Linda Y
Linda experienced pain in her knee, hips, and back. She previously had endometrial and bowel cancer, and feels that her body is still recovering from the surgeries she had. Going into her appointment about her joints, Linda hoped the surgeon would consider the possible connections between her joint pains. The surgeon suggested that her hip was the primary source of issues. She underwent a hip replacement, which improved her knees and back as well. Interview clips are read by an actor.
Linda is widowed, and has two adult children. She is a retired teacher. Her ethnicity is White British.
More about me...
Linda considered her left knee to be her “biggest problem” regarding her health before she had her appointment about surgery. The cartilage of her knee was split 12 years ago from a dog running into her knee at full force. After this, she saw a knee specialist, but was advised that there wasn’t much that could be done to help. A knee replacement was mentioned but Linda declined as she wasn’t in a lot of pain at that time. After having a fall sometime after, Linda felt that the knee “seemed to straighten itself out” and it didn’t bother her until recently. The problems with her knee started again about two years ago. She became unable to fully straighten her knee and experienced pain throughout her knee, back, and hip. Linda thought that her knee worsened her back and hip pain, though she was unsure of the exact cause and effect between them.
Linda has had “quite a lot of surgery” in her adult life. Many of these were related to her having Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder that predisposes carriers to several forms of cancer. At 47, Linda underwent a full hysterectomy and radiotherapy for endometrial cancer. A hemicolectomy (removal of part of the large intestine) removed bowel cancer when she was 71. Linda developed sepsis after the bowel operation, which required her to be rushed back to hospital. She has also had her gall bladder, a hernia, and a carcinoma (type of skin cancer) removed.
At the moment, Linda has slightly raised blood pressure. She isn’t on medication for this but has regular checkups to keep an eye on this. Linda’s health is also monitored through regular blood tests and colonoscopies based on her high risk of cancer. She currently takes paracetamol and diclofenac for pain relief, as well as using Biofreeze and Voltarol cream. Linda has been having issues with tiredness recently, though she thinks is related to aging, being unable to exercise, Covid-19 isolation, and a recent death in the family.
For the last few years, Linda has had back pain that would sometimes “go into crisis” but then “sort itself out”. She sees a chiropractor regularly, which has been helpful. She was referred to a pain management course which ran online because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Linda has also spoken to a physiotherapist over the phone, but found the exercises to be painful and ineffective. As a result of all of her surgeries, Linda’s core strength has been weakened but the physiotherapy over the phone hasn’t been able to take this into consideration: “unless you can see me as a whole, they wouldn’t be able to understand why one exercise would affect somewhere else in my body”. The physiotherapist referred Linda for X-ray scans and a surgery consultation after steroid injections and exercises didn’t help.
Before seeing a surgeon about her joints, Linda worried that consultants usually “only deal with a knee, or a hip, they don’t seem to see the whole thing”. Since her problems felt related to one another, she hoped that the consultant would take into account how her joint pains interact with each other. She hoped that being seen at a specialist orthopaedic hospital will help. Linda expected that she may be recommended hip or knee replacement, or to alternatively have more injections in her back.
Linda felt that she “wouldn’t decline any treatment” recommended but she would prefer a less invasive treatment. She explained how her body is “still recovering from everything I’ve had done”, including the surgeries to treat cancer. Linda trusted that her consultant would know what would be best for her. She expected the wait time for surgery to be at least a year, which was worrying based on her pain levels.
At Linda’s surgery appointment, her consultant identified that the primary issue was her hip rather than her knee. She was shown X-ray scans, which showed an “unbelievable” difference between each side. Linda’s surgeon talked her through all of the potential risks, which included infection, differences in leg length, and anaesthetic complications.
To make her decision, Linda asked the surgeon whether he would recommend the surgery to his parent if they were in her position. Linda considered this a good way to get at the surgeon’s “personal opinion” rather than what they are trained to say professionally. She felt reassured when he said he would recommend surgery, and ultimately chose to follow this advice. At the surgeon’s recommendation, Linda lost a stone of weight prior to surgery. She didn’t receive guidance on how to go about this, but found that calorie counting was effective.
Linda’s surgery took place about three months after her appointment, which she found surprisingly quick. At her request, Linda was given both general anaesthetic and local anaesthetic in her back, which she found helped with the pain levels. She feels that this was worthwhile even though it increased the risks associated with the operation. Linda was able to go home two days after the surgery, where her daughter cared for her during her early recovery. Aides like crutches, a perching stool, and a seat to raise the toilet were provided by the hospital.
Linda’s recovery was unsettled a bit by an infection in her leg, and she hasn’t been able to heal as quickly as she had expected. She feels that all of her joint issues have improved and appreciates that her back “doesn’t go into crisis like it did before”. Linda continues to have some joint pain as well as muscular pain around her left hip. This has been a bit frustrating, as she had hoped to get back to activities like walking without aides, driving, gardening, and biking sooner. She continues to take pain medication, though only when “absolutely essential”.
Since the surgery, Linda has had a post-op appointment, several physiotherapy appointments, and has seen a chiropractor. She was discharged by the surgeon at her six-week follow-up, though she was assured that she could get in touch about any issues for two years post-surgery. Linda has had mixed experiences with different physiotherapists, as one practitioner seemed more gentle and well-paced than the other. She continues to pay privately to see a chiropractor, who she had seen her for years as she’s has become older and her body has changed.
To other people considering knee surgery, Linda advises seeing a doctor “as soon as possible” to identify the problem and get advice. She also thinks it can be helpful to bring someone with you to appointments or write a list to make sure you ask all of your questions. Linda also found it helpful to talk to friends with hip surgeries. To GPs, she advices to refer patients quickly and give them the pain relief they need.
