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19K views 106 replies 6 participants last post by  johnleveritt 
Hi There John: :)

Hey, 23 years with Type 2. That's a long haul. Good work! I'm surprised you started off on pills back then. Even today many Dr.'s just put their patients on diet, exercise and weight-loss. It seems to work for many.

Ya, the pills work for some Type 2's for many years. Some Dr.'s today put their Patients on Insulin right off. How do you like your pump? What type do you have? Welcome!
 
I love he pump, no more multiple shots per day, just every 3 days when it's time to change my set, and my insulin cartridge.

I have the Animas Ping pump.

See Ya,
John

Hi John:

Oh you have the Ping. That one or the Omni is not available where I live yet. I'm Glad that the Ping is working Well for you though.

If you like, you could start a thread up in the Pumpers Section and tell us why you Love the Ping. We'd appreciate it for others who may want one. We've had several asking about which pump they should choose. I'm still in the state of "Should I or shouldn't I, get a pump".
 
Hi John: :)

I just noticed that you and Jaye have somewhat of similar circumstances. Gee, I'm sorry to hear of your heart attack. I'm especially Glad then, that you are doing Well on your pump.

Thank you for helping us with your information. My oldest Brother had many strokes and several heart attacks but I never knew exactly what happened since he lived farther away. I'm pretty sure that neither he nor my younger Brother understood the intricacies of Diabetes.
 
john said:
Now I'm bionic, I have two artificial hips (one almost 20 years ago, and one ten years ago), and two artificial knees (recent).
Holy Cod! Ouchie!! Sounds like you've been through the wringer. I bet you thought at one point, "Shoot! I wish I had taken up Dentistry instead of Football".

Well, my Cousin is also Bionic and quite Happy to have his joint replacements needed due to severe RA. I hope that you feel Good with your new joints also. Some People I've talked to on the net wish they hadn't had the replacements done. So I'm not looking forward to it in the future, if necessary.

john said:
Both, I'm 6'4, and she's 5'2. Yes, I played football many years ago, but nothing to write home about. I played high school, and some college, until I had my right knee taken out.

ROFL!! :D Gee, what a surprise. I dated a Guy(National Defense) who was 6'5" and I'm 5' 2 and a proud 1/2". I'm not a Mathematician( like Richard)but I just had a thought that it wouldn't add up. :D When he leaned waaaay down to kiss me, I felt like a Kid. Well, actually I was at age 16 but anyways. I didn't get any taller. :D

I'm Glad that your Relationship works for you. That's sooo Important.
 
Well, that's Good to hear from you. You are probably correct on them getting back to business too soon. All surgeries have a recovery range and physical therapy which some People ignore.

Hmmm....you must be my "alter ego". I was going to say Vet but then I thought, "No, Dentistry is more excruciating and vital to us". :)



john said:
Yes, it's worked out quite well, in December we'll have been married for 24 years. That's a lot longer than my first marriage, that produced 2 boys. They are 39, and 31.
That's a Good long Relationship. Nice to hear it. Congrats! I know if I was not in a Good Relationship, then I would be depressed or want out of it, if it couldn't be made "liveable". Depression normally leads to a Person not caring about their Diabetes or other conditions that they may have. Thus loss of Diabetes control.
 
Geez, no wonder they didn't recover properly and are in pain. Poor Guys anyways. I don't wish that pain on anyone.

One of the People I spoke to decided that clearing land of trees and brushes,(with hand tools)for his Sister when her Hubby decides to build a home on the land, was a Good physical therapy. (run-on sentence)

Most likely, none of these People will be advised to get the same surgery again to relieve the pain. I'm not sure of that, of course.
 
Ellen's Uncle did have the surgery again, and got a new hip, but because of what he did, it was complete bed rest until it healed. Now he gets around in a motorized wheel chair. Like a Jazzy.
Well, it's Good to hear that he was able to get another replacement. I hope that he experiences zero pain due to it afterwards.

A Jazzy? That's the newer chair, isn't it? My Hubby was loaned a Tracer II, after his motorcycle accident. Cool chair. Amazing speed.

I hope that her Cousin is able to receive the surgery also. Darn shame that these happen.
 
Thanks for the link John. That I'll keep in my favourites. If one of our Friends doesn't get out of Diabetes denial soon, then he may be needing one of those or one similar. He had a heart attack when he was 47(4 years ago) and he complains about seeing lines. That's not good.

