4/18/11 Day 6

What exciting has happened in the past couple of days? Well, I hit 100 degrees on the CPM machine, which is ahead of schedule and feels really good. I'm still working on my leg extension - I think it's going well, but because my knee is so used to hyperextending that it doesn't feel like it's really straight. When I eyeball it, it looks like I'm getting there. Heel slides (I started to type "hell slides" - Freud would enjoy that) are really hard for me to do unassisted. Due to the hamstring stripping, it doesn't seem like my hamstring is interested in helping me out. I have to pull under my thigh to bend my knee - that's a more active way to work the range of motion, so it's harder than the CPM, which is more "set it and forget it". I would guess I'm about at 75-80 degrees on that measure. We will get the verdict at physical therapy, which I start a week from today! I see my doctor on Thursday, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to say. The big risk the first couple of months is that the hamstring graft will not be set, so it's very easy to tear. I don't think I've done anything too crazy - I'm working hard but being careful and keeping all knee movement linear. Ankle pumps and circles feel like heaven.

I took one pain pill yesterday in the morning, and 2 at night - so I'm way down on that! Today I am not going to take one and then take one at bedtime. Night is still the hardest for me. Inflammation is pretty uncomfortable - my leg feels hot all the time, especially if I'm not using my ice pack. But the pain is manageable, especially when I think about all that was done to it. When the day comes that they want me to give my rented ice machine back, I might have to fight someone. I love that thing.

4/15/11 PM update

Today has been much better than last night! I've been taking arnica to try to control swelling, which hopefully will help. I've been pretty active too - up to 82 on the CPM machine, ahead of schedule. I'm getting around without crutches here and there, and walking (very slowly and carefully!) feels so good. I've also done lots of ankle pumps and heel slides - bending is tough but extension is more important from what my doctor has said. Bending is also hard because of all the dressings on my knee from the surgery....so it was time to change them and take a peek! I was very nervous at what it would look like, but so far it's looking pretty good! Please ignore my whiteness - it's a miracle I didn't blind the surgeon.

Missing: My Kneecap

There's a one inch incision where the shiny clear tape is, and that's where he cut to get to my hamstring. This is mystifying to me, since my hamstring is in the back, but that's the way they do it. On the other side of my thigh, there's another 1 inch incision - I think that's where they went into my femur? Who knows. I should probably ask about these things. Then there are 2 tiny holes on top of my knee cap where they did more stuff, including the meniscus repair. I'm so grateful my PCL was okay but they did find a meniscus tear that he fixed. He also cleaned up some other fun cartilage stuff that wasn't supposed to be there. The bruising is not bad at all but I hear the good colors come later - maybe the arnica will keep that from happening. The swelling is what makes it hurt so I will be happy to see that go. But for now it's definitely super puffed.

My mother-in-law stayed with me again today, and she washed my hair! It was wonderful...I took a little bath with my leg propped out of the tub later on. So fresh and so clean - nice change. And I think I am getting another visitor tonight so it's good I won't be stinky. My hubby has been so great too - he gets up at 4am to get my pain pills and change my ice, and then works all day! I am a lucky lady.

First day post op = overall better than expected

Today has been okay - thank God for pain medicine and ice! This ice machine that circulates ice around my knee has been money - I am so glad that I have it. I have used it almost non-stop. Overall, I think my progress is good! I started my CPM machine at 60 degrees as instructed, but through the day have been able to get to 70. My goal is 5-10 degrees each day until I reach about 110-120 degrees over the next couple of weeks. I have also been able to begin some basic exercises - contracting my quad was really hard, especially with the nerve block. This afternoon I managed some straight leg raises and heel slides - yay! Mark's mom came to spend the day with me and brought me food, which was much appreciated. My appetite is still small but I need to eat.

It isn't all sunshine and rainbows...my nerve block is wearing off quickly and holy cow, it is a little intense. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like someone took a baseball bat to the back of my knee. The swelling in my leg is pretty aggressive as well - but overall I am happy with where I am. I am also really hoarse and don't have much of a voice from the intubation, so I'm not really talking. This ice feels like heaven - later on, we are going to change the dressing on this puppy. I'll definitely take some pics that I might share if they aren't too disgusting. Thanks again for the nice comments, texts and messages. Even if my response is a little incoherent, it comes from a good place.

Getting ready!

Tomorrow is the big day! I am still a little anxious but there is plenty to do in the meantime to keep me busy. And if I was thinking about maybe postponing it (and I was), that thought was eradicated when my knee slipped out cleaning my mat after PureBarre this morning. Fine, fine - I will go!

There are so many things to remember before I go in tomorrow morning. Tonight we will get the couch all ready, as well as the recliner (that might be better to sleep in the first few days). I'll have to take off my nail polish (boo!) so they can check my nailbeds to make sure I'm getting enough oxygen during surgery. No food or drink after midnight tonight - then tomorrow morning, no makeup (again, so they can check my color), no lotion (so that all the little sticky monitors will adhere to my skin), no deodorant.

The surgery is at 9:15, but we will get to the hospital 2 hours early. They'll check me in, and move me to a pre-op area where they will start an IV. Because I confessed to the anesthesia nurse that I am a little anxious, they will probably give me something to relax me at that time as opposed to right before they take me in. I hope so, because otherwise I am going to be tempted to make a run for it.

I will most likely have general anesthesia, and they will harvest a section of my hamstring to make the new ACL. They'll drill tunnels into my tibia and femur to thread the new "ligament" through, and secure it with screws. If he has to replace my PCL like he thinks, they will use a cadaver tendon to do that. The whole thing should take about 2.5 hours. As soon as I am awake, they are going to have me start working to straighten my leg - they are sending me home with a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine that I will start using that day. I'll put my leg into it for several hours while it just bends and straightens it for me. I will have crutches but they want me to start trying to put weight on my leg as soon as I can. The more active I am the better my healing will be - so I am all for that! They'll also send me home with a machine that goes around my knee and will circulate ice around it. This is all pretty high tech - so I am happy that I waited to have my surgery! All of these things will help my comfort as well as my healing, so I feel very lucky to have access to them.

I'll probably be pretty out of it tomorrow but if I can update this I will - it might not make any sense. I will also be busy making Mark wait on me hand and foot while I do the opposite of what he tells me to do. I am sure he can't wait!