OT Knee surgery leads to DVT

[pharmseller]

What a PITA!
I went in for a medial meniscus debridement on my left knee Friday Nov. 6. All went well but man! I puked like a mad thing after coming out of the general. Like seasickness. Dry heaves, the works.
So I did everything the doc said - stay off the leg, plenty of rest, etc.
Late Monday my left calf started to hurt, much like a charley horse or pulled muscle. At the urging of my wife I contacted my orthopedist and got an ultrasound late Wednesday. Sure enough, I have a blood clot in my perineal vein low in the calf.
Went to the ER and got a shot of Fragmin. I have to go in and get another shot today, then go on Coumadin for 6 months.
I'm 46 and rather PO'ed about the whole situation. No one is at fault, of course, these things happen. But what a pain!
I think I'll buy a levergun to ease the pain.


P

[Hobie]

I'd get a nice light kicking .25-20 1894CL... Don't want that shoulder to be bruised...

[Ben_Rumson]

I think I'll buy a levergun to ease the pain.

I've got a nice Uberti 73 SRC 44-40 I call my "survival gun"... I bought it after undergoing emergency surgery after having my upper intestine get obstructed when it popped out through an abdominal hernia... Get you another levergun! I can positively attest that one will help with the mend..

[Doc Hudson]

I'd get a nice light kicking .25-20 1894CL... Don't want that shoulder to be bruised...

Get a .32-20. Those itty bitty .25 caliber bullets are a PIA to handle.

[Gun Smith]

I've been on coumidin for many years for irregular heartbeat. I'm going in Monday for some surgery and have to stop the coumidin 5 days prior. But, I have to have three injections of a short life thinner called Lovenox. It COSTS $115.00 PER SHOT! And, I'm in the "doughnut hole " with my Plan D to boot. Kind of puts off the next levergun a bit.
Don't worry about coumidin/warefarin (rat poison) use for six months. It will require a PT (pro time) test every couple of weeks so you don't let the blood get too thin. MUCH better than a blood clot in the lungs!

[Cliff]

Follow the doctor's orders. I was watching a program last night on PBS, called "A Salute to Veterans". A USAF pilot flying C-117's on a long hard schedule during operation Iragi Freedom developed a blood clot in his lower right leg due to the hours pushing him along. They wound up after two years of treatment, he developed a bone infection, the bones were disintergrating, finally had to amputate his lower leg. He is still recovering with a good artificial leg, but is trying to prove he can fly again. Flying was his life long dream. Pretty good program. They did say he might be able to pass the physical's and be able to stay in the Air Force as a pilot. I wouldn't mess if it gets bad. Hope the best for you.

[Blaine]

All I can say is, I'm glad people don't seem to get blood clots in their crotch Listen to the Doc!

[Ysabel Kid]

Quinn -

I feel for you. I'm only 45, and just had a microdiscectomy for a ruptured lumbar disc (L5/S1). Went into the doctor's today for my first post-surgical follow-up. Got chewed on again for pushing it too early. I didn't realize this will takes months to get back up to what I could do before this all started. Got home, and the first major medical bill was waiting for me. Thank God for insurance. $12K not included some of the other things like the X-Ray, MRI, and spinal steroid shot that came before the surgery. After insurance covers it's part I figure I'm out a couple Model 71's worth! No levers for me for a while...

[Birdman]

Hang in there. Yea, it's a PITA, but, be thankful we live in a day that this kind of surgery can be done. I'll bet that by the time this is over you will be much better off than you was with the bum knee.

[mod71alaska]

Quinn,

Buy that loving wife of yours a jewel and thank your lucky stars the blood clot was found!!! Then, of course, buy yourself a rifle!

Heal well, friend!

[madman4570]

Good thing its going on now! A year or two from now(you'd almost be a half century old,the health care death panel squad might say----------No shots your too old! Course also you probably couldnt have had the surgery in the first place(just limp)

OK-----Being real,take it easy friend/dont hurry it and do what doc/wife says!

[pharmseller]

Quinn,

Buy that loving wife of yours a jewel and thank your lucky stars the blood clot was found!!! Then, of course, buy yourself a rifle!

Heal well, friend!

Maybe a jewel of a model 71 deluxe...


