the condition of my knee, tibia, fibula and femur.
I was in a terrible auto accident. The leg in question narrowly escaped amputation. The tibia and fibula directly below the knee were in tiny pieces—shards really.
I feel the surgeon did an amazing job in saving my leg and preserving its function. Then came the infection. The metal structure that held the damaged leg bones together had to be removed prematurely during emergency surgery.
Still, I recovered. But that same leg has avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis in the femur. The femoral head is dead. Clear dead. Both hips are dead. So far one side has been replaced.
The damaged leg is a bit twisted. It's off kilter. The fibula and tibia are not aligned properly with the knee.
I think you can understand my reluctance to have another surgery. I fear the results will be even worse than what I have now. And of course I fear the risk of MRSA. In addition to the emergency surgery I had massive doses of an extremely expensive exotic (at the time) IV antibiotic. This was twenty five years ago. The newly evolved bugs are now resistant to antibiotics.
So, in conclusion, it is not the surgery procedure that I fear. What I fear is losing my ability to be independent, to remain ambulatory and to escape the risk of infection.
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