My Hubby is still doing physical therapy and uses a cane mostly. They are supposed to remove one of the plates and some of the screws, out of his leg next week. Thankfully he behaved himself so
he should be close to 100%(I think the Dr. said 97%) when he's totally recovered as much as he's able to.

Sad to hear that about her Uncle and Cousin's experiences though.
 
Thank you John and Ellen also :) Well, he normally doesn't behave himself(HA! 1/2 kidding)but I guess this accident scared him. They are leaving one plate in and just taking the small one out.

Hey, are you Guys allowed in an MRI machine if needed? No metal(the screws)allowed in those machines. I hope that your hip replacements last you for Life with NO problems.
 
Sorry, I'm behind the times on bionics. My Hubby said the plates in his leg and the screws are platinum and he's had an MRI since they were put in. I missed that appointment report. Thanks.
 
Quote:
John said:
But as far as airports are concerned, my implants set off the buzzers every time, even though I have cards that I carry, telling of my implants, I just tell them to do a personal search. It's quicker.
Well, that’s a pain with the buzzers going off everytime. That really has to be a hassle.

John said:
I will have to have both my hips, and my knees replaced again, well, maybe just the hips. They (the hips) only last 15 or 20 years, and one of my hips is almost there (I got my first one in 1991). This time though, they will cement the new joints in, which makes for a shorter recovery time. Before the doctor just knocked them in with a hammer, and let the bone grow onto the hips. It has something to do with age.
You mean replacement joints have a warranty like shingles?? Well, if these drugs don’t work for me and I need the replacements, I’m getting the 50 year warranty on the joints. I’m surprised that you didn’t think of that John.

They use a hammer?? *faints* Yes please, put me out. That is so barbaric. You poor Guy. I do hope that they are kind to you when the time comes. All of a sudden, I’m starting to appreciate my painful joints.

That is so Nice of Ellen to accompany you to all your appointments. I just couldn't do it. He had 6 fractured ribs plus the muscles torn off of his left shoulder also. After I bathed him, dressed him and got him settled into his powerchair, I had to get the driveway shovelled off once it started snowing in the Fall. Then the Paratranspo could upload him and his chair. I was Really tired so I stayed home after that. But I always got a detailed report. I missed the MRI one somehow.

John said:
Please take this the right way, but good. Some times we need to be scared to fly right.
I totally understand. And he is a Smart Man. Unfortunately, accidents happen. We’ve enjoyed riding for close to 20 years. It’s hard to get it out the blood. This might do it.

Thank you both again, for your Good wishes.
 
John said:
When I first had my hips done there was no such thing as a 50 year warranty, maybe there is now. But my doctor did tell me that I would be pain free for 15 years, but that his norm was 20 years.
Oh, I didn't know that. Well, I can't see why they couldn't make the 50 year joints. A lot less devastating to the Patients and cost to the hospitals and Dr's time. That is amazing that your Surgeon could guarantee 15 and perhaps 20 years, with no pain though. Nice to hear. BUT I hope that you get the 50 year joints, the next time around. And me if needed.

I just had my Rheumy appointment today and he's upping my dosage of Orencia for my next infusions. It already takes 1 1/2 for the procedure. A higher dose will make it longer even. It also can raise a Diabetic's blood sugar. So more playing with that. Oh well. No choice.

John said:
Not only a hammer but a drill, and a saw too as well as other stuff. At least with my surgery in the end they attached a torque wrench to the joint and turned just to make sure that it was tight in the bone. But like I said, I slept through the whole thing, I never felt a thing.
What?? Okay, now I think you're kidding me. Made a slight detour to the garage instead of going straight to the hospital, did ya? What was your Mechanics...um, I mean your Dr.'s name again? :)


John said:
If you enjoy it, and it keeps you together, just have fun with it, but be willing to take the bad with the good.
Well, we are almost total opposites and motorcycles are a small part of our lives. But we do enjoy them.
 
It's not the joint that goes bad, it's the leg bone. Eventually the shaft of the ball joint starts moving in the bone. That's when it needs replacing.
Oh okay. I obviously know nothing about joint replacement. This is Good to learn although I still can't stand the thought of having it done down the road. I don't know how it would work with Arthritic joints. I think my Cousin is fibbing when he says they feel Good. He walks slowly with a cane and he is only 45. Of course, he still has the severe RA in his other joints.