P

[NonPCnraRN]

I had both knees operated on by arthroscopic means. They were done one at a time. Being a nurse I wanted to watch so I got an epidural block and didn't feel a thing from the waist down. I got to watch on the monitor as the packman like device ate away at my frayed meniscus. I then looked over at the OR tech holding my leg up on his shoulder bent at the knee in a direction the knee isn't supposed to be in. I looked up at the anesthesiologist and said, "Can I have some more Versed?" Like a bartender he said, "One Versed coming right up!" and injected it into my IV line. In 10 seconds I was still awake but didn't give a rat's patoot (as my grandmother would say) which direction my leg was pointing and went back to watching the monitor. Before he wrapped it up he injected Marcaine and a long acting steroid and I didn't feel a thing for 6 hrs. In fact I walked out of same day surgery carrying the crutches under my arm. I went and ate Chinese food and then went home. Luckily I stopped by the pharmacy on the way home because when the Marcaine wore off, Holy #$%!@. Thank God for Norco. I was encouraged to keep my leg elevated and bend it as much as possible to prevent blood clots. Anyone who works at a desk should get up for 1-2 minutes each hour and do calf raises to increase circulation in ones legs. Also if you can take one, take a baby aspirin each day.

[madman4570]

NonPCnraRN, OMG Back in 2000 I had several tendons repaired and a ankle rebuild job done.They told me hey, we can just give you a epidural block and you can watch some of it!
Me ,not knowing anything, I said sure.So that next morning at 7am they took me in the Oper.Room. I sit up on this stainless(cold as heck Oper.table)the Oper.Room Nurse is behind me getting somthing out of what looked like a big stainless Tool chest?? Walking back over towards me in her hands she is carrying what appears to be this Stainless Basketball Pump with a needle about 8" long and big I am thinking what the??? Then the other Oper.Nurse starts pushing me foward saying "Lean way foward we are now just going to put the needle in your spine?? I think I was saying AH/AH??????????
Then "BAM" they hit my spinal cord and I went all QUAD paralegic or whatever you call it.fell sideways on table limp while they caught me saying OH NO!!! Yanking out the spear they said "Can you feel anything sir"
Everthing was tingley for 10 mins and I started getting feeling back and the girl said"okay we are going to try this again" Bout now(later for this/I will limp I am thinking)So they try it again while I am trying not to pass out!?? Anyway about halfway through the stuff I can see what they were kind of doing,then the surgeon says shoot??? Sir we are now going to have to put you out???
So while the IV drip was subdoing me they got out this little circlular saw and as I was fading out I just heard it start and wham I was out.When I came too,I was telling the Doc,You are the best Doc/look my ankle dont even hurt/let me up/I can go home.Ya right, later I had the worst headache in my life/couldnt pee for about a day(felt like my bladder was going to explode and was in bad ankle pain for 5 weelks.After the casting/bandages came off 6 weeks later my whole ankle/shin was purple/brusied for two months!
Never again with that big needle in my spine(they can just kill me)

[NonPCnraRN]

That is why when someone is going to put a needle anywhere near my spine, he or she better have the title MD. Like any consumer of medical treatment if I don't feel good about who is doing what, I am a polite a-hole. After all it is your body and you have every right to dictate who does what. They may not like it but consumers need to speak up. You also should have been told what the drawbacks to that type of anesthesia are like urinary retention and you should have had an in and out cath to drain your bladder. You should not have been discharged from the hospital until you voided on your own. They #$%^@ the pooch on that one.

[AJMD429]

Technology has advanced, but not 'common sense' - it seems everything is by 'protocol' now, and if the 'protocol' doesn't SAY to use blood thinner for that particular surgery, then they won't.

It's why I got out of hospital medicine - all mindless protocol. Granted, 'evidence-based' protocols CAN be wonderfully useful guidelines, and CAN save lives, but we've come to the point we unthinkingly follow protocol, rather than using it as a guideline or reminder.

[rjohns94]

hope you heal well. sorry to hear of your troubles. blessings

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I've had three DVTs in my legs ... upper part around the inner thigh. Man those things hurt ... leg puffs up to enormous size. Anyway, I've been on Coumadin / rat poison now for about 8 years. They have a meter out now for testing your PT/INR at home yourself. I got tired of going to the lab every two weeks to have my blood drawn. Actually, the veins in my arms got tired of it. I keep my INR between 1.8 and 2.0 or so.

If you're not on it long term, you don't need the meter. Hopefully you will be off after a while.