Happy 80th Birthday, BBB

Happy 80th birthday, BBB! And keep up the good fight!

Here's hoping your medical problems are not too serious. Fingers crossed for you.

Thanks for the good wishes everyone, I can really use them now. I never thought I would reach 80.

The right side of my pitiful body is falling apart. I'm taking on all bids for the used parts. Anyone interested in buying a torn rotor cuff in my right shoulder? It's fun to put pressure on it by my crutches. How about my right hip joint all decorated with severe arthritis? Just what I need when my knee is failing. I'm offering a bargain 29 year old used prothesis in my right knee. Might be a good abstract decoration for your home. All offers will be considered.

Butrflynet baked me a delicious lemon cake with coconut icing. It tasted so good. She drove me to get my drivers license this morning. I aced my license renewal application. My eye sight was good, I was breathing, and was not even asked why I was on crutches.

Tomorrow, my gardener and his son will remove the big pine tree in the back yard so Butrflynet will have a nice sunny spot to plant a vegetable garden. Her tomato plants in the raised planter are now higher than the fence. They taste so good. Even the damn pesky worms like them.

The orthopedic surgeon will examine me tomorrow afternoon. I hope he can just re-glue the prosthesis instead of having to replace it. I dread having knee replacement surgery again. I've already had two surgeries on that stupid knee. I hope my hip will hold up until after the knee problems are fixed and recovered.

BBB

The pine tree removal is postponed until Thursday 7/16. Too hot to do it today.

BBB

Happy birthday! I had no idea you were nearing 80!

Sorry to be late, BBB. Hope you had a great day. Wishing you all the best. Enjoy your nectar gathering.

Wonderful BBB photo, Roberta.

BBB, aach! I don't remember if I knew about the shoulder too. Maybe my mind repulsed that as a concept. I'll just say land o'goshen instead of my usual list of bilious swear words, since even they fail me.

Just got back from the ortho doc. Basically, there isn't much they can (or were willing to) do for her.

She now has a full-leg brace to stabilize the knee but it is so heavy that it strains her already painful hip and she won't be able to use it much. He wouldn't agree to give her a cortizone shot in the hip to ease that pain. The doctor was very discouraging about any kind of knee surgery, saying her age and bone condition would not be very condusive to a successful outcome.

Basically, she's losing the rest of her mobility and needs to get one of those indoor mobility chairs to complement her fleet of outdoor mobility chairs. Losing her mobility and independence is going to be the hardest part for her.

I wasn't all that impressed with the doctor and want her to get a second opinion.

dear bbb :
wishing you a very happy 80th indeed !!!
i gladly stand in your shadow . no matter how hard i run , i won't be able to catch up with you !
let's try and have a few more birthdays , shall we ? are you game ?
all the best !
hbg

and just forget about the brakes ... ...

OOP'S. Sorry to be a day late. Happy 80th to BBB, Keep on truckin' lady.

I'm late but that don't matter none. What's a day or two matter when it comes to birthdays.

Happy 80th, BBB.

I miss your postings. They were always a great read and I never had to do any googling.

Wondering if full leg braces always have to be that heavy. I don't know, of course, but I used to work upstairs from a prosthetics department and I figure that they may have made some progress over all these years - Not that BBB needs a prosthetic, I'm just talking about materials development.

Adding, I can see why you question all this, at least about the cortisone shot, but there may be good reasons for not doing that. But I would get a second opinion too.

I don't know any orthopods here, though I used to know the sharp ones in LA once upon a time.

I don't know if BBB would be eligible for UNM clinics but there are regular med departments of many specialties at UNM, as you know.. That'd be my bias, to check the orthopedic department out there... but that might bring up an insurance conflict. Still, from my past understanding, some folks were on more than one Los Angeles hospital staff.

I have an appointment with my primary doctor July 27. I plan to report the ortho doctor's unprofessional behavior. The following is how he treated me:

He didn't e-ray my knee to see what was going on with it.

He move my knee around to test it's mobility; heard the popping sound.

