We just got home from the VA where I got a second opinion on my knee from a different surgeon(I am 5.5 months down the road since the surgery). We had been telling my original surgeon for the last three months that I obviously have a serious infection given the swelling, very warm to the touch, high pain levels etc.. He kept saying no, it was not an infection but at the same time claimed he had no idea what could be wrong with my knee all the while acknowledging that "something" was wrong. My new surgeon, took one look at my knee, laid his hand on it and announced that I have a serious infection. He drew some fluid from my knee (oh that was fun), and sent me to the lab for blood work.

The bottom line is I go back to see him next Monday for the lab results.... and to schedule the surgeries (yes, as in more than one), to fix my knee. I asked him to call me this week when he got the lab results but he refused. He said that conversation is going to have to be face to face because "you are going to freak". Can't tell you how much I am looking forward to that little chat. Because the infection has been there for 3 months it will take at least that long to clear it up. Antibiotics just won't do it. I'll find out on Monday just how they go about it but he is anticipating two additional surgeries. First the new knee has to come out (as soon as possible), but they cannot put another new knee in until the infection is gone. So long as the infection is kept out of bloodstream I should be OK but if it gets in there I will be in serious trouble. They will replace the old "new Knee" with a "spacer" which will keep my leg straight and probably stiff as a board for three months while they clear out the infection. Once the infection is gone they can go back in, remove the spacer and do a whole new knee replacement. If I am really lucky it will only take about 6 months give or take a month. The last 6 months of pain and misery have all been for absolutely nothing!

Obviously our dream trip (May thru September across the western US in our travel trailer - which we'd been planning for 5 years), this summer has disappeared like a fart in the wind. With a little luck I may be up and around by October or November. Looks to be a long hot summer as I will be on crutches and or a walker for months. Just hoping for a decent Monsoon to pass the time.

Other than that.... Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?