Originally Posted by
fatelk
The joint is already fused. A fusion of all the joints seems like a terrible idea. She's way too young to be crippled like that. My understanding is that the option is to replace the currently fused joint with an artificial joint. Even that is just a shot in the dark because the doctor is just guessing that that is what is causing the pain and swelling. She's worried that she could go through all the pain and recovery of yet another surgery to replace the joint, only to find out that the pain is still there. The doctor can't find any clear reason for the pain and swelling, said he's stumped.
It's been suggested that perhaps the tumor caused nerve damage and that could be causing the pain. It seems that the joint replacement is the way to go, but it's a shot in the dark as to whether it will solve the problem, and it's temporary. Hence the temptation to just amputate and be done with it.
Excellent suggestion. She's been wearing them for years. She says they're uncomfortable on hot days but she doesn't dare go a day without them.