I would have to say that Friday night was one of the most painful periods of my existence, as it was my first night home after my knee replacement. A few other injuries/post-op adventures have been as bad. But I have a flair for the dramatic and it was my fault for pushing to get home from the hospital too soon. They would have kept me another night, but I wanted to go home. Little did I know that the nerve block I had been enjoying blocked so much pain. But I survived!
Now everyone in our house has a scar on their left knee! Of the three of us, I would say I was the biggest sissy of the family. Teddy was up and walking the day after her knee surgery. Tommy had two done at once. I had my partial done on Thursday and I am just now getting around on my own a little bit at a time with a cane.
The surgery was a little more involved than I thought it would be. Rather than go in through the side, my orthopedist cut me right down the front, the way it is done for a full replacement. He explained that sometimes he ends up doing a full once he gets in, and that to adapt a side cut to a front one makes a huge scar, so he always goes down the front.
I learned a few things afterwards. First, I am knocked-knee so I have to work on that. Secondly, I have really small bones and am lucky that the smallest size implant made fit me. My necrosis wasn't actually all that bad. No one would or could explain to me why necrosis in the side of my knee was causing so much pain in the middle. That was the worst part. The middle of my knee hurt almost constantly. It turns out I had been walking around on a fracture that neither the x-ray nor MRI picked up. So, that part of the femur is gone too.
My goal was to be back to work in two weeks and I hope I can do that. I start PT on Tuesday. I do plan to work part time for a few weeks. At this point, I am in bed a lot, but spending time sitting up, doing light walking and moving around. I can say that it is not easy and this is not something I ever want to do again!
I can't claim total victory yet, but I have made it through two weeks of my knee replacement recovery. My blogging has had to take a back-seat to resting, icing and exercising. I can now sit in a chair and put in some desk time. At first I was stunned by the pain and lack of mobility. Now I am mostly uncomfortable but making progress each day -- as long as I don't give it a rest or slack-off. TBG has been keeping me fed and drives me to PT, helps me with exercises and keeps my morale up. This has been a very difficult process. I consider it a victory that after two weeks I am bending my knee beyond 90 degrees. I'm told that is a good thing!
The staples were removed this morning and that has been a relief. I am now down to steri-strips which aren't painful (staples pinch!). I do my PT exercises once per day and go out for short walks three or four times per day. I have met many men on my block who have had this surgery and they offer me encouragement too. Today I did not have to use my cane at all and was able to go on a three block walk by myself. I've also been managing to use both legs on the stairs -- with ample support. Not just the "up with the good, down with the bad" method I was using at first.
I would have to say that Friday night was one of the most painful periods of my existence, as it was my first night home after my knee replacement. A few other injuries/post-op adventures have been as bad. But I have a flair for the dramatic and it was my fault for pushing to get home from the hospital too soon. They would have kept me another night, but I wanted to go home. Little did I know that the nerve block I had been enjoying blocked so much pain. But I survived!
Now everyone in our house has a scar on their left knee! Of the three of us, I would say I was the biggest sissy of the family. Teddy was up and walking the day after her knee surgery. Tommy had two done at once. I had my partial done on Thursday and I am just now getting around on my own a little bit at a time with a cane.
