Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

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Major Kong
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Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by Major Kong »

I had a physical with my new doctor on Monday morning down in Johnson City.

I got lucky in that I found a new specialist that is semi local and experienced...we hit off right off the bat and he's a big fan of the Hokies. :)

Welpers it seems like the atrophy in my right calf is irreversible and not going to get any better. :(

A little history. On March 17, 2002 while snow blowing out our driveway during a heller snowstorm (28" in less than 24 hrs.) in Eagle River, AK I slipped on some ice under the snow. I was up by the garage, pivoting back towards the road and my right leg was at an odd angle when my left leg slipped. All of my weight shifted to my right leg at this odd angle and snapped my right fibula a couple of inches below my right knee and then broke it again 5" below that. Dislocated my right ankle at the tibia and fibula and then literally turned my right ankle into Swiss cheese cracking bones, tearing up ligaments and cartilage. To make matters worse back when I was a senior in college I had my entire right ankle rebuilt with cadaver parts (Watson-Jones technique Dr. Raub Princeton, WV) and all that work was scuttled in a ¼ second.

Eight surgeries later along with a post surgical infection from hell I was left lamed up but able to walk with a pretty significant hitch in my giddy up. The biggest problem was where I snapped my fibula is right where all the nerves gather to go down to the foot. The break took the nerve cluster with it and basically for the last 12 years I've had no feeling below my right knee which is akin to walking on a wooden leg. I have severe motor nerve and sensory nerve damage.

In November 2013 my specialist at the time had me tested down in Johnson City where they nerve biopsied my right calf to see the extent of the atrophy from the permanent nerve damage.

Then I was informed that I would have to switch specialist and for some reason my new specialist never followed up with the results.

Follow ahead to this week and the new doctor inquires as to what was the follow up to the test done in '13...I tell him it was never brought up again...part of this is my fault because as the patient I should have asked.

He gets a hold of the report and then has me go down and have a new set of nerve biopsies done (it's not pleasant).

My calf has atrophied another 35% from 2 years ago. I can't stand on my tip toes or rock back on my heals on my right foot :( ...left foot no problem.

I knew that something going on but just chalked it up to age and a symptom of my Parkinson's.

Nope...what's done is done but we're going to work with the left leg and at least do with the right leg what can be done (swimming pool therapy has shown to help)
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PolyTech
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by PolyTech »

That's tough to hear, Kong. Sorry that happened, but at least it sounds like you're on the right track now. It's amazing how much you have to advocate for yourself with the healthcare system.

So the new guy is good so far? Hopefully getting a little rapport with him...
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Major Kong
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by Major Kong »

PolyTech wrote:That's tough to hear, Kong. Sorry that happened, but at least it sounds like you're on the right track now. It's amazing how much you have to advocate for yourself with the healthcare system.

So the new guy is good so far? Hopefully getting a little rapport with him...
So far so good...he doesn't pull punches and tells you what you need to hear not what you want to hear and I like that.
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PolyTech
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by PolyTech »

Agree. There's a wide variety of bedside (or office) manner, and at the time it's such an important thing.

Hope things work out well on this one. At least you can ride down to JC in luxury in the Equus.

Is he a MSHA guy?
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by Major Kong »

PolyTech wrote:Agree. There's a wide variety of bedside (or office) manner, and at the time it's such an important thing.

Hope things work out well on this one. At least you can ride down to JC in luxury in the Equus.

Is he a MSHA guy?
Yeah he's MSHA...also an ETSU and Quillen School of Medicine grad...he's local from Tazewell, TN.