Over time, Linda Y’s knee became worse, causing more pain in her hip, back and legs. Walking became difficult and her leg dragged (read by an actor).
Over time, Linda Y’s knee became worse, causing more pain in her hip, back and legs. Walking became difficult and her leg dragged (read by an actor).
I mean before all this started, I enjoyed going out on my bike and when Covid struck, I went out a few times, but then I bought something where I could fix my bike- my back wheel into a- like a roller, so I could use it in the house. And it just got to the stage where because of the knee, I just couldn't use it anymore.
That was at the very beginning, if I tried to use it, it just made the knee far more painful.
So, it stopped me doing that, and then later- more recently since it started to bend up the knee, I’ve not been able to do much walking at all, it just hurts too much.
And I noticed - the first time I’ve noticed this - I went shopping two days ago, only a local supermarket, it wasn’t very big, and I used a trolley to hold onto, but I found at the end of just walking round for about 15 minutes, that the leg was starting to drag -I hadn’t noticed that before.
A dog ran into Linda Y’s knee and damaged the knee cartilage. She also had back and hip problems (read by an actor).
A dog ran into Linda Y’s knee and damaged the knee cartilage. She also had back and hip problems (read by an actor).
My biggest problem is my left knee. I’ve had trouble with both knees, both caused through injury. The- on the right knee I had a skiing accident when I was learning to ski and that damaged the tendons, so I had steroid injections for that; that worked, that was fine.
My left knee is more- not so exotic: my granddaughter’s Husky dog ran straight at me and pushed my knee straight back, which split the cartilage.
And although it’s been - it was a problem to start with for quite a while but then it seemed to sort itself out; I had a fall and it seemed to straighten itself out.
Then over- about, probably about five months ago, I found I couldn't bend that knee anymore, and I did wonder if something was blocking, if it was debris or something blocking the- I can’t straighten the knee.
As a result of not being able to straighten the knee and walking with a permanent bent knee, it has now affected my hip and my back.
Linda Y had several surgeries over the last four years, including back and abdominal surgery, which has affected her core strength (read by an actor).
Linda Y had several surgeries over the last four years, including back and abdominal surgery, which has affected her core strength (read by an actor).
One of the biggest problems I’ve got is because of the amount of surgery [sigh] I’ve had - over the last three years- four years, I’ve got no core strength anymore.
So, at the moment, trying to get out of a chair not only hurts the leg itself from the hip down to the knee, it also creates cramp in my stomach because I’ve got no strength in the stomach—and so I get cramp in the muscles that have- either they’re very weak—very weak or they’ve got scar tissue because of the amount [of surgery] I’ve had done.
Linda Y has used icepacks in addition to pain relieving gels and creams for her knee pain (read by an actor).
Linda Y has used icepacks in addition to pain relieving gels and creams for her knee pain (read by an actor).
I use icepacks- those are essential. I wouldn't be able to survive without that. I also use Biofreeze to help with the pain relief and that helps, especially in the night.
I have tried using the- I do sometimes use the Voltarol cream, but it doesn't really go deep enough for where the problem is.
So, it’s mainly ice, icepacks, that help, I think.
At Linda Y’s appointment, the surgeon showed her the X-rays and told her that her hip was causing the pain in her knee (read by an actor).
At Linda Y’s appointment, the surgeon showed her the X-rays and told her that her hip was causing the pain in her knee (read by an actor).
When I spoke to the consultant he said, “It’s not your knee, it’s your hip.”
Anyway they did some X-rays, and they showed me the difference and it was unbelievable: the hip on the one side looked as if it was right up, you know, in my body compared to the hip on the other side so and as soon as they’d done the hip, repaired the hip, the actual knee: there was no problems anymore.
And because my knee’s no problem now.
Oh brilliant.
But it gets a bit sore, both knees do, because I've had that-, and walking awkwardly since I've had the hip-, well, not awkward but differently since I've had my hip so the knees do get a bit sore now. But on the whole, I don't have pain in the knee anymore.
Linda Y asked for a detailed explanation of her knee surgery because she does “like to know what’s going on” and had prepared questions before meeting with surgeon (read by an actor).
Linda Y asked for a detailed explanation of her knee surgery because she does “like to know what’s going on” and had prepared questions before meeting with surgeon (read by an actor).
I like to know what’s going on. Because I mean some of the nurses actually said, “Have you got a medical background?” I haven't, but I’m just very, very interested.
The fact that it’s about me, you know? I can seem to separate the idea that this is me they’re going to deal with and this is what’s going to happen, so I don’t get panicky or anything like that.
I did have someone with my hip diagnosis, but I'd already, you know, spoken to my children; my daughter’s a nurse, so I'd already spoken to her about it before I went in. Ao it’s being prepared so that you know what to ask.
If you haven't got anyone to go with you, then make yourself a list on a piece of paper, or on your phone or something, so that you know the questions that you're concerned about and that you can ask them, because you just forget when you're in there.
Linda Y says this might be the first time a person has considered joint replacement surgery and they need constant reassurance (read by an actor).
Linda Y says this might be the first time a person has considered joint replacement surgery and they need constant reassurance (read by an actor).
To a consultant: just give as much information as possible, which I think they do they anyway to be honest, so that people aren’t afraid.
I mean, I've been to hospitals so many times and had so many things done, and they don't bother me anymore, but somebody that’s having a hip-, and that might be the first thing they've ever had done medically, I think, with surgery, they're going to be very nervous and they need constant reassurance.