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Joint replacement and other surgeries delayed due to pandemic

Posted by Bob @plantbased2, Mar 26, 2020

I got a call from my Doctor saying he needed to postpone my spacer removal and implant of hip joint due to the pandemic. This was the day before my surgery. I am betting I am not the only one to have to wait. I of course have no idea when this will change and I am wondering if anyone else is waiting and if they are worried about the temporary hip joint. I am having more pain than I was because I have been fairly "non compliant" and walking more without my walker or crutches.

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lilypaws | @lilypaws | Apr 22, 2020
In reply to @woogie "To: Lilyowas. I read your post. I have had at least five surgeons tell me the..." + (show)
@woogie

To: Lilyowas. I read your post. I have had at least five surgeons tell me the operation you are having is what I need. I, too, have stenonis so bab--I get epidurals ever so many months. I asked the pain doctor why I got them and he said he his doing this to keep me from having the surgery. So, I have the pain which radiates down my leg also. I had my veins stripped in my right leg (same one) in 1980. Sometimes I have to get up and move because of the pain. I am so afraid of having the surgery. I am on at least two web sites where people have had the back surgery and are in horrible pain. Therefore, I choose not to have the surgery. I don't really want any surgery at my age. Although, I may have to have a hernia in my stomach repaired. I have had so many operations, I just feel that my age has a lot to do with recovery. When I got a shot in my back, the lady doctor pinched her first finger and thumb together, no space in between, she said: Your spine is like this: there is no room even to get a needle in between there. She said: It's just like when your garden hose gets a kink in it. So, I'm living with the pain. I take pain pills which I get from the pain clinic.

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Bless your heart. You have been talking to the wrong people. Not all surgeries cause more pain. My Mayo surgeon did a test on me that showed that the surgery will work. I did everything from epidurals, to physical therapy, ablation (done at Mayo) and other things to try to help me. I am 69 and don't want to wait. Have you seen a pain doctor at Mayo? I started out seeing a pain doctor and surgeon. She told me I have done everything I can do and my primary physician tells me I need the surgery. I'm no longer afraid, I just want to get it done. The endocrinologist there put me on Tymlos to increase my bone density. I have 3 more weeks of the injections before I could have surgery, but it depends on the Covid-19 and if they open up doing surgery again. Don't be scared. Mine is a big surgery, a fusion from T-10 to my pelvis. Yes, it will take awhile to heal, but I have a great husband to help me. Are you alone or do you have someone to help you? My thoughts are with you.

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JK | @contentandwell | Apr 22, 2020
In reply to @cschultz8 "I had TKR scheduled for 3/24 and was 8 days away when I was called to..." + (show)
@cschultz8

I had TKR scheduled for 3/24 and was 8 days away when I was called to postpone it. I should have been 4 weeks past surgery now and starting to live again. Thankfully I'm not in pain just limping a little and they say I am bone on bone. Now I fear my summer will be spent doing therapy instead of planning a vacation. I am very depressed about this. I am still very active and plan to be active again as soon as possible. Staying home with this virus has got the best of me. I cry a lot.

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@cschultz8 I'm sorry to hear that your TKR had to be postponed. I actually had to postpone one also, way back in 2015. My platelets were too low for elective surgery. I didn't finally have the TKR until October 2017, at which point I was actually hurting less because I had strengthened the supporting muscles through a lot of exercise.
If your pain is not too bad then perhaps you can delay the surgery until early fall. If you had it then you would be better before the holidays. I don't know what type of vacation you had planned but I doubt that many will be flying yet or going places that require transportation other than their car.
Staying home and self-isolating does get the best of many of us. Most days I am OK, but there are days when it does get me very down. I have an adult son and daughter who both live out of state and I miss them both terribly. My son is far away so we don't know when we will be able to be together again because neither he nor us is ready to think about air travel. My daughter is about a five or six hour car drive away. I got to thinking about that this morning and it did put me in a sad mood for a while, but I try to stay busy with other things to take my mind off of it.
I am also finding having my groceries delivered is not something I enjoy.
We will get through this, but it cannot be rushed. As Dr. Fauci has said, the virus determines the timetable. If people rush it too much it will rebound.
There is another group where people are talking about coronavirus. Perhaps you would be interested in joining some of those discussions, there are many topics within the group.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/covid-19/
JK

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