John said:
Nope, I'm not kidding. Think about it. You need the saw to cut off the old hip ball, the drill to drill the hole in the leg bone to accept the new joint, the hammer to put the new joint into the bone, and the drill to make the holes in the pelvis, where the screws go, and then to screw them in. I'm sure that there is more to it, as the surgery lasts upwards of 3 hours. According to my wife. It was harder on her, she was awake, I was asleep during all of it.
Ya, you're right. I've watched the Surgeons on medical documentaries using such tools on their Patients. But to me, those aren't Real People. :director: I haven't seen a joint replacement though. I guess you were in a lot of pain for some time. Do you use a cane now?

John said:
I found my orthopedic surgeon many years ago. He started cutting on me in 1971. He's the doctor that put Evel Knievel back together after he jumped the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He's the same doctor that has done both of my hips, and both of my knees. The first surgery that he did on me in 1971, was to remove the cartilage in my right knee that the doctor didn't remove when I got hurt playing college football in California.

B-T-W, he's still the team doctor at the university (UNLV) in Las Vegas.
WoW! I guess that you can say you had a Famous Dr. working on you. Good to hear that he is still able to do his work and teach.

When I first saw my Hubby's Surgeon, I thought he was just a cute College Student waiting for someone else. I was shocked to hear that he was the Surgeon. :eek: But he did a Great job none the less, on all of his injuries.

Evel was something all right. :cool: Amazing stunts. He said that he broke every bone in his body. But I read an article saying that he broke 4o. We have 212 total bones in our bodies. I don't thnk he broke all of them. Although he was a Diabetic, most expected him to die during a stunt. I read that he died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Thank you for all of this Great info John. It allows us to understand what People have to go through when having joint replacements. :)
 
Hey John: :)

Good to see Ya.

Joint replacement is a piece of cake. If your doctor says to do it, then do it.
Yes Sir!! :usa2: But only because you say so. I'm a bit stubborn so I'll put up with pain, as long as I can. Which is probably the wrong thing to do.



John said:
No, your Cousin isn't fibbing to you. He may still use a cane because of his severe RA, not any joint replacements he may have had.
Well, that's somethng and Good to hear. He's had RA since he was 10 y/o plus he had a heart attack at age 39. Thankfully he doesn't have Diabetes like his Mom did.

John said:
Yes, those are real people on the table. If you do have a chance to watch a video of joint replacement, then watch it.
Yes, I know they are Real People. I certainly will. There are channels that offer a wide range of surgeries.

John said:
No, the pain was negligible. First day after surgery pain. In fact I tell this story: My surgery was in the morning, so when I got back to my room, of course I had to pee. I called the nurse to help me to the bathroom, and when she got there, she said "there's the bathroom, just get up and go". And I did. The next day they were there to start my physical therapy. I was already able to walk to the bathroom, but they wanted me to walk to the hall, then up, and down it. By the time I left the hospital, I was walking on my own up, and down the halls.
What a Nasty Woman!! :eek: j/k That's Amazing that you could function that Well that soon. Great to hear. I've heard of joint replacement Patients doing their therapy together sometimes. It seems to Really work Well for their recovery.

Ten Kids!! And still getting up at 4:00 am. Your Surgeon is certainly a driven Man. Looks like he'll have to be dragged away from his post kicking and screaming. :D Good for him.

That's a Good idea to use a cane when outside yet. Sometimes the ground can have unexpected dips in it plus there is usually no where to rest.
 
I was gone for a day, Ellen, and I went up to Tonopah, Nevada where my younger son lives, and works (at a gold mine). He need moral support in moving his stuff out of his girl Friends house. She had given the engagement ring back, and threatened to throw his stuff out on the lawn, so he figured it was time to move. He rented an apartment, and was moving his stuff when she showed up, boo hooing, but he stuck to his guns, and moved anyway.
Aww! Kids, eh? That's too bad. Sorry, to hear it. I hope that he made the right choice. I can't say I've ever done that. Although I left several Guys before I made the mistake of co-habitating with them. I hope that your Son get things figured out. Life is tough sometimes. Working in a gold mine sounds like a Good job, although it is probably dangerous. Good Luck to your Son.

John said:
I've got it all, heart attack (w/4 inches of stents), diabetes, and joint replacement. But not from RA, I have severe bone degeneration disease.
Boy, you sure did get your share alright. Is degenerative bone disease a condition of the genes? We sold our Cougar to a Guy that had that. He was 32. He moved to Alberta and haven't heard from him since. What kind of treatment is there for DBD?

I'm sure that you were Very helpfull to that Lady who had the joint replacement. My left knee joint is inflammed from the RA so I can't bend it. I took my bike out of the garage but I can't ride it yet.

