Anyone Got Any Spare Parts They Don't Need Anymore?
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
Midland, Michigan
October 4, 2016 10:15pm CST
I went to see the orthopedic surgeon this morning and discovered that I need a knee replacement whether I want one or not. There is no cartilage left on my left knee and the bones are thinning on one side which is causing my knee to turn out. It puts my leg at an odd angle. He said that cortisone injections wouldn't even do my knee any good at this point in time.
I have surgery scheduled for February 27th and will be off both jobs for three months. That will almost take us into May, which is a busy time of the year with windows. Maybe by then, I'll be getting around better and can at least supervise from afar the work my crew will be doing. Otherwise, my husband is hoping his newest leg will finally be fitting better by then and he can go in my stead.
I'll get a portion of my paycheck a week after the surgery because I pay for short-term disability, so at least I'll still make some money. I'm hoping that I'll be able to continue working until that surgery since my knee is the worse it's ever been.
3 people like this
4 responses
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
6 Oct 16
I'm sure I'll be thinking of window work long before May. I may be able to schedule work for the employees even if I can't go out and work with them. My left knee is so far gone that it's causing the leg to be at the wrong angle. If I don't get it done I'm sure I'll mess up both hips and possibly my back too.
He said something about getting the other knee done afterward. For that one I might work on the exercises to see if that helps take care of it longer. Although, that knee could be a candidate for the smaller incision and shorter recoup time that I heard this particular surgeon does. I'll have to find out my options next year. I'm sure I won't want to do that one right away, but neither do I want to wait as long as I did for my left knee. I don't want the aggravation of not being able to bend my knee while walking which is where I'm at now on the one needing surgery.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502729)
• Italy
6 Oct 16
@MarshaMusselman Do not wait too long, you are right, a bad angle can cause plenty of problems, both to your back and your hips. It should be good if we could replace the parts of our body as we do for the computers, an easy fix and it's done.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
7 Oct 16
@LadyDuck I probably waited too long already, but at least I made the initial appointment once my knee got worse this summer. The person/doctor/surgeon I picked this time is just busy enough that it will be almost another five months before I get it taken care of.
If standing at work causes me more injury, I just may need to take off before the surgery takes place too. I'm hoping I can make it through the holidays at least, but will monitor it closely too.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
6 Oct 16
I'm sure taxes are taken out. It would be like getting paid vacation pay. Still, we would get a good amount. The problem is that I pay out top dollar for my medical insurance, although it will go down a bit next year since my daughter will be getting her own via a new position where she works.
I hope I can keep working too. I will need to work in the rest of my vacation hours since I can't take vacation while getting the disability checks, I don't think. So maybe I'll be able to take a day or so off extra through this winter periodically. I'll need to ask my manager if that will be feasible. If it works for them, it will give me a bit of time to rest the knee while waiting for the surgery.
Even though I've done windows all week long, it's much easier than standing at a register for two-hour increments of time. We do stand on a mat, but after awhile it's almost as if we're on cement floors since that's what's under the flooring.
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
6 Oct 16
@MarshaMusselman People I know who got disability or short/longterm illness pay were not taxed on it, which closed the gap some between their regular pay and their disability benefit. I guess it depends on the insurance plan.
That was the reason I asked. Hope you are not in too much pain and discomfort.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
6 Oct 16
@paigea It does hurt and takes a while for me to move once I've been sitting a while. I do try to move more often when at my computer desk, but I don't have that option when cashiering. I'm hoping I'll be able to work until my surgery. If it doesn't get any worse I should be okay, but otherwise, I may need to stay home before the surgery. We'll have to see how it all works out.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Oct 16
here I was complaining abou t my arthritic knee and you are so much worse offI hope itr allgoes well for you..I have a shoulder joint re placemet as I fell a number
of years back and smashed the bones so bad I had to have surgery to have the joint relaced. they can do wonders now
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
5 Oct 16
I know. I'd heard that this particular doctor can do the surgery by making a smaller cut into the flesh sparing the muscles and the recovery time is only twenty-one days, but it looks like my knee is too far gone for that type of surgery to work. I wish now that I had checked this out before it got this bad.
If I didn't need to stand for so long at my cashiering job before getting a break or my lunch, it might not be so bad either. Just doing windows these four days is a nice respite.
And, Patsie, you go ahead and complain about your knee. We all are worse off in certain areas but each of us have our own situations to work with. My problems don't minimize yours and vice versa.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Oct 16
Yes and no, Janet. It bothers me most when I first stand up after sitting for a long time, or after standing in one place at my register when working. Then it also hurts when I need to sit down for a break, but I've figured out the best way to manage. I've been wearing some medicated patches for joints and that's seeming to help a lot too. It didn't take as long to go between standing and sitting while at work today. Not sure if it will continue to help that much yet or not.
1 person likes this
