Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Brightened my docs. day,,NOT!!!!!!!!!

Yee Haw!!!! By the end of my day I feel like I just got off a mechanical bull. You know, sore from poking, prodding, twisting and head spinning from confusion on information overload.
I got to grace the presence of both my Rheumy and my OS all in one day . My Rheumy visit was uneventful nothing new. Can't do anything else but try to keep me functional and comfortable as long as we can. Hurray for oxycotin
My Orthopedic surgeon is the one I feel sorry for having to get out of bed this morning and face his #1 pain in the but patient. Long story short, I guess I have another surgery to look forward to in the next month. He is sending me to another OS in 2 weeks for another opinion before he decides how to handle my unstable total knee from last year and the other knee we tried to save last year from replacement. So this will be the 4th and 5th surgery in a year and a half. I'm sooo sick of hospitals and surgery I could scream It's time to get on with life. I had no idea the mess AS could do to the outcome of surgeries. So thinking of surgery? AS patients beware! This desease can throw a monkey wrench into the best of surgical situations. I don't know if I can handle getting the other one replaced after this one is fixed. That will have to sit on the back burner until this current replacement is fixed. I just wanted to have 2 good knees and be able to walk. You know what they say about the best layed plans. That was a year and a half ago. Total now, 9 surgeries and counting. Oh well, down in the dumps needed to vent a little. Things could always be worse, I could loose my job with this surgery. Oh yea, I forgot that happened already twice last year, I understand things come in threes.
Hope you all are in better spirits than I am today.
Cindy

You've been through a lot. I admire your strength and your attitude. Thank you for sharing your story here. I'm curious to know how AS threw a wrench into your surgeries.

cat

Sorry to hear about all the crap you're going through. A/S seems to effect everyone in different ways. The only advice I can offer is go easy on the Oxy's. I loved the way they hid my pain but I also started chewing them by the handfulls. It took me a long time and the help of many good friends to realise I had a problem and then cutting back to a normal dosage was another task. Anyway I don't mean to preach, just thought I might save ya ahead of time.
Let's hope your surgery days come to an end and that your pain levels off (as mine did after 20yrs of A/S), cheers.

Steve

Sorry, I just read your bio and realised that you've had this darn disease longer than I have. I also guess you've been on Oxy's long enough to know the effects they can have. I abused them and and went through a rough time because of it.
Steve

Here's to hoping you get the help you need...

Hey Steve,
Don't appologize for trying to give anyone a heads up on Oxycotin. I was one of many who tried to help you through your Oxy. delemma a few weeks ago. I so glad to see that it worked and you can now see you have had a real problem with them. I hope things continue to improve for you in that department.
Thanks for listening
Cindy

Hi Cat,
In "short" answer to your question about the monkey wrench. Every knee surgery I had last year there was a long delay in healing and alot of postop inflammation and swelling that lasts the better part of a year after instead of a month. The massive amounts of bone removed from the one knee last year because of deterioration didn't stop it. It's like a cancer eating away what is left in a very short period of time. The other one I had replaced last year the AS is still causing swelling and inflammation in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons 15 months later which is causing it to buckle. AS just seems to cause a mery go round effect, you know one surgery just leads on to another and so on. Hope you're not heading down the "surgical highway" anytime soon.
Cindy

HI

sorry you had a terrible doc day. But it will go away!
I still didnt have any surgeries done yet, hope never will.
I am still not kickingAS, just pushing it for now...........

have a better day tomorow

sanela

Hi Cindy,

I am sorry, I dont really know what to say..

It is horrible what you have had to go thru..

I am figuring on knee surgery sometime in the future for me also, when I walk they crack and I have ALWAYS had trouble with them.

I just hope things get better for you,

Lisa

I am so sorry that you are having suchh a hard time. I am thinking of you. You are an inspiration to me.

Blessings.
Possi