Jessica's TTO and MPFL 1/25/11

[JessicaO]

Hey Guys,
Ive posted on here a few times...but Im starting up my post op diary today...
Surgery is tomorrow morning at 1030 am. Im more anxious than nervous.

I'll start with a little history, I think this helps people when reading posts to know a little background.
Around 8 years old my knee dislocated for the first time. I played sports, mainly softball but by the time i was in 7th grade both my knees were popping out numerous times a day..until finally i got surgery on my right knee. Im not even entirely sure what was done. something with a tendon and LR? Its kinda horrible i dont even know. So everything went ok except i cant bend that knee fully. (we were told the doc drilled a hole too close to the joint) another doc told us that when he did a scope on that knee. So anyways i got the left knee done about 6 months after the first. So i thought everything was great. no more dislocations! until one day my freshman year in high school...bam i slipped and it went out. That was about 10 years ago and since then both knees have dislocated numerous times. i have no idea how many times....to many to count. I have grade 4 arthritis ( at age 14)...and my main complaint for why i needed this surgery is because  my knee isnt aligned and its very difficult for me to go down stairs and upstairs. I also cannot run. I do not know if this surgery will help me with the running i just mainly want it to run on track. I will most likely need my left knee done too because its very lose and dislocates rather easily. 

The reason behind me waiting to get this surgery so long is because i was so scared nothing would work bc of the supposed mistakes that were made in the first surgery. I finally became serious about getting it fixed this year.... my mom found a doc in michigan that told me i need a partial knee replacement along with a TTT. Mind you I am 24. Sooo before i considered doing this i went to see a few docs in Chicago to see what they would think. Both said no way i should not get a partial knee replacement. So i found a doctor i trust and hes doing the TTO and MPFL reconstruction.

Yay for tomorrow...Im scared but Im sick of waiting for the surgery. I just want to get it over with in the hopes of it getting better...!

I will keep anyone who reads this updated daily! (I hope)

[kasia_ny]

Best of luck!  I will be thinking of you tomorrow. 

[Runner1993]

Hope your surgery and recovery is SUPER!

[mermaids]

Finding a surgeon you trust is so important.  Hope you are in blissful, drug induced, pain free state at this point. 

[JessicaO]

Hi Everyone!
Soo the 25th was surgery day, I am currently at Post op day 2. Ive been so sleepy with the medicine though i havent been able to write. Surgery day i was pretty anxious and just wanted to get it over with. The finally brought me back at about noon. I got a nerve block before the surgery and it wasnt numbing my leg that well. Then all of a sudden i was awake crying my eyes out. They asked me why i was crying and i said because i was in pain. I guess the block wasnt working. So i actually was given another one. That made me feel better. I was laying there for a quite a while. Then finally i got to see my parents. So before i got to go home i had to get up and use my crutches. that was pretty terrible. I was so woozy and dizzy. The PT was pretty rough on me. But i guess that was a good thing. I went up and down a few stairs too. Then they finally let me leave. I threw up a little in the car. Knock on wood i havent since. So then i got home and my boyfriend was there waiting for me He got me all kinds of good stuff.: vitamin water, ice cream! yogert and granola, magazines, flowers, and a little stuffed animal dog. (Hopefully we will get a real puppy in the summer!) so i pretty much just relaxed all night. pain wasnt too bad. that night sorta sucked though..i was in a lot of pain and didnt sleep too much. My mom has been setting her alarm and waking me up to give my meds every two hours. shes the best. couldnt do this without her. so yesterday and today there is pain but not that much. Going to the bathroom isnt too bad. I m just hopping the pain doesnt get worst. if it stays like this i think im be ok. last night i sorta was trying to bend it. but it was hard with all those bandages on my knee. i get to take them off tomorrow. Last night i slept good except my mom kept waking me for meds . but i would fall asleep right after that. Im pretty sleepy right now but the meds arent really making me loopy at all. Im gona go for now maybe ill write again later. THanks guys!

[mermaids]

Jessica, so glad to hear you are doing well.  For next few days, keep up with the meds.  It can take a day or two for the pain to kick in.  The nerve block has probably worn off by now, so those nerves are waking up.  Hopefully, those nerves won't be too grumpy.    Though I fought it, I am glad my OS insisted on at least one night in the hospital.  I could have made it home, but it was easier for everyone for me to stay one night.  If nothing else, it gave me time to wake up from the anesthesia more so I could really assess my pain level. 

Let people pamper you for a while.  Get lots of rest.  Your body has been through quite an ordeal and needs to heal. 

[JessicaO]

Post Op day 2
Im doing okay today. still havent showered or took off the bandages tomorrow. I have a little blister down on my calf. I dont even know how i got that. Is that something to be concerned about? Also how much bending should i be striving for? I just dont want to fall behind.

