MPFL Reconstruction 28June2011......2nd left knee surgery in 2 years

[Ibacavergrl]

BROTHER SNEAKING A PHOTO OF ME IN RECOVERY

[Suejs14]

Hey - nice pics!  you've got quite a knee there and a surgeon who sews instead of staples.  FYI I used baby-wipes to "wash" the orange surgical antiseptic off my leg . . . looks so much better when the leg is pinked up.

Hope you get outside to have a breath of fresh air and enjoy the weekend.  Hi and hugs to your brother as well.

Sue JS

[Doggus]

Wow.  That poor knee!  Hope you are feeling better than last week.

[Ibacavergrl]

So..update.  Sorry I have not been on, I have been busy. 

Pain is the same, no better.  I think my knee is infected.  Its hot and all the sutures are red, especially one of them that looks like it is bacly infected.  I have managed to squeeze some stuff out, but if it is infected, it is deep. Pain is crazy, and I barely can bend it.  I thought that it was supposed to be better by now???  Sleep is HORRIBLE and I only get about 2 hrs a night if I am lucky.  Cannot find a comfy position for my knee... and pain meds just dont work.

I have an appt with my Ortho tomorrow at 1030, and PT at 1445.  I am hoping that it is not infected, but what do yall think??


THIS IS THE ONE I AM REALLY WORRIED ABOUT, AND THE LUMP UNDER IT IS NEW AS OF 2 DAYS AGO.....

[Suejs14]

You might want to get yourself to an ER - knee looks dicey and waiting is a bad idea.  Let us know - please heed this advice - you don't want to mess with a post-op infection where bones are involved.

Take care and hustle to get yourself tended to.

[Ibacavergrl]

Which incision looks bad??

[Runner1993]

The bump worries me. Also, increased pain, warmth, and redness are signs of infection. What color was the stuff you squeezed out of your knee? Do you have a fever?

I would outline the redness in marker to monitor and see if it spreads. If you have a fever, I would definitely go to the ER. You do not want the infection spreading to the bones.

About 3-4 weeks after my surgery (after stitches were removed), I got raised a bump filled with blood and pus on one of my incisions. It popped by accident and leaked for a couple days. I was going to call my surgeon, but my physical therapist told me to just cover it and watch for spreading redness. The redness didn't spread, and I wasn't running a fever so I let it heal. Then, I got another one. I went to see my OS who said they were stitch abscesses, and I just had to watch for redness and fever, and clean it and cover it with ABD pads.

Good Luck!

[Ibacavergrl]

The stuff was yellow/whitish colored mixed with blood.  low low fever... although i dont call 99.5 a fever.....

And thanks to my dog jumping on me... he pulled the lower stitches on the inside of my knee....second pic right suture.....out and they halfway came undone... so much for army stitches... nice gash that is about an inch down now, but i bandaged it and see my OS at 1030 tomorrow

[Rknees4]

Ibcavergrl,
I would say YES on the infection, go immediately to see someone.  It needs immediate attention. The yellowish white stuff and low grade fever is a give away for infection.  Let us know how it goes.
Please take care,
Rk4

[Lottiefox]

I'm no medic but that looks infected to me. Plus you've now had a dog near an open wound. I had an infection after foot surgery...and it then turned into other complications. Trust me, the SOONER you start the right meds the better your chance of avoiding IV antibiotics or the infection spreading into the joint space and bone. You cannot mess with post surgical incisions and healing, get yourself checked out...

Lottie 

[Rknees4]

Thinking of you.  Hope they are getting you all fixed up Ibcavergrl.
Take Care,
Rk4

[Suejs14]

Hey, cavergrl,

Sitting here wondering how you are doing and wishing you good healing.  I hope the red, oozy swelling is gone and you're back on the road to recovery.

Sue JS

[Ibacavergrl]

Thx for the thoughts!  Well it was infected. They cut out and packed the area and left it to drain. They think it's an infection from the cadaver tissue, but I sure as he'll hope not!!  Will post more tomorrow. Been a long day in the hospital cleaning this knee!

[Suejs14]

Such nerve of that dead guy to have an infection that'd get to you!  I'm so glad you got it taken care of -(wherever it came from) it definitely looked nasty.  Take care, rest and heal.

Sue JS

[Ibacavergrl]

So I am 3 weeks post op, and i expected alot better healing than this.  I cannot go further than 20 degrees, and it is so painful when I stretch it out.  Most of the pain seems to be on the inside of my knee, and on the top.  Swelling has not gone down at all, and now that my brother is gone, I am alone at home and I do everything.  Its not bad, but I am guessing that is the reason y the swelling has not gone down.  1 of the 3 incision sites has closed up and healed, and the other 2 are open.  I see physical therapy only 2x a week for 3 weeks.  I do what I can at home.  The pain is intense, and I am pretty upset that the meds they have given me for pain do not work at all.  All that I get is a good high, and nothing more.  I really miss my husband alot, and I feel that I am sinking further into depression.  I can barely drive my own vehicle, get around the house, anything.  My dog is always at my side, and he constantly lays his head on my foot or my shin.  PT took my crutches and told me to keep the ROM locked at 0 when I walk, and to not pass 20 degrees.  I miss my crutches and I feel I have no stability at all.