Do you ride a bike? I guess you wouldn't be able to ride it for a while if you have one. Great exercise though. We have a stationary one but I prefer riding outside.

I guess I should add that we're leaving tomorrow morning for the long week-end. It's Nice to get away for awhile. No puters allowed. Opps! Sorry, I double posted.
 
Yes, it's a very good job, but I don't know how dangerous. He drives the big trucks that they load the ore onto. He is also learning to be a driller (more money), they make the holes that the dynamite is put into for the shots that bring the ore down. He's a long way away from it when it goes off.
Well, that's a relief. He most likely won't be hurt doing that part of the job. Hey, a raise, always Good. :D When someone mentions working at a mine, I presume in the mine. That's still dangerous today with parts of the mine collapsing for whatever reason, etc.

John said:
I'm not sure how it starts, or what causes it. I just know that if it gets into your joints, they are replaced.
Sorry, because you mentioned football, I thought that you had injuries to your joints that deteriorated more through the years and caused the need for joint replacements. Actually, maybe it did play a part. If a joint is injured, sometimes arthritis sets in.

Degenerative joint disease: Also known as osteoarthritis, this type of arthritis is caused by inflammation, breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage of the joints. Among the over 100 different types of arthritis conditions, osteoarthritis is the most common, affecting usually the hands, feet, spine, and large weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees. Also called degenerative arthritis.

So it's Degenerative Joint Disease(DJD) that you probably have, not Degenerative Bone Disease(DBD) which would be a condition like Osteoporosis.

John said:
And what does your doctor tell you about your left knee that is so inflamed that you can't bend it.
My Rheumy's Colleague that he had in to see me a few months ago, couldn't believe that I am able to walk. Period. (I do have a high pain tolerance).

My Rheumy had mentioned many years ago that I'd probably need joint replacements if a Cure didn't show up :( but hasn't mentioned this recently.

He wants to raise my Orencia dosage to 750mg infusions instead of 500mg. I'm not fussy about these drugs since they shut down the immune system and can cause cancer, etc. He wants to get me off the Prednisone but things aren't working out too good. He also wants to put in a few different exercises. He suggested a Cortisone shot. The other ones he gave me before didn't help much, so I said, No. My knee doesn't hurt all the time. On the week-end it felt pretty Good. Then we came back home late Monday night. It hurt from then until 5:00 am today. Not much sleep was had. :yawn:

John said:
Only the stationary one in our den.
As long as it gets used by someone and not just there as a conversation piece, all is Good. :D

John said:
You and your hubby have a super time on your long weekend, I'm sure that you'll enjoy it.
We had a Good time. Thank you!
 
This is a strip mine, so no underground work for him. He was here this weekend, but he stayed with friends. We got a few hours of his time as did his mother. He called from the car just a few hours ago, on his way back to Tonopah.
B-T-W, the owners of his mine is a Canadian company.
Oh, well that's even better news that they don't work underground. Very small chance of him getting injured then. Sunburn...most likely.

Canuck company, eh? :D There seems to be a lot of that going around. My younger Brother worked for GM in the truck plant mainly. Same with my Uncle. We just watched the last truck roll off the press. Sad event actually. On the News, I forget who said, that GM will go under and then come back up. My Uncle who used to work there, doesn't think so. We shall see.

Nice that you were able to see your Son for a few hours anyway. At least he didn't have the time to eat you out of house and home. :D Our Son would give it his Best shot anyways. :hungry:

John said:
No, My Ortho. called it degenerative bone disease. It does eat away the cartilage in my joints, so the names may have changed over the years.
That name doesn't sound right to me but anyways, he should know. He's the Dr.

John said:
I don't believe that there is a cure yet. You tell people that they are in denial when it comes to their diabetes. You know that there are different kinds of denial. But I stray, listen to your RA Doctor, and if he tells you that you need joint replacement, do it. You have to trust his decisions, as I trust what my Ortho tells me.
Oh, I know there is no cure for RA. I don't expect one in my Lifetime. There also will not be a cure for Type 1 Diabetes that will work for me since I've had it too long. I don't have a problem with that. It would be Really Nice if they could find a cure for the Kids though and younger People who haven't lived their lives yet. We hope. We pray. We donate. We wait.

I do tell some People that they could be in denial, Yes. Some People don't know about the stages or that they are not alone feeling as Bad as they do, since many go through it. Some say that they have been in denial for 20 year or so. That's usually 20 years of wasted time and also time for complications to set in sometimes. Understandably, so much anguish and sadness sometimes.