He looked at the three x-ray films I brought with me that were taken the previous week. (The urgent care physician said I had severe arthritis damage to my hip but she was not allowed to inject. It had to be done by an ortho doc.)

He refused to give me a cortisone injection in my severly painful hip; said he only injects in the outside of the hip, not the inside which he said is pinching a nerve. He would not recommend or provide treatment.

He looked at the film of my torn rotator cuff. He said most people by age 80 have torn rotator cuffs (I doubt if this is true) and would not recommend surgery or treatment.

He said he didn't think my existing 29 year old knee prothesis could be repaired. He said to remove it and replace it with a new prothesis would be a "major major" and risky surgery, and at my age with an uncertain good outcome. He said amputation is one option.

I asked if there was any kind of a brace that would stabalize my knee and leg so I could walk and not shatter my knee? He had the nurse strap a huge brace that must weight ten pounds that fit from my hip to my angle. It was so ridged I couldn't walk. She adjusted it to give me some flexibility. I could walk with difficulty with it on.

He dismissed me with no suggestions.

I left in an angry frustated feeling that it was clear that he didn't want to get involved with any treatment for me, I assume because of him being fearful of the challenge. I'm going to report this unprofessional doc to the medical staff through my primary physician. He messed with the wrong person, thinking he could ignore me because I was a woman and 80 years old. Big mistake!

I had difficulty getting into Butrflynet's car with the brace on. It hurt all the way home. I got into my recliner chair and sat in it for about an hour and finally had Butrflynet remove the brace. I sat in my chair for about three hours until I had to take a pee. When I stood up, I could walk, there was no popping in my knee and it didn't wobble---and it didn't hurt. It appears the brace realigned my knee somehow. I've been carefully walking and it seems, after three days, that it's not going to fail again---fingers crossed that it continues. If my knee fails again, we will use the brace again to see if it works it's magic once more.

I'm going to get another referral to an ortho doc that I have more confidence in. I know my knee will be stressed x-rayed to evaluate it. At least I will be able to get cortisone injected into my hip to reduce the pain. Then I will be able to walk easier.

I'm so thankful that Butrflynet is living with me and taking care of me so well. How could I manage without her? Beside, Dolly and Maddy doggies love her.

The pine tree and it's roots were removed yesterday. Butrflynet is researching the best way to fence off the area so the doggies don't dig in the garden she plans to plant. It's 98 degree weather so not much is being done except watering.

The doggies like to watch the wrens eating from the bird feeder Butrflynet hung from one of the trees, which we can see from inside the house.

We are enjoying the tomatoes, even giving some away. I love home garden tomatoes.

BBB

Here's a late happy birthday, BBB. Since yiou and I have had a few conversations about the possibilities of a new prosthesis, I really can't understand why he wouldn't give you his reasons in detail. I know what you've been through, but checking out the rest of the options seems worth it.

My exmother-in-law had very successful surgery when she was in her late seventies, and she wasn't in as good shape as you.

(Sigh) These days, some doctors are reluctant to take chances with older patients because of possible liability. It's sad, but true.

Get another opinion! Or two!

(I bet you've already made an appointment, right? )

I missed this thread completely.

First, Happy 80th birthday, BBB.

Second, big hugs for all the pain and discomfort (physical and emotional) you're enduring. I hope you get some relief in the days/weeks ahead.

Just saw this thread. I hope that you had a good one.The problem with getting older, is that the parts start to wear out. So long as you have a good "mechanic", he can keep you running in fine fettle.

If you are unhappy with what you docs are saying, get a second opinion. I don't think that I have to tell you that there are doctors, and there are DOCTORS.

I'm in less pain today so I'm going to finally get my 2008 income taxes done. Lucky for the IRS.

BBB

Happy Belated Birthday

I hope the next doctor you see will have encouraging news. It doesn't sound like you were treated very well. Take it easy and I wish you the best.

Turns out that my income is so low that I don't have to file federal or state tax forms. Also didn't have to pay for having my tax forms done. Amazing!

BBB