I feel like I'm up a creek without a paddle. I need some opinions from people about what to do. I have pretty aggressive and severe osteo arthritis. It has already taken my right knee - was replaced 3 years ago. It has taken my left ankle - surgery on that resulted in much worse pain last December. Now the left knee is giving up on me, and xrays today show that it is toast. I'm not going the arthroscopic route again - it doesn't work on me and just makes things worse. The doc says he will have to replace it. Meanwhile, the ankle is so bad I limp badly and working on it is just miserable. He says the only thing to do for it is to fuse it, and he really doesn't want to do that. I think he's really concerned about nonunion of a fusion. I also have Adrenal Failure and make no adrenal hormones. I therefore have to take steroids all the time, and I don't heal worth a shit. It takes me forever.

That being said, I just finished school and am looking for a new job with my new credentials. My work is on my feet a good bit of the time. I have to be mobile.

So, what do I do? I can't afford to take 3 months off to have surgery once, much less twice. I can't stand to keep working on this leg as it is. We are trying the synvisc and steroid injections, but they won't last for long if they help at all. What should I do? I have a wife, and a mortgage to support. I am not that old - just 50. I have no retirement to speak of. My wife cannot support us. The doctor is less than enthusiastic about doing more surgery on me. I'm feeling really stuck between a rock and hard place, and wonder what you all think. What do i do?

Vanyel