and so he went to get a hand surgeon in for a second opinion and also a student because I was such an interesting ‘case’. The hand specialist, said he was just telling his student that he doesn’t see very many rheumatoid hand deformities nowadays because the drug regime is so much better than it used to be and there you go I appear in clinic! They were fascinated with my hands and had an in depth examination. He, too, said the right elbow replacement is definitely a no-go-area because I would be worse off even if the operation was a success. He did add though that they could fuse my thumb without having the elbow replacement and they could possibly replace my knuckles at the same time.

I have an appointment in February to see the Consultant Specialist for hands.

Am I disappointed at the outcome of the appointment? No, I was so relieved because he was really decisive and we sometimes need others to make these life changing decisions for us, I feel. :P

His parting shot was that as soon as I need my left ‘moving’ elbow replaced he will be more than happy to do that as it has good muscle support.

So that’s it but I will add that if anyone is looking to have their elbow replaced surgeons will do the operation to relieve pain or they will offer you a fusion of the joint which is what my own elbow has done without surgery and fortunately, for me, it has fused itself in a good position.

Hope you are all as well as you can be.

Luv,

stickywicket

Thanks for the update, Legs. I was wondering, only the other day, how you were getting on.

It definitely sounds like a no-brainer and I'm glad it was such a cut-and-dried decision. They're always the easy ones.

Yes, a physio told me some time back that they don't get to see many people like me now. (That'd be the stunning good looks and superb physique, I guess ) So the meds are achieving something and that has to be good. I confess, even I don't see many people like me now. It's nice to know we can still excite the docs though, isn't it?

Good luck for Friday. I hope it's a good outcome

barbara12

Hello Linda..glad you have updated us...it must have been a weight of your mind,not having to make the decision...only sorry they cant help...hopefully the hand will be a different matter..I am suppose to have the bone at the base of my thumb removed, but so far its stopped playing up..or it me being chicken..hope your Christmas went well...xx

hileena111

Hi Legs
Thanks for the update........It does sound as if it would be an easy choice which is good

Hope things go well for you

Love
Hileena

dreamdaisy

Hello Legs, it's good to hear from you again. For what it's worth I think that was a good appointment with a wise surgeon - your right arm may be 'broke' but as it cannot be really fixed why interfere? It seems to have done a reasonable job by itself, and you have some use of it which is important.

I was sitting in rheumatology reception yesterday watching patients striding in and out, without aids or deformities, which was very unlike my early days there back in 2002 where sticks, crutches, mis-shapen fingers etc. abounded. One can indeed see the progress that has been made with the meds etc. and it bodes well for those yet to be diagnosed.

Good luck for the appointment in February and please let us know how it goes. I wish you well, DD.

lindalegs

Hello Sticky, Barbara, Hileena and Dreamdaisy,

Thank you for replying.

It was good to be the focus of such interest even if it was for the wrong reasons .....though sometimes to would be nice to be anonymous! People seem to remember you when you stick out from the crowd and you can't get away with anything at all!!!

That said it is heart warming to know that when we suffer from such a destructive disease the drug regime is so good nowadays the newly diagnosed won't be as deformed as we veterans are!

I wear my splint to support my wobbly thumb for many tasks I am looking forward to having fused. In saying that I am not looking forward to the surgery itself, as that will be grim because I will be awake, but I do really want the end result .....pity there isn't a jump in time button to press to when it's all over! :roll: (Barbara I'm glad your thumb has settled down, long may it last!)

Christmas was wonderful as we experienced it through the eyes of a two year old little boy, 'twas pure joy, we are so lucky to have him in our lives.

Love,

barbara12

We will be in pocket duties Linda...hope you don't have to wait too long..Children do make Christmas more magical..especially with it all still being new for your GS...we have 2 other GC in there teens but even they still make it lovely..you take care..xx

lindalegs

Thanks Barbara. It'll be just to discuss it all in early February so I'll prepare a list of questions before I go .....I'm well practiced now! Then no doubt I'll go on the list, though Mr Legs doesn't want me to have anything done till after the summer and as he's my nursemaid I shall consider this. I've put up with my wobbly thumb for 24 years now so a few more months won't make any difference.

