|
The story of Mike’s knee…
As it’s the silly season with not much to report so far as work is concerned, I thought I would write a little about a medical issue I endured which has resulted in much pain and discomfort in my knees during the past year or so. After MRI scans, it was suggested I had a meniscus tear together with a cartilage problem. An arthroscopy (keyhole knee surgery) was performed, but after a month proved to be unsuccessful and the recommendation was of a total knee replacement. Hip replacements have been performed in the UK since the 1960s and knee joint replacement procedures followed shortly afterwards. The implants and techniques have developed rapidly since then. As an estimated figure in England and Wales, there are approximately 160,000 total hip and knee replacement procedures performed each year. These procedures are carried out in around 400 hospitals. One third of these hospitals are managed by the independent sector and the remaining two thirds are NHS hospitals. Total knee replacement procedure consists of replacing the diseased and painful joint surfaces of the knee with metal and plastic components, shaped to allow continued motion of the knee. There are many different types of knee replacement available, although the traditional type of total knee replacement involves replacing the bone at the lower end of the femur (thigh bone) and replacing the bone at the top of the tibia. On occasion, only one side (either left or right) of the knee joint needs replacing. This type of procedure is called a unicondylar knee replacement. It is important to ask your consultant about what knee replacement they recommend and what the advantages and disadvantages are. Although many knee problems are caused through sports ie football, rugby, cricket and other over exertion of joints, sitting in a cab for hours with little or no exercise and being a bit chunky like me, can also be a contributory factor. Your family history could also play a part. Is Osteoarthritis a factor in your family? This may help with the prognosis. Prior to my knee replacement, the pain was extremely difficult to deal with. However, due to the pain relief medication I was taking, I felt zonked most of the time and unable |
Mike Son’s bits and pieces… |
|
 to drive for any lengthy period. So the advice given by my consultant was to have the knee replaced, which I have now had done. But has my knee replacement helped? Although the pain I endured prior to the procedure has subsided a bit, nevertheless my mobility is and will continue to be restricted. During this period, I started to have severe pain and discomfort in my other leg. Returning to the specialist, the recommendation was another arthroscopy, which was performed, again with no success. The recommendation was for yet another knee replacement! This time I said no. I have the utmost confidence in consultants who perform these operations and they do help many patients who can then resume an active and purposeful life, but unfortunately after months of physiotherapy on me, the procedures just did not work. Making the decision not to have any more operations on the recommendation of a long time friend and GP, I went to see a doctor who is a pain specialist and anaesthetist. After a thorough examination, he advised me not to have the knee replaced at that time, but would prescribe medication that should help. This helped resolve the pain in the leg that was to be operated on. Had I had known about this prior to the previous knee replacement, maybe I would not be in the situation I am now. No one should suffer pain and operations are sometimes the only resolve for various medical issues, but they should be a last option; always look for other avenues before taking such a radical decision.
Mike’s cab goes under the arches – the bus
arches! |
midnight. I was stuck in
traffic heading north along Norton Folgate from Liverpool Street to Bethnal Green with two passengers on board. Suddenly, the driver of a double-decker LT bus travelling south decided to do a U-turn and consequently hit my taxi, jamming it under the wheel arch of the bus! The busload of passengers, my two passengers, other motorists and youngsters having a drink outside various wine bars were all looking totally astonished and as you can imagine, there were plenty of comments! The bus driver got out and apologised. He said he didn’t know where he was going and took the wrong road. I pointed out that it clearly said Waterloo on the front of the bus, but admittedly at that point, I started to convulse with laughter and couldn’t stop until I had to yank the cab from under the wheel arch of the bus by driving it forward. When we eventually exchanged details, I asked the bus driver to make sure the incident was reported to his supervisors. But unsure if the driver would actually admit to such a stupid and unbelievable error, on the Monday morning I informed them of the incident myself. Even though the repairs and time off was inconvenient to say the least, I still can’t believe it happened. Nevertheless, it still makes me smile when I think about it.
Carole Fresco Mike Son |
|
 |
Powered by NetXPosure |
| Copyright 1997-2009 Dial-A-Cab Ltd, All rights reserved. |