Getting to the cause

My MDVIP doctor is Dr. Irena Borissova. In June 2023 I had a right knee replacement. I expected pain and was committed to PT and rehab. All went pretty well for a while and about three months into it I felt I was regressing. Calls to my surgeon brought more prescriptions for anti-inflammatories. I had a bakers cyst behind that knee which I had learned of following an ultrasound three weeks after the operation. At about four months I decided to see my surgeon in person. I made an appointment with his PA who told me the Bakers cyst was nothing to be concerned about and that the knee looked good to him. He reiterated that these things can often take up to a year to resolve. A few weeks later I got up one morning and that right leg was more swollen than usual. Within three days it looked like lymphangitis and was killing me. I picked up the phone and called Dr. Borissova and sent her some pictures of the leg. Within three hours she had me in the hospital for an ultrasound which revealed that the Bakers cyst had burst and was draining, downward of course. In addition there was another mass, a hematoma that was adding to the pain and swelling. That same afternoon Dr. B told me to spend the weekend with my leg elevated above my heart and applying hot Epsom salt compresses 3 to 4 times a day which I did. Additionally, she wanted me to cease all physical work and activity for the next two weeks. I own and operate a barn with six horses so physical work is considerable. I did as she told me and within a few days the swelling was all but gone as well as the intense pain (without the high-powered anti-inflammatories). I am convinced that had I not called on Dr. Borissova I could have had serious problems. I am 72 and I have never had a doctor like her. Not only is she brilliant but she takes a personal and proactive interest in her patients’ welfare. Thanks Dr. B!