Need some help
in [Arthritis]
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From: Califchief on 29 Jul 2008 01:00 Don Whitely wrote and asked: > A friend has RA and Fibromyalgia and recently has been having a > lot of pain in the knees in particular. The doctor has suggested > trying gel injections to help relieve the pain. > Have any of you any experience with gel injections in your knees? > What kind of gel is used for such injections? It may be Synvisc or Hyalgen, synthetic cartilage derived from the combs of chickens - not good for anyone with an allergy to poultry or poultry products. If memory serves me correctly, several ASA folks have received one or the other. I'll start my 4th series of 3 injections in 2 weeks - that's the 4th series in 7 years. Some people get 6 to 8 months of relief, others receive a year or more. But others fail and regret receiving the injections. I haven't had a problem with the first 3 series, but a few patients report severe pain at the injection site. (After reviewing and adding the chicken comb info above, I began to wonder if perhaps they weren't having an allergic reaction.) Some doctors now use use an ultrasound (or similar device) to view and guide the path of the needle. My RD sas always used a cooling/freezing spray to numb the knee prior to the injection. It's the same type of spray used in electronics to localize an intermittent heat problem. .... Send more tourists. The last ones were delicious. (cannibal tribe) ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
From: Donald Whitely on 29 Jul 2008 03:10 Di wrote: > In article <GMydnZ7Wv94iKxDVnZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d(a)posted.socketinternetservices>, > jake08(a)socket.net says... > >>A friend has RA and Fibromyalgia and recently has been having a lot of >>pain in the knees in particular. The doctor has suggested trying gel >>injections to help relieve the pain. >> >>The only thing I have ever had are cortisone shots and that was before I >>had knee replacements. So I am at a lose trying to tell this person >>anything about gel injections. >> >>Have any of you any experience with gel injections in your knees? >> >>What kind of gel is used for such injections? >> >> >>Appreciate any help you can give. TIA >> >>Feeling guilty about being absent for so long, I have a lot of catching >>up to do. Got to get into the archives and get up to date. >> >>Don Whitely >> > > Don, I would think that the "gel" that the doc is suggesting may be like > Hyalgen or Synvisc. I cannot give you advice other than what friends and > acquaintences say. All I've talked to are singing praises about the efficacy > of these injections. That's a good thing, because I'm beginning a series of > Hyalgen injections into both knees, starting this coming Thursday, July 31st. > > I found this forum discussion helpful for me, as I'm kind of a nervous wreck > about this. I hope it's helpful for you, too. > > http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php?topic=28713.msg222788 Di, Thanks for the help. I am passing it along to her. Her Doc told her to discuss it with friends, but I don't think she has a friend who has had the procedure and I have never had either one myself. This forum seems to be perfect for her. Don W.
From: Donald Whitely on 29 Jul 2008 03:11 Harvey R. Stone wrote: > "Di" <zinkydi(a)gmail.com> wrote in message > news:MPG.22f787efec025b20989776(a)news.optonline.net... > >>In article >><GMydnZ7Wv94iKxDVnZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d(a)posted.socketinternetservices>, >>jake08(a)socket.net says... >> >>>A friend has RA and Fibromyalgia and recently has been having a lot of >>>pain in the knees in particular. The doctor has suggested trying gel >>>injections to help relieve the pain. >>> >>>The only thing I have ever had are cortisone shots and that was before I >>>had knee replacements. So I am at a lose trying to tell this person >>>anything about gel injections. >>> >>>Have any of you any experience with gel injections in your knees? >>> >>>What kind of gel is used for such injections? >>> >>> >>>Appreciate any help you can give. TIA >>> >>>Feeling guilty about being absent for so long, I have a lot of catching >>>up to do. Got to get into the archives and get up to date. >>> >>>Don Whitely >>> >> >>Don, I would think that the "gel" that the doc is suggesting may be like >>Hyalgen or Synvisc. I cannot give you advice other than what friends and >>acquaintences say. All I've talked to are singing praises about the >>efficacy >>of these injections. That's a good thing, because I'm beginning a series >>of >>Hyalgen injections into both knees, starting this coming Thursday, July >>31st. >> >>I found this forum discussion helpful for me, as I'm kind of a nervous >>wreck >>about this. I hope it's helpful for you, too. >> >>http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php?topic=28713.msg222788 >>-- >>Di > > > Di is correct and these,,, either one,,, usually lasts from 3 months to two > years and is very expensive. > Harv Thanks Harv. > >
