Hoplongjo having ACI on 13/1/09

[hopalongjo]

I had the first stage nearly 3 weeks ago and still sore from that - having second stage on 13/1/09.

Potted history: Scope left knee 2006 at local general hospital = 2cm mfc defect. Told to go away and come back in 20 years for knee replacement (was 40 then).
 A back specialist had done the scope and made the 20 year decision. I refused to leave OS room until I was referred to knee specialist.  He reluctantly agreed and referred me to Mr Skinner at RNOH and in the meantime recommended Synvisc.

Mr Skinner was happy that I was happy with the Synvisc results (he was relieved that someone found it worked  )  and reviewed me 6 monthly until the right knee joined the party. I then had 2 courses of Synvisc over a year period in both knees.

The right knee then got worse and they decided to scope it just under 3 weeks ago following an MRI which just showed soft tissue swelling. I was expecting a 'sorry, but nothing we can do for you', but instead was told 'good news, you're suitable for a ACI - there's a 1.5cm mfc defect. We've taken the biopsy - come back in 6 weeks'.

So here I am wishing away the next 3 and a bit weeks so I can leave this stage of panic behind me. I am so pleased this site is here because I haven't been told anything more than I'll be in a knee brace for 6 weeks. I think I have read every ACI story from start to finish on here and am trying to focus on the positives.

If it's successful then I'll also be having the left knee done at some point in the future.

[hopalongjo]

I wonder if it marks you out as a newbie if you can't even spell your own name correctly in the title!!!! 

[dileigh]

nope, just distracted.  You can fix the title, although I'm a bit fuzzy on exactly how 

Are you having any other procedures along with the ACI?  It does make some difference in the rehab from what I've seen.   At least you don't have to deal with the insurance companies for this.

Getting ready for the aftermath can help take up some of the next few weeks, stocking up on things to keep you occupied, etc.  I really recommend a shower seat of some kind.  It really helps when you can't bend your leg. 

Just remember this is a marathon, not a sprint for recovery and sometimes it seems like you're not moving forward even when you are.


Good Luck
Diana

[hopalongjo]

As far as I know it's just ACI - I wasn't told there was anything else involved. Here's hoping it will be one of the easier recoveries 

I think I've more or less got everything I need now - shower seat and raised toilet seat amongst other things, not forgetting two children having a crash course in cooking! I've cooked for the freezer, got a number for a cleaning company and handing front door keys to all willing takers 

I read somewhere on here that you have to judge how you're recovering in terms of weeks or months, not days, so I will have to remind myself of that frequenty I'm sure.

I'm hoping I've managed to change the title.....

[casey2291]

Hi,
Good luck with your surgery.  The one thing that I learned is that as you recover it is best not to compare your progress to the progress of everyone else on the board.  I too read every post op diary on this board regarding ACI and I often compared myself to everyone else.  At times, it seemed that I was behind in my recovery and I would stress myself out thinking that my surgery was not going to be a success.  In the long run, it turns out that my new cartilage turned out good, even if it seemed that I was always a step behind every one else in my rehab.  It is a hard recovery, but the end results are worth it.  Let us know how things turn out.   

[hopalongjo]

Thanks for the good wishes Diana and Casey - I will post again when I've had it done 

[hopalongjo]

Well, I made it home yesterday and am now 4 days post-op. The good news is that I am PWB instead of NWB which I was  told before the op. I didn't have to have a cast for 3 days either.

The hospital stay was good and not so good...the nurses were fantastic - really couldn't have been more helpful. I had been moved to a rehab ward post op because my bed was needed for a male patient.  The trouble with that was that I was away from any other patients having had similar ops and I can't be certain, but I felt I had been overlooked by the doctors and physio.  I should have been fitted with the brace on the day after the op but the doctor forgot to order it and physio didn't know I existed. The doctor, having been reminded by the nurses, filled out the form to order the brace, but didn't send it to the right department, so still no brace. Two doctors came round to see me on the Thursday morning (now 2 days post op) to ask me how I was feeling. I expressed my concern about not having seen a physio or brace and they got things moving.  Physio came to fit the brace and left me rapidly telling me she wasn't part of my surgeon's team, so that was as much as she could do! I still hadn't been out of bed at this stage other than to use a commode. So there I lay for the best part of that day in the brace. At about 4pm that day 'my' physio arrived and told me the brace had been fitted incorrectly and they needed a new one  .  Fortunately she managed to find the physio who fitted it and she managed to adjust it without the need to wait for another new one.

