Chrondroplasty with Drilling

[knee deep in Goo]

Hi  I went to my othopedic doctor today  -- my month follow up to my MRI/XRAY/ and PT.   I am having Surgery on Jan 12 to remove the small tear in my medial posterior horn menisucs.  I also  have a tendon that has a tear but my doctor said he is not too concerned with it...  Also bcos my knee clicks and my XRAYS show I have OA he is going to peak under my knee cap..

[/list] Doc said to stop PT ( save the visists for post op)  When I will need it more.

[/list] Going for General A .. I thought about epidural but have had comments.. ( rather not see doc pulling out a saw mid surgery) ( Rahter be home in misery than wait for a bowel movement)  Rather not have delusions of feeling the pressure of the doctor putting a turniquet on my leg..

[/list]Doc gave me percocet for post op..

[/list] Said not to eat past midnight the night before... No water next morning.. No Gum.. Nada...  Asked about mint flavored lip gloss..  ( big smile from doctor as if he had not heard of this one before )

[/list]Go blood work drawn today as well .. I think I squeezed the hand off the lady in the office..  .Needle was no worse than cortizone shoot needle.. and guy made me look at the tube of blood.. i squeemed but at least i looked...  and held nurse hand more ...)  all done with that..


[/list]  Did not need any physical prior to operation since doctor said i am young and healthy

[/list]Filled out tons of work related papers for company paid disability 
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[/list] Spoke with boss..

[/list]will be in work for tuesay and wenesday .. will leave a bit early on wenesday to .. get assorted book or reading material..  batteries for remote control...  more pillows.. .. tons of ice

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[/list] ASked about tens machine ( docotor not too concerned about tens machine rx at this moment..)

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[/list]ice ice ice....   

Thinking about best tip of the day ask Doctor if they can put anti nausae stuff with my GA... NObody likes to puke while having swollen knee ..

[jb-knee-geek]

good luck goo, let us know how you're doing post-op. I'm in the same boat, but I've got an torn ACL to go along with the medial meniscus tear in the posterior horn.

[muffinandjezebel]

Good luck with your surgery! I am 10 days post op from the same surgery.  I had general anest. and had about 5 tiny  sips of  black coffee the morning of the surgery. I wasn't sick at all.  The vicodin for pain afterwards made me feel terrible.  I switched to Advil.  Also, if you get general, ask if they can put the iv in your arm instead of hand.  That hurt more than anythng else and my entire hand was bruised but not my knee. 

[Nettan]

Good luck with your surgery !! You seems to have planned well.
Keep us updated !!

HUGS NETTAN 

[knee deep in Goo]

The hospital called me today and asked me if the doctor ordered an ekg..  I advised no.. infact he only said blood work...  Hospital Rn nurse called back and said ..  you are right no ekg needed for me.... and a few questions about what knee it was ...when last period was..  my religion... ect.. if I was on a special diet... Should have said yeah i am on a steak and seafood diet... .. I dare not be in there for a meal. .. Asked how many relatives I can come..  ..No more than two or three....   Thought that was a blessing since .. I had started with only my two brothers going and than.. my parents wanted to go.... oi....  ( that is the real headache )  Forgot to ask nurse at hospital the underware question... funny as it seems.. I am not exactly happy knowing i might need to take it off.. .. So modest.. I know..

Also knee people keep coming out of the wood work telling me there   8 scopes...   or there mothers knee replacement stories .. or hip replacement stories.... Dont they know I am more concerned on underware and IV issues??? hell... i am going to do general A...   .. and  this time tomorrow night..... I cant eat or drink till I have the darn thing...  woe is me....  I want my comfort food...

[PackCaddy]

I am having the same thing on the 12th, we need to keep up with each other on recovery.

[Nettan]

GOOD LUCK BOTH OF YOU TOMORROW and let us know how it goes !!