From: Donald Whitely on 29 Jul 2008 23:39 Jofirey wrote: > "Donald Whitely" <jake08(a)socket.net> wrote in message > news:GMydnZ7Wv94iKxDVnZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d(a)posted.socketinternetservices... > >>A friend has RA and Fibromyalgia and recently has been having a lot >>of pain in the knees in particular. The doctor has suggested trying >>gel injections to help relieve the pain. >> >>The only thing I have ever had are cortisone shots and that was >>before I had knee replacements. So I am at a lose trying to tell >>this person anything about gel injections. >> >>Have any of you any experience with gel injections in your knees? >> >>What kind of gel is used for such injections? >> >> >>Appreciate any help you can give. TIA >> >>Feeling guilty about being absent for so long, I have a lot of >>catching up to do. Got to get into the archives and get up to date. >> >>Don Whitely > > > You have been gone for a while. > > Its always nice to see a familiar name return, even if its just a > check in visit. Don't be a stranger. > > Jo > > Hi Jo, Thanks for the welcome back. I have been busy trying to heal. In early April I was sitting on the toilet (naked) and when I started to get up I had the most excruciating pain. (A pain I have experienced once before when I dislocated my replacement left hip.) Well to my surprise this is exactly what had happened again. However, this time I had no clue as to how it happened since I have no knowledge of twisting my leg or body in any direction which would result in this disaster. Here I was in a very small bathroom space (separated from the rest of the bathroom area) with a leg in an ackward position and unable to move it at all. My wife called the EMS who after they chuckled around the corner out of sight, came back in and extracted me, put me onto a gurney and into the ambulance to take me to our local hospital's ER. After you stop laughing. Don't blame you. There was an orthopedic Doc "on call", who came in and reset it and sent me home. In the middle of April I was helping rake leaves and thatch out of the damp lawn on a chilly day. I took a rake full into the garage to dump into the waste container. When I leaned forward my foot slipped and I fell forward hitting my forehead on the floor and the upright on my leg brace hit the side of my left ankle where I had a sore which was just about healed. The Dermatologist and I had been working on the healing process for almost a year. I am not diabetic, but I heal like one because of the heavy doses of Pred. I have had over the years. I ended up in the local ER and got four stitches in my forehead and a fresh dressing on my ankle. Several weeks later I was not feeling well and noticed what appeared to be cellulitus on the other side of my sore left ankle. Jeanne took my temp and I registered 102 and pale. We decided to go to Kansas University Medical Center (KUMed) ER (Where all of our Docs are located) I was standing in the hallway beside the door to the garage when I collapsed. I am unable to get back up on my own because of my bilateral knee replacements, my leg braces and bilateral shoulder replacements. The EMS came and put me in our car. At KUMed ER after a CT scan (which I don't even remember) a temp of 104 and a determination of a serious infection in that left ankle. I was admitted and put in a private room. I was treated for that infection with lots of antibiotics, lovanox shots in my abdomen every day and all my regular meds for three days. I was released with the understanding I would get a call from a case manager who would outline my treatment by a visiting nurse already cleared by my medical plan. She called and arrived two days after I got home and came for weeks dressing the wound until we jointly decided we were able to handle it on our own. I estimate it will take to the end of September before it is completely healed. Ready for this: About two weeks later I was utterly bored so I decided one evening I would try some unusual shot with my new Sony digital camera. The one I like so much because it has so many bells and whistles it will take a long time before I figure them all out. One I did not figure out was putting a heavy pottery vase on a footstool does not guarantee it cannot fall over. It did and hit solidly right on the ankle of my right foot. RESULT: a half dollar size blood blister which we have been treating ever since. It has finally reached the stage where it has several small openings and it is now draining. There are signs of healing On top of this we leave to go back to Ohio this weekend because my SIL age 76 is having a lobe of a cancerous lung removed. She had breast cancer and a mastectomy about 15 years ago. On the upside, I got steroid epidural injections in my back today. Don
