Last post Wed, May 07 2008 9:03 PM by spoiledgurl27. 0 replies.
First off, this is my first time doing this, so if it sucks, or doesn't male sense, that's why. So...Sorry...in advance.
I'm 27 yo, and have been living with RA since I was 11 years old. I have had 7 surgeries because of the RA, and just found out that I have to get my elbow replaced. I've already had a total hip replacement when I was 15, so it's not the surgery that's really getting to me. Rather, it's the fact of not knowing how life is going to be afterwards with a replaced elbow. My doctor told me that I won't be able to lift more than 8 pounds, that it could cause me to have to get my shoulder replaced later on, and that I will eventually lose the use of my arm, depending on how long the joint holds out.
Now, after that long intro, what I'm wanting to know is if anyone has ever had this done before, the elbow replacement? How old were you when you had it done? How long has it been since the replacement, and is it hard living with all those limitations on your arm? Like I said, it's not the surgery that is scaring me, but the afterwards part, and how it's going to be living with all the restrictions.I mean, I haven't even had kids yet, so when I do I'm not even going to be able to hold my own children. And that sucks the most out of all of it, knowing that if my child falls down, cries for soothness, or just for some love, I won't be able to pick them up at all. How can tou be a mom and not be able to hold your child??
I would love any kind of advice, tips, stories....anything that might help me get a little bit more comfortable with this whole idea. And get through it a little bit mentally okay. Thanks for listening...and sorry about my bad spelling.
