A Go Knee [long entry]
4 April 2010 11:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seedarklyxeroSince I only have the one booking this month I thought, rather than do a monthly schedule entry, I'd focus on something more personal.
So this is a look at some of what I'm going through with my surgery/recovery, including pictures!
I'll put some of this material under a cut because apparently some of these pictures are so offensive Myspace deleted them from a private album just after I uploaded them. (btw: hate Myspace these days)
Let me start with this, for those who aren't aware of what I'm having done, or in the case anyone might have the need for it themselves : Click here for a rundown of the procedure.
(You can also click the tag "knee" for the few previous entries about this on my LiveJournal.)
Now the surgery went as expected on Monday, March 22. No complications. Everything as planned.
They drugged a nerve in my leg that left it entirely without feeling for nearly 24 hours.
I found out that the anesthesia they used to put me under also caused some short term memory loss so I have no memory of seeing or speaking to my doctor before going under for the operation. That concerned me some when I woke, but I got over it because all my nurses were very comforting (though not in any fun, dirty way) and the my doctor explained everything I had asked him previously again very patiently and with good humor.
I woke hungry and not allowed to eat until morning. Plus I couldn't sleep most of the night.
But I really noticed no pain. In the morning I had a couple awesome omelets, jello and toast! For being hospital food...Yum!
After the visit from my surgeon and some physical therapy training I got approval to go home.
Once I was home, and after a couple of days on my pain meds (Oxycontin) I really was starting to hate how they were making me feel, both emotionally and cognitively. I cut my prescribed dosages early. I've been off of anything stronger than Tylenol the last day of March and I'm not suffering at all. I get occasional twitches, spasms, and dull aches, but no amount of pain I can't manage without narcotics.
Now as for the leg itself...
I'm going to show that, but under a cut (on DW) and after a stream of "spoiler bullets" to prevent anyone who is grossed out by such from going any further on the feed to Facebook.
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So this is what my leg looked like after a week when I was finally allowed to change the dressing:
Top View (click for bigger)
< ---- > 
So as you can see I will have a pretty long scar, and it will be longer than it was before.
But there was nothing to be concerned about as far as infection, abnormal swelling, etc...
As for bruising, well...
< ---- > 
a couple days later
< ---- > 
I sent these pictures to my doctor and he said... and I do quote...
"looks like standard bruising from someone working on your leg with power tools."
HA!
He also said it looks "very impressive" and I could expect them to fade in the "next few weeks."
Nice and vague but they are fading.
This is my ace-wrapping up and the device I use for what I have been referring to as my
"Overnight Physical Therapy"
< ------------------- > 
Every night I "disrobe" my brace and strap into this machine before bed. While I sleep, for about six to eight hours a night, this "Continuous Passive Motion" device bends and straightens my leg from 0 degrees to 40 degrees. The idea is to massage the cartilage passively to stimulate growth, while not being so aggressive that the new cells can't adhere the way they need to. While it may seem like this would be painful, it's oddly relaxing. The position I sleep in isn't 100% comfortable and I've woken with some backaches, but I think I've found a position that solves that problem.
This is a couple of views of my leg when braced:
< ---- > 
Nothing too unusual here, although I am curious if I'll have any functional use of the dials you can see at the knee-joint. They didn't explain what they were for or if I can expect to need to adjust them later or not.
Now for the "cool" (heh dumb joke) part. This is an overhead look at the brace, the brace when open and revealing a straight leg wrap, and how that wrap is connected to a tube.
< ------ >
< ------ >
What this second wrap does is ice my leg. Icing is obviously very important in these first few weeks because it helps the healing and keeps swelling down. Since direct icing is problematic while wearing the brace, this wrap deals with that quite well.
at the bottom of the wrap there is a connection where a tube attaches.
The other end of that tube connects to this machine:
This "Game-Ready" device, or "Iceman" as it is also called, stores ice water and pumps it into the wrap through the hose in half-hour cycles. The number on the left is the countdown to its off cycle. The number on the right is the temperature of the water. The ice water starts around 36 degrees and gets a little too warm for comfort at about 48. Usually it takes about 4 hours before GZ (my g/f) has to change the water out with fresh ice water. It's probably the most efficient method of icing I've ever used, although the apparatus itself is unwieldy to manage for someone in my condition. The claim is that this device has been hailed by everyone who has gone through this procedure and is highly recommended. So far, I think it's fantastic too!
Since I am pretty much unable to do 95% of my duties around our home right now, (things like walking the dogs, taking the garbage out, laundry, etc...) GZ has found a way to work for part of her day from home by networking online with her job. I'm pretty grateful for that. Without her, I probably could find ways to deal, but it's far better for the whole process that I don't have to. (She certainly is helpful with the bathing! hee hee)
I see the doctor again this Tuesday morning (the two week mark from leaving the hospital.) We'll do x-rays, check my range of motion, review my progress and go over details for my coming weeks of rehabilitation. Hopefully I'm on track. :)
Any questions?