HUGS NETTAN 

[knee deep in Goo]

The  doctors office  called today....I have to be there by 8 am ...and should have surgery   by 9...  ..time line... operation..should  be done by  9:30  ..I should be awake by 10:30 and walking... home dare I  say by 1:30


Open issue prior to surgery... disability paper  work still has to be filled out by   doctor office.. and faxed back to work........but other than that... i am  going to  the store   for  chocolate ice cream   and soft pretzels with cheese...

still want to wear  my own  undies..

[knee deep in Goo]

Ok its about  six am est and .. i woke up at five am and took a nice long bath.  ..  last night i drank about a half galllon of limeaid and was ready to go to sleep  about 11..   .. ..right now I feel sleepy .. which to me seems rather good than being nervous..  .. going to leave the house .. around 7:15 or so to be at the hospital by 8:00..   I took a robe with me .. and just wearing yoga pants and a pink top.  feet are kind of itching on the top...   but looked at my knee this morning and .. right now i am pain free and no sweeling... and can straighten it with out pain..  ..  You would never know what pain i been in since Nov...  if you looked at it today...  but than again last friday.. something painful happened .. and might of put the tear downside..  .. go figure.. no discomfort.. now

[badkneedgal]

Hi!  I hope your surgery went well.  Mine is Feb. 3.  Torn Meniscus.  Very small - but enough to cause trouble and pain.  He'll also look under my knee caps and check out my OA.  The weather here has been damp and cold... just rotten weather for the aches and pains...Hope you are doing well and over all these problems!    Let us know what it's like on the "otherside" of surgery!

[knee deep in Goo]

Hi all

I guess I made it..  Lets recap.. Thursday I went to the hospital. I had to be there by 8 got there by  7:45 . I bet the rush of people checking in for Same day surgery by going a bit early. .. Spent a few minutes in admissions.. and than was told to go to the same day surgery floor.  I checked in and waited five minutes and was brought to my room. Given a robe ( No undies  -- disappointment  was kept silently in side..) I had to give a urine sample -- They took blood pressure and temp.  Nurse gave me a shock that I was running a fever.. but she tested me with another thermometer)  Got cute blue socks.. .. kissed my parents by .. and was wheeled down to the surgery floor. and  waited a few minutes while I met  the nurses and anthesea doctor and the observing doctor. .. I was very nervous about the iv needle and told the anthesia doctor he was my newest best friend.. as the guy nurse held my hand as i squeezed it.and told me when i woke up i would have a sore throat.. . .. Still no sign of my surgeon.. untill the wheeled me in to the Operating room.. ..  Yes you see those big white lights just like on tv.. .. and i moved myself over to the operating table where they .. strapped my hands down and my chest.. and put the heart monitor on it.. saw my surgeon and thought he looked like george clooney.. and ..looked and saw the vital machines around me some more.. the male nurse brought over an oxygen mask and said .. . its just oxygen this time.. take deep breath...  and  next time he explained i would have the gas .. to take deep breaths and  think of some place nice. i said the beach.. he said.. ok but lets not make this a trip to hawaii..  smile.. and i breathed and thought is this working?  and next thing i knew i was out for the count...


Waking up... Which was about 10:30 .. the observing doctor told me took alot of the meniscus out.. and down the road i will need knee replacement surgery.. .. Was like huh??? and than this pesky nurse told me to start coughing and breathing deep.. ..  apparently i was not getting enough oxygen.. .. so i did   i coughed a few times but was so sleepy and maybe lazy with out them telling me to do it. .. they said i was weezing a bit.. had an oxygen mask on my face and one of those nebulizer thingys.. that looked like a crack pipe.. .. and thought cant i go to sleep.. a few.. but they made me stay awake .. and soon was eating ice cubes and .. i was just looking at the other post op patients and thought .. wonder what they had done.. ..  saw my doctor at the nurses desk and he was on the phone with someone.. but he was there sitting untill i was rolled out.. and got a little hi signal from him a few times.. .. ..

