beth's post op. diary

[KW]

Hi Beth,  Your OS will most likely slowly allow WB after the 6 weeks.  You are going to need time to build muscle after being in a immob for 6 weeks.  As for the brace that varies from OS to OS.  I was never in a immob.  I was put in a ROM PO brace (a Breg PO-Lite) in the hospital.  You are best to ask your OS about that.

It sounds like you are doing great.  Keep it up!
Karen

[fettucine1990]

Hi Beth
Glad you were feeling better tonight.  As for your question about bearing weight after 6 weeks, I just asked about that at my first PT today.  He said at 6 weeks I will become partial weight bearing and ease back into walking so the crutches will stick around another week or 2.  I belive some Doctors do switch the full leg brace around 4-6 weeks depending on progress.
Hope you enjoyed American Idol-there were some serious wackos in there tonight!
Carol

[borymms]

hi carol,

yea, american idol, there were some crazy people in there.  my husband and i just laugh at them.and they honestly think they can sing.

well, i go to the os on tues. and then i will ask him what's going to happen  but i thought i'd ask.  were you told that you weren't allowed to look at your incision?  i was told that and i really want to look but i am afraid that if i do i would not be able to put it back the way it's supposed to.  i wanted to say,  if you or anyone wants to you can im me at yahoo instant messanger my im name is borymms

beth

[borymms]

hello eveyone,

how is everyone today?   i am doing ok.  my knee is really irritating me today.   i just want to rip the brace off.   my kne feels alittle hot and yet it aches.  it's just weird.

 i was very happy that i fell asleep at 9:30 and slept to 2 but then i couldn't sleep at all after that so i am tiried.

beth

[fettucine1990]

Good Morning Beth,
I am doing well today-just finished my PT exercises (started my own post-op diary this week so you can read all my babbling about my first day of PT if you are bored).
As for your question about looking at my incision.  My incision was covered with a big, clear sterile seal about 3" by 6" then covered with ace bandage and of course my brace on top.  I was allowed to take my brace off  when I was sitting down to work on gaining full extension (b/c that is an issue for me a big part of my rehab, I also took it off to shower with a garbage bag covering the ace since that COULD NOT get wet).  I was instructed to pretty much  leave the ace bandage on at all times, but could take it off to check on incision and make sure it was not inflamed or looking infected but the sterile bandages were not to come off unless it looked infected or got wet.  So I did take a peek at my incision (of course it was covered by the clear sterile patch) around day 2 or 3 and promptly wrapped it back up in the ace bandage.  I also washed some of the dry blood off my calf and surrounding area while making sure not to get near the sterile bandage.  It looked pretty gross b/c it was all a big patch of dryng blood and steri-strips so I was worried about when it came off if it would all stick but since it was all dry it was no big deal getting the sterile bandage off and getting the stitches out was not painful eitehr just a weird sensation when she pullled my big one out.  As for you wanting to peek, I am assuming you have ace bandage separating your brace from the actual incision bandages?  Could you just  peek under the ace bandage to make yourself feel better, are you able to get your immobilizer back on correctly, if your immobilizer is like one i had last year you may not even have to totally remove it just loosen the mid-section, is that how you get your ice pad in there??  i definitely would not mess with the sterile incision coverings unless you are concerned about infection....I know everyone has different bandages and dressings so I don't want to tell you what to do but I was able to peek under my ace bandage and still keep the important incision coverings all in tact.
It is very aggravating about not  removing your immobilzer at all...if you are really having a hard time you could call your OS and see if you can remove it briefly to re-arrange, re-wrap with ace bandage and get a little air in there while making sure it is not inflamed or oozing.  You could let them know  that it feels quite warm today and you want to check???  I tend to be a real rule follower and I would be questioning just like you.
Hope you get a good long nap in sometime today.  Is your nausea better today-I hope so.
Carol
PS My sister is  here visiting and helping out so I have beentelling her about my knee friends on the computer,  she just just walked in and said to say hello from her to.  She is just as goofy as me!

[arkitect06]

Beth, I wasn't suppose to change my dressing until 2 days after when I saw my PT for the first time.  Mine just had steristrips, then some yellow gauze looking thing.  On top of that were thick gauze pads just sitting on top.  Then around that was a net looking white thing that slipped over the top of all the dressings to hold it all on tightly.  It was like a sock with openings on both ends (not a circulation sock).  Then I had the ace wrap over that.  Then the immobilizer.  Once my PT looked at my incision, I then began to change my own dressings.  That meant I could look at it whenever I wanted.  I didn't really care though.  Once I saw it the first time, I knew it was there.  I had hardly any blood on the yellow gauze on top of the incision.  My OS had really tight stitches.  It surprised me that there was hardly anything there.  Good luck!