So this is a look at some of what I'm going through with my surgery/recovery, including pictures!
I'll put some of this material under a cut because apparently some of these pictures are so offensive Myspace deleted them from a private album just after I uploaded them. (btw: hate Myspace these days)
Let me start with this, for those who aren't aware of what I'm having done, or in the case anyone might have the need for it themselves : Click here for a rundown of the procedure.
(You can also click the tag "knee" for the few previous entries about this on my LiveJournal.)
Now the surgery went as expected on Monday, March 22. No complications. Everything as planned.
They drugged a nerve in my leg that left it entirely without feeling for nearly 24 hours.
I found out that the anesthesia they used to put me under also caused some short term memory loss so I have no memory of seeing or speaking to my doctor before going under for the operation. That concerned me some when I woke, but I got over it because all my nurses were very comforting (though not in any fun, dirty way) and the my doctor explained everything I had asked him previously again very patiently and with good humor.
I woke hungry and not allowed to eat until morning. Plus I couldn't sleep most of the night.
But I really noticed no pain. In the morning I had a couple awesome omelets, jello and toast! For being hospital food...Yum!
After the visit from my surgeon and some physical therapy training I got approval to go home.
Once I was home, and after a couple of days on my pain meds (Oxycontin) I really was starting to hate how they were making me feel, both emotionally and cognitively. I cut my prescribed dosages early. I've been off of anything stronger than Tylenol the last day of March and I'm not suffering at all. I get occasional twitches, spasms, and dull aches, but no amount of pain I can't manage without narcotics.
Now as for the leg itself...
I'm going to show that, but under a cut (on DW) and after a stream of "spoiler bullets" to prevent anyone who is grossed out by such from going any further on the feed to Facebook.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
So this is what my leg looked like after a week when I was finally allowed to change the dressing:
Top View (click for bigger)
< ---- > So as you can see I will have a pretty long scar, and it will be longer than it was before.
But there was nothing to be concerned about as far as infection, abnormal swelling, etc...
As for bruising, well...
< ---- > a couple days later
< ---- > I sent these pictures to my doctor and he said... and I do quote...
"looks like standard bruising from someone working on your leg with power tools."
HA!
He also said it looks "very impressive" and I could expect them to fade in the "next few weeks."
Nice and vague but they are fading.
This is my ace-wrapping up and the device I use for what I have been referring to as my
"Overnight Physical Therapy"
< ------------------- > Every night I "disrobe" my brace and strap into this machine before bed. While I sleep, for about six to eight hours a night, this "Continuous Passive Motion" device bends and straightens my leg from 0 degrees to 40 degrees. The idea is to massage the cartilage passively to stimulate growth, while not being so aggressive that the new cells can't adhere the way they need to. While it may seem like this would be painful, it's oddly relaxing. The position I sleep in isn't 100% comfortable and I've woken with some backaches, but I think I've found a position that solves that problem.
This is a couple of views of my leg when braced:
< ---- > Nothing too unusual here, although I am curious if I'll have any functional use of the dials you can see at the knee-joint. They didn't explain what they were for or if I can expect to need to adjust them later or not.
Now for the "cool" (heh dumb joke) part. This is an overhead look at the brace, the brace when open and revealing a straight leg wrap, and how that wrap is connected to a tube.
< ------ >< ------ >What this second wrap does is ice my leg. Icing is obviously very important in these first few weeks because it helps the healing and keeps swelling down. Since direct icing is problematic while wearing the brace, this wrap deals with that quite well.
at the bottom of the wrap there is a connection where a tube attaches.
The other end of that tube connects to this machine:
This "Game-Ready" device, or "Iceman" as it is also called, stores ice water and pumps it into the wrap through the hose in half-hour cycles. The number on the left is the countdown to its off cycle. The number on the right is the temperature of the water. The ice water starts around 36 degrees and gets a little too warm for comfort at about 48. Usually it takes about 4 hours before GZ (my g/f) has to change the water out with fresh ice water. It's probably the most efficient method of icing I've ever used, although the apparatus itself is unwieldy to manage for someone in my condition. The claim is that this device has been hailed by everyone who has gone through this procedure and is highly recommended. So far, I think it's fantastic too!
Since I am pretty much unable to do 95% of my duties around our home right now, (things like walking the dogs, taking the garbage out, laundry, etc...) GZ has found a way to work for part of her day from home by networking online with her job. I'm pretty grateful for that. Without her, I probably could find ways to deal, but it's far better for the whole process that I don't have to. (She certainly is helpful with the bathing! hee hee)
I see the doctor again this Tuesday morning (the two week mark from leaving the hospital.) We'll do x-rays, check my range of motion, review my progress and go over details for my coming weeks of rehabilitation. Hopefully I'm on track. :)
Any questions?
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Date: 2010-04-05 05:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-08 05:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-08 12:52 pm (UTC):)