Snow Globe World: Further Joint Replacement Surgeries Ahead

For those of us enduring the wide variety of challenges and pain with osteoarthritis, it can be very hard to keep a positive outlook!  For me, my osteoarthritis has produced a vast array of emotions.  I feel major frustration at times; not only with my progression of "disintegration," but with insurance companies (you've all been THERE), pain, joint replacements that have failed, prescriptions that help or don't and some of the things I can no longer do.  Since I'm half stainless steel thanks to my multiple joint replacement surgeries, my mountain climbing is becoming more limited and I probably shouldn't play racquetball or go down a ski jump any time soon.  I sometimes become angry at my joints -- they are literally letting me down.

I've always been a very physically-active person, and find some of the tiniest things make me mad at my body.  After years of having a small landscape business, I've admitted to myself that I may have to give up the physical part now and just continue the designing. The true joy of it for me has been down on my knees and working with the dirt to help make something beautiful. My reality is though, with two artificial hips, two artificial ankles, and dactyllization on toes of both feet (joint removal), it takes me longer to get down to the ground and back up to a standing position than it would take to just plant a glorious garden.  I won't completely quit, I'll admit I'm too stubborn, but sometimes we have to face reality!  I also have brief periods of FEAR.  At what point will this stop?  Will I end up permanently unable to do much of anything?  Will my insurance benefits be changed or cut?  Will my replaced joints fail? I don't dwell on these things, but I DO think about them.  I am very excited at the progress doctors are making almost daily in joint replacements, medical treatments, new medicines and other surgeries to help the osteoarthritis patient  live a less pain-filled and less-restricted life!  I also have a major attitude of gratitude in that we live in a country where good medical help is usually readily available!  I suppose, for me, my major survival skill is that I've been able to keep a sense of humor through all of this.

I've mentioned in other columns about my recent "trials" with osteoarthritis that my fibula in my left leg fractured in December due to my disintegrating ankle.  Many friends were amazed that I wasn't feeling incredible pain, but the reality is I've learned to live with a certain level of pain most of the time.  For the last 2 months I've had an air cast on my leg.  I started out on crutches (truly fun in snow/ice country) and then was promoted to a cane and a cast and have become quite skilled at what I call "defensive walking." I always have my cane "at the ready " (outside my leg in a crowd) to prevent being accidentally stepped on or tripped!  At home now, I also have a brace to wear instead of a cast. (See, I'm making "progress!")  Soon, I will be having two foot surgeries (thanks to osteoarthritis) and when those are healed, they'll fix my ankle.  To add to my never-ending challenges, I'm being re-evaluated for possible hip joint replacement.  Not really a big deal, but it was already replaced once two years ago and has never been "right" -- in fact I told the surgeon that the hip goes out more than I do!!!