(Your Christmas sounds as if it was as special as ours. )

Love,

Boomer13

This makes me wonder if your UK docs aren't quicker at diagnosing RA, PsA, etc. because I see lots of people here really crippled up with RA etc. In fact, I tend to feel a little guilty when I arrive at my rheum's office without a walker or wheelchair. There always seem to be lots of people there with severe mobility problems. Maybe our docs take more of a 'wait-and-see" approach (mine certainly did and I had to fight for rheumatic care) or, perhaps it's a cultural thing, maybe mis-trust of the drugs? Seems strange, whatever the reason.

Legs, I glad it was a good, straightforward decision regarding your elbow. May all your appointments go so well in future too!

stickywicket

Or maybe it's the difference between paying and not paying? Maybe Canadians struggle on for too long in fear of the health bills.

My son, in USA, lacking any health insurance at the time, dislocated a finger and split it to the bone playing cricket. He did a DIY job, shoving it back and disinfecting and splinting it until healed. A friend's Canadian friend has had to go back to work at 80 because he can't pay the bills. We are very lucky over here.

lindalegs

Hi Bloomer, yes you could be right with the speed of diagnosis theory but I do think drug regime is so much better these days than when I was first diagnosed 28 years ago. Sticky does make a good point too about costs involved because without our NHS many of us could not afford the medication especially the bio meds which we're so lucky to have.

Gee whiz Sticky I've heard of DIY but not to that extreme! :shock: :shock:

Love,

Boomer13

Sticky, I don't know what to say about your friend's friend but our health care is all gov't funded. Our system is more like yours in the UK than the USA. Whether you pay for prescriptions depends on your income. Possibly your friend's friend is talking about prescription costs? We also pay a user fee for physio, etc. but the actual medical costs are all funded here. We're very lucky.

Some people opt to go to the US for care and, of course, they have to pay for that.

stickywicket

Legs - he said shoving back the dislocated joint was just instinct. The rest was hard graft

Boomer - I shall check this out with our friends next time we meet up (soon) and update you.

ichabod6

Isnt there an old Yorkshire saying to the effect that if it aint really broke dont try to mend it?

stickywicket

Except when it's sticking out at a right angle

Boomer13

I should qualify my statement that our medical system is gov't funded. Depending on income you pay a monthly premium in some provinces, others it entirely covered, I believe. I suppose for some on fixed income that monthly premium could become unmanageable. Maybe that's the situation for your friend, Sticky.

Linda, I hope your appointment in February goes well. As far as knuckle replacement goes, I have a friend with RA who had this done and it was an overwhelming success. A couple of years later and he is still showing off his new knuckles! He had hardly any function before the operation, so I can't blame him.

Hope you are a good candidate for the surgery!

lindalegs

Thank you Bloomer.

At the moment I'm not sure whether my surgeon will actually replace my knuckles as my function is quite good, they are just huge and ugly with ulna deviation of my fingers. It is great to hear the positive story of your friend and his new knuckles, long may they function!

I am looking forward to having my thumb fusion and hope he will do that for me.

Love,

stickywicket

Did I ever mention that, many, many years ago, the hand surgeon looked at mine and decided there was no point in rocking the boat as by then I had little pain in them and still had (and have) a grip of sorts, albeit a wholly unorthodox one. I think I'm rather glad he left them.

lindalegs

stickywicket wrote:

Did I ever mention that, many, many years ago, the hand surgeon looked at mine and decided there was no point in rocking the boat as by then I had little pain in them and still had (and have) a grip of sorts, albeit a wholly unorthodox one. I think I'm rather glad he left them.

I think you did mention it Sticky (but you are getting on a bit and probably forgotten you have )

You are so right though it's the grip that matters and not the looks but a tinsy-winsy bit of me would like them to be prettier. :oops: :oops: If it's purely cosmetic I won't even consider it and neither will he! Surgery isn't fun after all .....have I said that before (I suffer from the age thing too!)?

Love,

stickywicket

Oh dear! I'm reminded of my mother and mother-in-law, in their later years, who had the same conversation every time they met and sometimes several times in the course of an afternoon.

On the plus side, they both enjoyed it

lindalegs

Bless them.

And another positive thing about forgetting stuff could be that you could keep read your favourite book in the whole wide world over and over again and not remember the ending!

Love,