was rolled up to my recoveriy room . nurse  asked me if i wanted applie juice.. water or ginger ale.   and offerened me toast.....noticed cyro cuff and big bandage on my leg..... parents came in .. . wanted to rest a bit..  that took about an hour ..  .. and thought i best get the show on the road.... nurse instructed me on my crutches..  bad leg good leg.. deal and took my first steps.. with the aid of crutches. ..


must say when getting into car.. .. was afraid.. .. getting out of car .. very afraid.. .. very frustrated that i could not lift my leg to walk up drive way .. with aid of crutches...  had to take my time..  hopped up five nasty steps.... into house.. sat on chair.. ( very very cranky at this point)   looked at flowers and cards.. had enough.. went upstairs. 15 steps..  pee'd .. another revlation .. and somehow got into the bed...  ..

AB work ..

end of thursday night..

Friday .. very sore .slept most of day. throat sore.. .. diet of apple juice, tea and campells chicken noodle soup.  Saturay... took off bandage.. saw a few  X marks the spots.. .. got into shower..  very fast shower....

saturday slept  sunday slept...  maybe walked up and down hall .. three or four times...

monday.. same thing.. felt that i could left leg a bit more...  tuesday..  little stronger..

wenesday..  took shower and made it down 15 steps.. first two i stepped down..  than i kinda butt sled the rest of them till the bottom.  on computer.. and  now going to look for snack supper.


got to remember...  baby steps and everyone's recovery is different..   I get my stiches out friday...

[badkneedgal]

Glad that you are moving about some.  I know everyone is different, but how long did they tell you your "recovery" from this would be?  My Dr. is saying I'll be able to walk out after surgery unaided.  I am getting it done on a Friday so that I won't miss too much work - will go back on Monday or Tuesday... but when I read your post I'm wondering if that is overly optimistic?   I just twisted/popped something in the darn knee a little while ago, getting up off sofa.  It's almost to the point that I don't want to sit and find myself avoiding sitting.  I think the weather here isn't helping.  And my leg feels "crampy" now.  Knees! Can't live with 'em; Can't live without 'em!

[USMom]

I didn't want to sit before, or for that matter after surgery!  LOL!  I had lateral meniscus removed and walked out of surgical center.  A friend of mine had medial meniscus removed, and walked out of the surgical center as well.  Pain was controllable with tylenol.  Advil is better due to its anti-inflammatory properties, however, I am allergic to all anti-inflammatory type pain killers.  My surgery was on a Thurs, Friday, I went out and did major shopping for my parents anniversary party that was held on Sat.  I got tired easily, but was okay until my niece decided to pick herself up off of the ground by pushing on my leg right above my knee (she's 3).  It really shouldn't be too bad.  You won't be able to do stairs, or a lot of walking around.  Driving, for me, was the worst, not sure why.

[badkneedgal]

USMom--
That's the kind of recovery I'm hoping for.  I'm in outside sales and in and out of my car all day, generally.  So I'm hoping that I'll be back on track right away.  For some reason the muscle in the back of my leg pulls a lot when I drive or sit in car...don't know what that's all about... never used to happen.  Started with the locking and aftermath.  I'm always afraid that I'll lock up when at a client...but so far I only manage to do that when out having fun or at home -- though I've had some close calls getting out of car...the leg twists a bit unnaturally but doesn't always lock.  How long before you did stairs?... I have about 13 of them to get up to my bedroom (colonial home) will be camping out downstairs in the family room for a while, I guess!

[knee deep in Goo]

Going up stairs is pretty tricky..  i use the banister and the crutch....  I take is slow.. but get up..  sometimes rest....  Going down .. i put my butt against the wall and put my good leg down one step.. and than my bad.. .. .. i do that for two steps than sit down  and just take one step at a time sitting down each step..  with all the crutches and stuff it is a bit too much for me to do alot of stairs going down..in the house... not ready yet..but do not want to be cut off from the rest of the world .. so to speak.... .. just go slow.... i went up the stairs when i first got hom after the surgery..  didnt come down till  a week later..  .. but .. I had microfracture as well...  ( drilling bones ) so ..I think I was slower to do it ..