 | | A message from William Harasym... | MY Campaign is about me trying to raise funds from friends and family, and even caring strangers, for knee replacement surgery for both my knees , so I can go out and live a full, enjoyable and rewarding life, with the years I have left.
I'm a 59 years old US Air Force Veteran and I live just above the poverty level on Social Security Disability.
I have been engaging with my local VA Hospital here in Sheridan WY for over 6+ years now in an effort to getg my knees repaired here in Sheridan. It's been one hurdle after another.
It all started on the Tuesday evening prior to Thanksgiving in 2008 when I tore the ACL in my left knee. I scheduled an appointment to see my VA doctor and He ordered x-rays and MRIs of my left knee. I then had an appointment with the orthopedic doctor down at the Cheyenne VA Hospital, as the Sheridan VA doesn't have that specialty, or many others for that matter. It was a long day for a 15 minute appointment down in Cheyenne, and almost 700 miles round trip. The doc said my ACL was completely torn, and I had many other issues that just repairing the ACL was not the right option, but a complete knee replacement was the best option. And he suggested that I lose weight, because if I didn't, it would mean the knee replacement would wear out faster, and I might have to have a second operation in the future.
After 6 years of back and forth, my 2 choices are- get it done down in Cheyenne at the VA Hospital there, or have it done here, but I foot the bill (The VA was being nice in saying they would set me up with the local orthopedic group of doctors.). While the local VA hospital said the VA in Cheyenne will do it, I still have to travel over 700 miles round trip to get it done down in the Cheyenne, driving down there and back in my 24 year old vehicle, which I don't trusted to leave Sheridan or the local area since my last visit to Cheyenne 6+ years ago. (And that was a white knuckle drive.) It's old and falling apart, sort of like me, and I don't trust it to drive back & forth to Cheyenne for the many times I'd need to do for the surgery and post-op. Plus, I'm not suppose to drive right after the surgery, and I can't afford to hole up in a motel for a month+. They refuse to have it done locally, which is something they can do, and have done with other veterans. They've been able to use the VA contracted orthopedic surgeons here in Sheridan, but refuse to allow me this option. The idea 'Veteran's 1st' is just a fantasy some ad man dreamed up, because it sure isn't my reality.
Because I am disabled, and getting Social Security Disability, I do have Medicare, but I need to come up with 20% of the total cost of the knee replacement surgery, which for both knees will be in the $90,000 to $140,000 range, so I estimated my cost is between $18,000 to $28,000, if there are no complications.
Besides the knee issues, where now both need replacement because the VA refusing to do it Sheridan, I also have many neurological issues, including an inoperable brain tumor, (In the left cerebellum, pons, penuncle and medulla, but currently it is slow-growing- a low-grade glioma, but that could change any day.) severe spinal cord compression (I already have a titanium plate in my neck at C-5 and C-6.) and I'll need further surgery in the future, both in the C-Spine and S-Spine, which the Denver VA has handled for the last 12 years.
Just a few facts about my knees:
Here are the MRI written impressions of my knees- the latest ones: Radiologist: DR. WEIN,GREGORY
Report: MRI of the left knee. Aug 22, 2013
Technique: Routine noncontrast MRI of the knee performed.
The study is limited due to patient motion
Findings: Osseous structures: No acute fracture. Gross narrowing medial joint compartment with bone-on-bone appearance and complete denudation of large areas of medial femoral condyle and medial tibial plateau cartilage. Severe grade 2 and 3 chondromalacia
lateral compartment. The multiple large peripheral osteophytes.
Moderate joint effusion..
Cruciate ligaments: The anterior cruciate ligament is severely degenerated but probably not torn. The posterior cruciate ligament intact..
Menisci: There is severe maceration of the body and posterior horn of the medial meniscus which is displaced into the medial gutter. Moderate degeneration lateral meniscus without tear..
Collateral ligaments: The tibial collateral ligament is effaced by the large medial osteophytes are grossly intact. The tibial collateral ligament intact.
Patella and extensor mechanism: Diffuse grade 2 and 3
chondromalacia and patella with a superficial blistering and fissuring. similar chondromalacia of the trochlear cartilage with multiple large peripheral osteophytes. Patellar retinaculum intact. Quadriceps tendon and patellar tendons grossly intact with tendinosis of the distal patellar tendon. Edema of Hoffa's fat pad..
Surrounding soft tissues: No cyst or mass.
Posterolateral corner: Degenerative change. No acute fracture. There is popliteus tendinosis..
Impression:
Advanced degenerative change detailed above.
Maceration medial meniscus.
Reason for request: x-ray to be done in conjunction with MRI: Radiologist: DR. MOUBRY,RONDLE M.
Report: Left knee: Medial compartment space narrowing is noted. A collar and then spurring is seen. Posterior patellar spurring is also noted. No fracture or dislocation. Bone mineral density is grossly normal.
Impression: Degenerative changes.
http://beardog321.blogspot.com/2014/10/my-mri-history-of-my-screwed-up-knees.html
Impression:
Degenerative changes. Heterogeneous bone marrow signal. Does the patient have a chronic illness?
Degenerative changes of the knee with tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus.
Partial tear/tendinosis of the anterior cruciate ligament.
MRI Radiologist: DR. BEST,ALAN C
Report: Comparison of MRI and radiographs of right knee from 4/20/2012 , which was 10 months prior to above MRI, which is dated Feb 13, 2013 -
Impression: Progression of severe medial compartment degenerative changes and joint space loss.
Since the time these MRIs and X-RAYS of both knees were taken, they have only gotten worse.
Here was the 1st MRI of my Left Knee on Feb 12 2009 after I felt the pain 2 1/2 months earlier -
RADIOLOGY REPORT - DR. DONAHUE, FRANCIS I.
Report: Maceration posteriorly horn medial meniscus with almost total displacement of the medial meniscus into the medial gutter. Opposing joint surface bone marrow edema and marginal osteophytes. There is extensive grade IV chondromalacia of the medial joint compartment. Synovitis medial gutter.No tears of the lateral meniscus. Extensive low-grade chondromalacia and marginal osteophytes.
Chronic ACL tear, intact PCL Medial and lateral collateral support structures intact. Extensor mechanism is intact. Patella anatomically aligned with extensive low-grade chondromalacia of patellofemoral joint with marginal osteophytes about the patella. Patellofemoral ligaments intact. Small popliteal cyst. No joint effusion.
Impression:
Severe osteoarthritis medial joint compartment, moderate osteoarthritis patellofemoral joint.
ACL deficient knee, see above comments
So, I have 2 options:
1. Get surgery done here in Sheridan WY with local orthopedic clinic.
2. Get surgery done in Cheyenne, but I need transportation to and from there that is reliable. This is Wyoming, and we have hundreds of miles of open highways.
I just want to say the VA Healthcare system has been great to me, from working with the neurosurgeons at the Denver VA Hospital to my excellent primary-care doctor, Dr. Yapuncich who has advocated for my knee surgery for years. And I can't forget the great folks in the Physical Therapy department, who are all excellent and also advocating for my knee surgery. So this bump in the road is mainly directed at the bean-counters who are not putting this veteran 1st.
I would really love your help, and to have a full and mobile life for the years I have left, so that's why I need your support.
Thank You All for your time and anything you can do to help.
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