Farrah

[borymms]

hello everyone, 

i just wanted to let everyone know that i actually slept the whole night last night.  i feel much better.  i just don't feel drained.  my knee hurts bad today.  i am sure the weather isn't helping.  yesturday it was almost 60 degrees outside and now today it is in its 30's and tomorrow we are supposed to get a snow storm.

but overall i feel better just because i actually slept.  yea.

beth

[borymms]

hello,

i just had a question for anyone that knows,  what happens if your insurance only has 15 visits a year?  does that mean  even though i am not fully fuctioning  they'll drop me?  will i never heal then? 
 
  sorry,  i am just having a very emotional  day today.  i just can't seem to do anything  and then i just started crying which made my husband start crying.   can anyone help

beth

[cat]

For me, it depended on the facility as well as my insurance. Sometimes, but not in my case, you can jump through all the hoops and get authorized for additional therapy. I used up my alotment of visits before my first surgery and the facility I used at that time allowed me to  continue treatment at a reduced rate. Another time at a different facility, I was able to go into their aftercare program when my visits were used up. At any rate, you should at least be given a home program.
You might talk to your therapist or the business office and find out what options you have.
Cheer up,
  cat 

[fettucine1990]

Hi Beth
I have definitely had my share of emotional post-op days hang in there and sometimes a good cry doesn't hurt anyone.  Ellie recommended peanut M&M's for me yesterday as another way to treat a hard day!
As for PT-give your insurance a call, I do not have the  15 visit limit so i can't say for sure but perhaps like Cat mentioned they might extend or reduce...Your OS ight have input on that too depending how he write the prescription for the therapy.  They will show you a lot of stuff to do at home which could help you stretch out your sessions as long as possible.
Hope your day gets better.
Carol
PS I am curious, did you ever peek at your incision?

[PELoughlin]

If it helps you to understand that you're totally normal for being emotional...here are the reasons I've cried since my surgery
1) Pain
2) Because the buffalo wings that we got for the superbowl came with the bones instead of without
3) Because I dropped a whole row of stitches when I'm just learning to knit
4) Because my son had an amazing squash match and I wasn't there to watch
5) Because I don't sleep
6) Because my hair looks really disgusting when I'm on crutches and I figure if you're stuck on crutches you ought to at least get the dignity of looking good but NO, it makes my hair stick to my head and look horrible too
7) Because there was no clean laundry and despite that fact I would get yelled at if I did it so i couldn't win
Because we had no butterscotch pudding (that was a big one!!!)


Well, you get the idea....It's an emotionally draining and trying time and hang in there and ride the roller coaster.  And if all else fails, ice cream, M&M's and butterscotch pudding that's still hot!  I have no idea about the 15 visit limit but I do know that you'll get through this and if you just look at today, you'll know that this is your worst day that you'll have adn tomorrow will be a teeny bit better and the day after that....a teeny bit better than that....hang in there.

Ellie

[fettucine1990]

Ellie
You are the best!  I hope you have sisters becasue you make a great one.  I could certainly add to the list of things that have made post TTT women cry....mainly the one living in this house

when someone (like your mother) says "well I certainly hope you are not thinking about going to that swim meet (or someplace else you really want to go but know you shouldn't) this weekend...."

when Satrbucks is out of Bran Muffins

when my sister left after coming to visit and i stood at the front door crying like a 2 year old

when you get mad at your husband for not sorting the laundry right and you snap at him and want to stomp off but you can't b/c you are on crutches so you schlep as fast as you can down the hall crying and saying "just go away don't follow me...."

sometimes just because you are so sick of everyone reminding you what you can't or shouldn't be doing but at the same time nobody is doing it for you (and like Ellie said if you tried to do it yourself someone would chew you out)

okay
that'sall for now but hmmmm buffalo wings sound good Ellie.

Beth I really hope your day has improved and Ellie drive safe, I am guessing it is a gymnastics meet so take it easy...

Carol

[borymms]

  hi cat,  thanks for writing.  i do feel better today emotionally.  i actually managed to get the laudry in the washer and dryer without putting any weight on my leg.  i was proud of myself

as for therapy,  i don't know if there is a limit on my insurance( i am on my husbands).  i know my insurance that i had had previously, was only 15 appointments so that's why i asked that question.  i quess i will call them and find out.

beth

[borymms]

hello carol, 

thanks again for all your support.  today emotionally  went better but  here i have reactions to the perkeset and got deathly sick again.  the spot where they put the screws was really painful so i took the meds.  less than five minutes later i was having sweat moments( i imagine like heat flashes) and then got so dizzy i couldn't stand.  then got sick in my stomach.  so i had to take anti nausea meds and called os.  they told me to quit taking perkeset and they ordered me tylenol with codiene.(that i can take)  so anyway,  i am feeling better tonight. 

no,  i didn't look at the incision but i did look at my lower leg , i guess it was right under the incision, because it was extremely black and blue.  i don't think i have ever looked that black and blue.  i really want to look at it but i am afraid that i will ruin something. 

well i have to go,  my husband is cleaning the house(  our house is also for sale and we have a house showing tomorrow)  any way,  he was cleaning and the puppy was following him and he stepped on him, so he is begging his mommy to hold him.

write later
beth

[fettucine1990]

Hi Beth
Glad you are in better spirits and I hope the tylenol with codeine helps.  I had and still have a lot of bruising so don't get too concerned by all that.  My bruising went down to my ankle and feet and some spots were truly black...
What a pain in the neck to have to worry about showing your house in the middle of your recovery-your husband sounds like a great guy, glad he is taking good care of you.
Our little puppy is always looking for attention.  He loves when I carry him around like a baby but now I can't hold him unless I am sitting so he gets all wiggly.
Congrats on making it to your one week mark!  You should feel good about having the first week behind you!
I am excited b/c today is my 4 week mark and i am allowed to sleep without my brace tonight...
Have a good night-
Carol
PS Wasn't Ellie's post hilarious?