Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.

Sparks

@Ghost said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

My mom had a knee replacement surgery, and while it fixed the joint issues she says it hurts constantly. Turns out she is allergic to the metal that was used. Fucking yikes, right? She is allergic to an implant stuck inside of her body.

Anyway, does anyone know if allergy tests are supposed to be performed before replacement surgery? It seems logical to me that you'd test that first (because most allergies come in the form of "surprise, you're allergic to shrimp, now!")

Fucking yikes indeed. However, I actually know the answer to this one! (Not from a legal standpoint, per se, but from a "my maternal grandmother went through this, and I just checked, and it does not appear that standard practice has changed".)

Specifically, folks are not required to and will not by default perform an allergy test beforehand unless the patient has a history of metal allergies. (i.e., gets a rash when they wear silver earrings or rings, etc.) Metal allergies are so rare, and the allergies to biocompatible metals even moreso, that it's not generally worth the added cost and delay.

The Arthritis Foundation still has this information on their Metal Joint Implant Allergy page:

Should You Be Tested Before Implant Surgery? If you are going to have joint replacement surgery, ask your doctor if you should have an allergy test. Because metal allergies are relatively rare, testing before joint replacement surgery isn’t recommended for everyone, says Dr. Jacobs. However, if you’ve had a skin reaction to metal jewelry in the past, you probably should be tested.

In my grandmother's case, she did prove to be allergic (joint replacement in her hands for arthritis), so they had to go back in, remove the metal bits, and put plastic ones instead. She had not had a history of metal allergy, so she had not been tested.

Auspice

I'm pretty sure I'm on path for a hip replacement in the next ten years based on the pain and sometimes difficulty walking...... so shit like this terrifies me.

I haven't shown to have a metal allergy but man it'd be terrifying to find out oh you're allergic to this one weird thing.

Roz

@Auspice FWIW, my mom had both her knees replaced in the same year (not at the same time) and while it's not fun, of course, she had no complications and her quality of life shot way up after recovery.

Auspice

@Roz said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

@Auspice FWIW, my mom had both her knees replaced in the same year (not at the same time) and while it's not fun, of course, she had no complications and her quality of life shot way up after recovery.

I don't regret the years I spent playing soccer as a teenager, but I can say it's directly responsible for the arthritis in my knees and hip.

I'm just not sure how I'd handle the recovery time. Hip replacement is apparently several weeks??? before a return to work and such. I can't see any point where I'd be capable of that anytime in the next decade or so. I'm single, a and a workaholic, b. But at the same time, I don't sleep well. I'm not as active as I'd like because of the pain.

I'm planning to get a new bed with money from new job since I think my ancient mattress is contributing to some of my back/hip issues. And a membership somewhere with a good pool because swimming is super gentle on hip issues. (My apt complex pool is too small to swim in properly and often full of kids)

Macha

@Auspice Unfortunately I know this well - the fear, the frustration, all of it. My hips are problematic, along with my spine because of an autoimmune. My knees are also messed because I got hit by a car as a kid.

Auspice

@Macha said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

@Auspice Unfortunately I know this well - the fear, the frustration, all of it. My hips are problematic, along with my spine because of an autoimmune. My knees are also messed because I got hit by a car as a kid.

It blows.
You wanna get in shape but your doctors are like 'Don't walk too much definitely don't run' and even if you could half the time you have zero energy because of other things (fibromyalgia in my case).

Macha

@Auspice My doctors want me to exercise more, but won't give me anything for the pain to help me do it (Fibro sucks!)

Auspice

@Macha said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

@Auspice My doctors want me to exercise more, but won't give me anything for the pain to help me do it (Fibro sucks!)

It's why I argue so hard for marijuana legalization.
A lot of prescription pain meds don't work on me or barely work (I always thought klonopin and tramadol were pretty much sugar pills and to this day I don't get what people see in them: I take one and it's like nothing happened) but weed can help me function (I have a really powerful cbd gel that works better than any anti inflammatory med I've ever taken).

Macha

@Auspice I am with you for the legalization. We can get it medicinally in my state, but it's a pain in the ass. But as synthetic opioids don't work for me at all, there's not much I can do for pain other than OTC crap...or smoke week. I use a tincture of CBD, and that helps.

Auspice

This isn't really bad or good.....but apparently my appreciation of free food goes far enough that I'm willingly eating sausage and pineapple pizza despite how unholy a combination that is.

Sparks

@Auspice said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

sausage and pineapple pizza

blobyikes
blobdisapproval
blobsignno

Auspice

@Sparks said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

@Auspice said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

sausage and pineapple pizza

I didn't see the pineapple at first. I thought it was just sausage and was like okay cool I can fux with this.

......then I got my first bite of pineapple hidden under the cheese and

Gross

Sparks

@Auspice
bloblsignwtf
blobsignwhy

Auspice

@Sparks said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

@Auspice

I have no idea. Guys on the shift before me ordered it for the team.

I'd wonder if it was payback for changing the office phone ring tone to a woman saying 'Are you there?' except half the pizza had been eaten so someone clearly chose it on purpose.