I was in a bad car wreck 11.5 years ago and its effects are really starting to show (won't bore you with all the details). Apparently, I turned and was t-boned pretty hard. I have no memory of it at all. My car, which I would still drive today if I could, was a Volvo wagon and I must have had my left leg extended on the clutch because my knee and hip weren't broken, but were injured and years of working on my feet didn't help. All that said, I need a total knee replacement. I was wanting to get out of debt more first, but for survival sake, should I just have it done? I'm early-mid 40s, so I will have to have it done again later on. Ugh.
I can walk and I make sure to exercise daily as much as I can, but I do tire. Wth all that's going on, should I take this on or hold off? I can technically wait a little longer, and have been waiting for the stupid c19 hysteria to blow over, but with their squealing and reeeeeing about primate pox, I may hold off. My husband wants me to do it and he will use his vacation time to take care of me.
What would you lot do?
Simple rule that I learned as a provider. If there is still some fibrocartilage to work with, do it. If it is a situation of bone on bone, replacement is probably the only thing that will improve the situation. Whichever category you are in should determine your treatment course of action. The added concern for you is your age. The younger a person is when considering a replacement, the more likely at a later stage in life it will need to be done again simply because younger people are more active and the constant wear and tear on the joint will cause it to wear out. Honestly, I do not see any incentive within the industry to produce a longer lasting artificial joint because most of the people receiving such medical devices are older. Unless there is a large enough demand that equates to profit, there is no push to invest in development and research with the goal of extending the life of these devices.
Something else to consider. Any time the body's tissues are altered, every alteration there after is going to be degradative. More healthy tissue has to be altered or removed in order to make way for the new alteration - such as with a new replacement. Your age is the biggest drawback for considering such a move now if there are other options available for you.
Research your treatment options carefully - including the materials or prosthetic devices to be used. They are not all created equal. If you can manage to find someone within the industry willing to talk to you, such as a orthopedic surgeon, or someone in support staff such as a orthopedic nurse, pick their brains off the record. You will be amazed at the nuggets of truth you can find out that they won't tell you when you are sitting in an office. Someone on the inside will know the ins and outs of their own business better than someone on the outside that has financial incentive to promote a particular treatment modality. It should not be this way but unfortunately this is what we have to deal with - especially for someone like you that may be forced to navigate this system.
Above all, follow your gut. The Almighty placed within each one of us a little doctor or dentist. It is there to protect us. If what they are recommending to you does not resonate with what is inside, do not proceed. Do not be pressured by others or circumstances if that voice is telling you to wait or to do something else. Good luck and God bless.