My son was with us so we took the Sedona...while I was in Dr's office my wife & son went to the JC Mall and out to Furniture Row...she's looking for a new couch and we're in the market for a new mattress set.
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PolyTech
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by PolyTech »

Major Kong wrote: My son was with us so we took the Sedona...while I was in Dr's office my wife & son went to the JC Mall and out to Furniture Row...she's looking for a new couch and we're in the market for a new mattress set.
Hard to go wrong with a Smith Brothers sofa - get it at Grand.
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by awesome guy »

That sucks. Godspeed to get on the mend.
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by Major Kong »

PolyTech wrote:Hard to go wrong with a Smith Brothers sofa - get it at Grand.
The couch is for the living room which is her domain, I get the man cave which is all Lazy Boy (couch and chair).

We've bought a couple of mattress sets from Denver Mattress Company and have had very good luck with them so she was giving them a look see.
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by awesome guy »

to stop the atrophy, have you tried electric shock? You can get a device for the back at CVS. You could put it on the calf to force muscle contractions.
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by cwtcr hokie »

hate to hear about your troubles, I wish the best of luck with it. I do daily exercises for my back these days, if I don't I have issues driving or sitting in my office chair all day.
Major Kong wrote:I had a physical with my new doctor on Monday morning down in Johnson City.

I got lucky in that I found a new specialist that is semi local and experienced...we hit off right off the bat and he's a big fan of the Hokies. :)

Welpers it seems like the atrophy in my right calf is irreversible and not going to get any better. :(

A little history. On March 17, 2002 while snow blowing out our driveway during a heller snowstorm (28" in less than 24 hrs.) in Eagle River, AK I slipped on some ice under the snow. I was up by the garage, pivoting back towards the road and my right leg was at an odd angle when my left leg slipped. All of my weight shifted to my right leg at this odd angle and snapped my right fibula a couple of inches below my right knee and then broke it again 5" below that. Dislocated my right ankle at the tibia and fibula and then literally turned my right ankle into Swiss cheese cracking bones, tearing up ligaments and cartilage. To make matters worse back when I was a senior in college I had my entire right ankle rebuilt with cadaver parts (Watson-Jones technique Dr. Raub Princeton, WV) and all that work was scuttled in a ¼ second.

Eight surgeries later along with a post surgical infection from hell I was left lamed up but able to walk with a pretty significant hitch in my giddy up. The biggest problem was where I snapped my fibula is right where all the nerves gather to go down to the foot. The break took the nerve cluster with it and basically for the last 12 years I've had no feeling below my right knee which is akin to walking on a wooden leg. I have severe motor nerve and sensory nerve damage.

In November 2013 my specialist at the time had me tested down in Johnson City where they nerve biopsied my right calf to see the extent of the atrophy from the permanent nerve damage.

Then I was informed that I would have to switch specialist and for some reason my new specialist never followed up with the results.

Follow ahead to this week and the new doctor inquires as to what was the follow up to the test done in '13...I tell him it was never brought up again...part of this is my fault because as the patient I should have asked.

He gets a hold of the report and then has me go down and have a new set of nerve biopsies done (it's not pleasant).

My calf has atrophied another 35% from 2 years ago. I can't stand on my tip toes or rock back on my heals on my right foot :( ...left foot no problem.

I knew that something going on but just chalked it up to age and a symptom of my Parkinson's.

Nope...what's done is done but we're going to work with the left leg and at least do with the right leg what can be done (swimming pool therapy has shown to help)
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Major Kong
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by Major Kong »

awesome guy wrote:to stop the atrophy, have you tried electric shock? You can get a device for the back at CVS. You could put it on the calf to force muscle contractions.
We have one of those :!: Pretty neat little contraption. :)

We're going to try several things to at least stop the atrophy in the right calf. Compression sleeves and socks (which I've been wearing for years), massage, swimming pool and a few other things to start.

This is something that is normally seen in lower lumbar disc problems but those solutions don't do much for someone with a SNAFU'ed nerve cluster. :(
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Re: Ugh now it's getting more real... :-( sorta kinda long

Post by Bay_area_Hokie »

Kongster, really sorry to hear this buddy. I hope you can get some of the feeling back in your right leg. I will be thinking of you.


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