[mermaids]

Not to scare you, but when they take off the bandages, you just might see more blisters.  I had some really nasty looking blisters that did not heal for a long time.  Almost 5 months later, there are still some scars from the blisters.  There was also lots of bruising from the knee to the foot.  Many of us had pain in the ankle/foot a few days post op.  All that fluid moves around the lower leg, causing pain and ugly colors. 

I cannot speak to how much you should bend it.  My OS did not want me to bend it all unless I was with my PT guys for the first few weeks.  Due to my thin legs, he had to use smaller screws than usual and could not put them as deep as he would have liked.... so he was worried if I tried to bend it too much too soon, I might loosen the screws.  Since the cut and angle of my TTT was quite different, there was uncertainty about how it would heal.  At PT, they would only let me bend it until I felt the slightest resistance.  I was concerned about getting my ROM back, the team was not at all concerned.  I wouldn't push it too much until you talk to PT. 

[JessicaO]

Do you know what causes the blisters?

[mermaids]

Being quite squeamish about medical things, I did not ask what caused the blisters.  When I asked about all the bruises, my PT guy said it was probably best I not know too many details of what they did to my leg while I was knocked out.  Apparently, it is not a gentle procedure.    I agree with the PT guy, I don't really need to know.  Some of blisters were really bad because I am allergic to the steristrips. 

[KW]

Hi,

Most people get blisters due to allergies to the adhesive on things like steristrips, tape, bandaids, or tegaderm.  It's a pretty common thing to happen.  Don't scratch and maybe put a little antibacterial ointment on them.  Things should clear up in a few days.

I'll give you a simple answer on the bruises...when the cut to the bone is made there is bleeding.  It is something that the OS is looking for to know that he is at fresh bone stock which should heal nicely (or that was what I was told). 

You really can't base where your flexion "should be" based on the experiences of individuals on KG.  Everyone has a different post op protocol.  I was allowed 45* flexion directly out of the hospital and was WBAT - never on crutches for more then balance.  Others are not allowed any flexion and are NWB for 6 weeks.  Call you OS office and find out what YOUR protocol should be.

Best of luck.  Remember Ice and Elevation (above the heat) are your best friends right now.

Karen   

[JessicaO]

Post Op day 3!

So Im doing pretty good today. Slept well, my mom wakes me up every two hours for meds. I get oxicoton every 12 hours and norcon two hours after that then IB Profen after that and repeat. Its working good for me. My pain is controlled!

so me and my mom took off the bandages today. Not too bad. My biggest complaint is my ankle it is so swollen!! Is that normal? Its like more swollen than my knee! its making it harder to do my ankle pumps. I can really move the ankle upward.

Hopefully the swelling goes down soon

[Runner1993]

Hi Jessica, glad to hear your surgery went well!

I had/still have so much ankle swelling and today is 2-weeks post-op. I was at school all day today and even elevated at sitting level and I came home and my ankle was huge. Someone told me it looked like I broke it. I also have a ton of fluid/blood in my calf according to my physical therapist making it off-colored, bruised, hard, and swollen. It also makes my calf extremely tight so I try to move my ankle upward (point my toes towards me), but it's difficult. Just keeping moving the ankle and elevating.

Technically, how did the surgery go? How many screws? Did you have anteriorization and medialization? Did he have to do any additional procedures?

Are you WBAT, NWB, PWB? Do you have a hinged brace,immobilizer, or cyro-cuff?

I personally opted out of the nerve block when they offered me it. After difficulty with my IV, I didn't want any more needles!

Feel Better!

[kasia_ny]

Jessica,
You seem to be doing very well!  Now when the surgery is finally done, you can concentrate on getting better.

I had similar experience waking up from the surgery - I was in a lot of pain, crying and also throwing up from anesthesia.  My OS told me that the femoral block does not cover the whole TTO site - there is a part of the shin that is unaffected by the block.  Then I got more meds both into the block and into the IV and I felt better.

My ankle was also swollen and bruised more than my knee after the surgery.  It went away in less than two weeks.  However, I am not typical in terms of swelling - I swell much less than most people, according to my OS and my PT.   

I was doing ankle pumps ALL THE TIME!  I actually kept a diary of everything I was doing and all the meds I was taking (yes, I am a big dork!) and I was doing hundreds of them a day.  My OS actually told me to move both both of my feet, switching from one to the other, to prevent blood clots.

Take care and keep posting!
Kasia

[mermaids]

The ankle swelling sounds pretty typical.  Try to elevate your ankle above your heart to really get rid of that swelling.  It is not very comfortable to have your foot up in the air, but it helps.  The more you can move the foot, the better. 

Congrats on keeping the pain under control!