Now it gets better thankfully.....with the brace correctly fitted I was shown how to walk which opened up a whole new world for me. I could get to a toilet! (with assistance  ) The following morning I tackled steps and then felt confident enough to go home.

I'm on that steep learning curve at the moment trying not to become too frustrated with myself, other people and everything else everywhere lol!! I've managed to have a shower today which has made a big difference to how I feel in myself.

I have to do 15 x heel slides and 15 static quads every 2 hours which I'm struggling with, but doing as much as I can but not yet brave enough to hang my leg over the arm of the chair yet. The doctor said I could do that, but the physio didn't mention it, so not worrying too much about that yet. I should be going to physio next Friday and the brace should be unlocked then.....onwards and upwards.......

[thevoice]

Hi mate,

Glad to hear your on the mend, I have a couple of questions to ask if you dont mind.

How long did it take for you to see someone at the RNOH from your initial referal to them?

When you first saw someone at the RNOH how long approx was the appointment and did you have X RAYs/MRIs the same day

How long from that first appointment at the RNOH did it take to go under the knife for first stage

and lastly was your defect on the weight bearing part of your MFC? and did they say why you could PWB as oposedto NWB?

sorry so many questions, cheers

[hopalongjo]

Thinking back, these would be approximate times/dates:

From initial referral from local hospital to RNOH - 3 months

Saw Mr Skinner at 1st appt for about 20 mins. I did feel rushed as he was running 1 1/2 hours behind...this is not uncommon    - take a good book. I had x-rays taken before seeing him. I was there for my left knee, not the one I've just had done.

Following appts are done by Registrars with x-rays each time to monitor how things are going. At the time my left knee joined in they arranged an MRI - took 1 week to get appt and 3 months for the results!! Because it only showed soft tissue swelling but not the reason for it I had a scope and was offered that within a week which I refused and requested it a month later which was accommodated. They said they have to offer the scope within 12 weeks.

After the scope I had to wait 6 weeks for the ACI. So, in total if you count from when the right knee became enough of  a problem for me to want to do something about it,  from start to finish it would have been about 5 months.

Hope that makes sense..I'm still on Tramadol 
5 months.

[hopalongjo]

Sorry, forgot to answer all the questions..

I'm assuming it must have been a NWB part of the MFC . When the docs come to see you....eventually... it's all very rushed and because there were issues to deal with about the brace and lack of physio I didn't think to ask that question. I think I was also just glad I could PWB.  Add to that the Oromorph and the right questions are neither here nor there  I'm due back there in 6 weeks where I'll ask more.

What stage are you at?

[thevoice]

I was refered tothem about a week ago, I was hoping to have the op just after summer as i have some commitments over that peroid which would be hard to do with the recovery thats involved with this op.

Thanks for answering the questions and keep us updated on your recovery.

[dileigh]

Welcome to the other side- it always seems weird to me that some doctors don't do a CPM. Heel slides just don't seem to be the same, but it works apparently.

Good luck with the start of your rehab


Diana

[hopalongjo]

Thank you Diana...tell you what though, the language is more fruity on 'the other side'  I don't think my kids knew I knew such words. I just got into bed and didn't do it quite right  I lost the support I was giving with my good leg and my bad one slipped down to the floor too fast.

I know they use CPMs at RNOH if you get into problems later during rehab but not as routine it seems.

[Room 101]

Congrats on Getting through the surgery and on to the recovery.  Hope you continue to progress well.   Keep us posted

Room 101

[Gibbon35]

Good luck with everything. Sounds like your doing well and up beat which is always a damn good start with this.   

G