Bum Knee

Several years ago I was in a car/pedestrian accident. I was the pedestrian. I was in Glendive, MT on my way to visit son Jimmy and started across the main street in a pedestrian walkway. The cars in three lanes had stopped and I didn't notice the one in the inside lane - on my blind side. The driver didn't notice me either untl to late. She slammed on the brakes, but I was hit on the left knee and sent flat out landing full body to the pavement. X-rays at the local hospital were taken and nothing was broken. I drove on to Dickinson, ND, bought a cane, and completed my visit. In the summer of 2005 Betty and I drove from Bilings to Lake George, NY. Along the way I began to feel real pain in the left knee. It didn't get any better over or back. That summer I had an X-Ray taken and it revealed that the knee was bone on bone. We were busy the rest of the summer and I thought that I might have surgery in the winter. Sadly, Betty died in early December so there would be no one at home to look after me so nothing was done.

This Spring I decided that the knee wasn't getting any better and that I might as well explore surgery. I went to the surgeon I had talked with before. More x-rays and same results. We decided to go ahead with an operation. Turns out that Dr. Fischer has as his primary physician the same guy I go to. He talked with Dr. Gerstner who suggested that it might be wise to have me checked out by my Cardiologist since I have a histoy of two by-pass surgeries and had just had stents placed last September. The Cardiologist is new to me having replaced my previous doctor who has retired. She immediatly ordered an Echo Cardiogram and a Nuclear Stress Test with an Angiogram to follow. I got the impression that I had done pretty well on each of these. On the treadmill I got my heart rate up to over 120 before there was any Angina. It was interesting to hear what the man who was to do the Angiogram said when he heard who his next patient was to be. "What's he doing back here?" I felt that it is good to be known.

Tuesday morning, with Surgery schedule for Wednesday, Dr. Fischer called me at home. He had had a conversation with Dr. Zirpoli about the Angio. Zirpoli told him that my chances of sigificant heart problems consequent to such surgery were about 1 in 4. Fischer then told me that any decision about proceeding was up to me. I am not immobile. The main problem is getting down on my hands and knees (something I seldom have to do) and putting a sock on the left foot. I decided that I could continue to live with that and told him I'd prefer to cancel. It was than that Dr. Fischer was able to say that that was a wise decision.

I cannot thank these people enough for their care and evaluation of my condition. Other people may have problems with their medical situations. I haven't found that to be the case ever during my 45 plus years of being a patient at the Billings Clinic - formerly the Billings Deaconess Hospital. I know that this a long recital, but it has really been for my own benefit. If you have finished it - thanks.