Of course, there are different kinds of denial. I'm just not sure how that sentence fits in here.

Right now, I don't know what to think. My Rheumy hasn't mentioned replacements yet. He only said, someday. But since we have been discussing this, maybe I should mention a replacement to him. Is it time? I don't know. We've been hoping that these drugs would work. Nothing has been working on me, for the last 3 years. Seems like a waste of replacement material though :D since I have RA in every joint except my back(touch wood). Thank God for small favours. They can't replace all my joints. If he said, it's time, then I'd probably go for this knee. Anyways, Thanks John. You've given me a lot to think about.
 
Yep, see you guys are taking over the world.
Oh nonsense. Just the east, west, north and south. You's can have the rest. :canada: j/k :pound:

How long have you had DBD? I guess you are on a few drugs for that condition also.

John said:
Yes, you might mention it, just to see what he says. It's time when you can't handle the pain anymore, and drugs don't work, and if your doctor is worth his salt, he'll say the same thing. You'll hopefully know when it's time. Just remember, don't wait to long like I did, with my first hip.
Yes, I definitely will mention it to my Rheumy. I was going to call him this morning but realized that he does research today and he's a Professor also so he teaches at one of the Universities another day. He also holds another position. I don't know where he gets the time and energy. I'll call him Monday while he's in his office, if I remember.

John said:
They can replace quite a few joints now. Hips, knees, shoulders, and fingers come to mind. We had a lady at work who had severe RA in her hands, and she had her fingers, and knuckles done.
Fingers and knuckles. I'll have 10 please. Poor her. Geez, that must hurt. A lot of scarring too, I suppose.

John said:
As far as denial goes, just make sure that your not in denial about your knee. If it doesn't need to be replaced, then don't. But if it does need replacing, then do it.
No denial going on here. I am aware. And I'm okay with it. Yes Sir!! :usa2: Will do Sir!! :)
 
John said:
I remembering it hurting her a lot worse before the surgery. Not a lot of scarring, mostly on her knuckles. I don't know how they did the fingers. I remember some pins sticking out, with wire holding the fingers straight. Then after she healed, nothing sticking out. She was the office manager, and she worked after the surgery.
Pins sticking out? :eek: That sounds Horribly Barbaric! :croc: I'm sure Glad that she made it through that ordeal. Good for her.

I don't know for sure. I first found out about it with my first hip replacement, and that was back in 1991.
Geez, that must have been a bit of a shock when they told you. That was quite a few years ago too.

John said:
I was on drugs back then, but no more, I just have the joint replaced and voila, no more pain. The only drugs that I'm on now is for my heart condition (9), and my diabetes (insulin). I used to be on 2 different insulins (1 slow, and 1 fast), and Metformin (1000mg twice a day).
That's a lot of drugs. It's Amazing that you don't have to take so many any more. That's Great to hear. I can't wrap my mind around that one though. Are you sure? :p Maybe it's because I'm trying to put myself in your shoes but it's not quite the same situation because it's a different disease.

If I get a joint replaced, yes, I will not have pain from that joint but I will still need all the drugs for all the other joints that my immune system is attacking. Your having the replacements sounds like a cure for you. I don't understand how your condition works. And when I look up deteriorating bone disease, it says Osteoporosis which you say, it isn't.

John said:
Good, I'm glad to hear it. I just thought since you've waited so long, you are in denial of your condition.
Nope. We've both been waiting for these miracle drugs to work for me, which haven't so far. Even if they did start working, the damage is done so there is no reversal. I've been in a lot of pain since this disease started so I guess I'm just accepting more of it. But I suppose that is not a Good thing to do either. I don't know where to stop. Oh ya, you said when I couldn't stand the pain any more and when the drugs stop working. I guess, I'm almost there then.

Sorry, for yapping :blah: so long. I just wanted to add, *Thank You* :D for being here. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be considering joint replacement until my Dr. suggests it later. I like to plan ahead. My Rheumy just mentioned it once many years ago. I guess I've been on the drug train so long that I forgot replacements, as an alternative for me maybe. I mean I really don't want that either but it's definitely a possibility.

John said:
You don't have to do anything because of me, that's between you and your doctor. I just know what I went through, and I waited to long.
Uh, ya, I do. My Rheumy guides me and makes suggestions on what to do but I always take the info I've received and make the decision in the end.
 
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