From: Squirrely on 29 Jul 2008 23:50
oh Don, oh Don, what are we going to do with you. Love you I hope. and pray for you. You poor soul. I feel for you and my heart went out to you big time. I can't believe one person has to go thru so much at one time too. Sending healing vibes your way. I sure hope things start going better for you and soon. -- Love and hugs to all Love Squirrely > Hi Jo, > > Thanks for the welcome back. I have been busy trying to heal. > > In early April I was sitting on the toilet (naked) and when I started to > get up I had the most excruciating pain. (A pain I have experienced once > before when I dislocated my replacement left hip.) Well to my surprise > this is exactly what had happened again. However, this time I had no clue > as to how it happened since I have no knowledge of twisting my leg or body > in any direction which would result in this disaster. > > Here I was in a very small bathroom space (separated from the rest of the > bathroom area) with a leg in an ackward position and unable to move it at > all. My wife called the EMS who after they chuckled around the corner out > of sight, came back in and extracted me, put me onto a gurney and into the > ambulance to take me to our local hospital's ER. > > After you stop laughing. Don't blame you. There was an orthopedic Doc "on > call", who came in and reset it and sent me home. > > In the middle of April I was helping rake leaves and thatch out of the > damp lawn on a chilly day. I took a rake full into the garage to dump > into the waste container. When I leaned forward my foot slipped and I fell > forward hitting my forehead on the floor and the upright on my leg brace > hit the side of my left ankle where I had a sore which was just about > healed. The Dermatologist and I had been working on the healing process > for almost a year. I am not diabetic, but I heal like one because of the > heavy doses of Pred. I have had over the years. > > I ended up in the local ER and got four stitches in my forehead and a > fresh dressing on my ankle. > > Several weeks later I was not feeling well and noticed what appeared to be > cellulitus on the other side of my sore left ankle. Jeanne took my temp > and I registered 102 and pale. We decided to go to Kansas University > Medical Center (KUMed) ER (Where all of our Docs are located) I was > standing in the hallway beside the door to the garage when I collapsed. > > I am unable to get back up on my own because of my bilateral knee > replacements, my leg braces and bilateral shoulder replacements. The EMS > came and put me in our car. At KUMed ER after a CT scan (which I don't > even remember) a temp of 104 and a determination of a serious infection in > that left ankle. I was admitted and put in a private room. > > I was treated for that infection with lots of antibiotics, lovanox shots > in my abdomen every day and all my regular meds for three days. I was > released with the understanding I would get a call from a case manager who > would outline my treatment by a visiting nurse already cleared by my > medical plan. She called and arrived two days after I got home and came > for weeks dressing the wound until we jointly decided we were able to > handle it on our own. I estimate it will take to the end of September > before it is completely healed. > > Ready for this: > > About two weeks later I was utterly bored so I decided one evening I would > try some unusual shot with my new Sony digital camera. The one I like so > much because it has so many bells and whistles it will take a long time > before I figure them all out. One I did not figure out was putting a > heavy pottery vase on a footstool does not guarantee it cannot fall over. > It did and hit solidly right on the ankle of my right foot. > > RESULT: a half dollar size blood blister which we have been treating > ever since. It has finally reached the stage where it has several small > openings and it is now draining. There are signs of healing > > > On top of this we leave to go back to Ohio this weekend because my SIL age > 76 is having a lobe of a cancerous lung removed. She had breast cancer > and a mastectomy about 15 years ago. > > On the upside, I got steroid epidural injections in my back today. > > Don > > |