Post op day 2
Well had the surgery Mon morning around 1000 or so. Had to be there at 0700. It was 2 hrs long, they put two wires and a screw to peice it back together. It was definately a displaced transverse fx, he said Im only the second person hes seen in the literature thats had this happen after patellar realignment surgery (the HTO/MPFL recon). I had another femoral plexus and sciatic block, they also gave me a general so they had to intubate me. I love when they do the block because it works so good but when it comes off its a nightmare. Especially when the staff isnt doing thier job. They ended up having to make another incision, they couldnt go through the old one so they did a midline insicion. I think what hurts the most right now is the incision, it feels like its burning. That and my thigh muscles are extremely sore. I stayed in the hospital overnight for pain control which they dont know how to do. I was hysterical most of the night with pain and they werent doing much to help. Finally the doc came in and gave me an extra shot of dilaudid and valium. The thing is dilaudid dont work for me, thats why they had to switch it last time to morphine. Finally about 4am he remembered that and switched it to MS. I started doing somewhat better but the pain was still out of control, grandmother tried everything possible to get me to calm down. I was still screaming and hyperventilating. Finally things started to calm down. I had been given the option of spending another night but if things were going to go on like they were I can be in pain and feel like shit at home. Anyway so I came home. Pain is seeming to stay under control, I think the thing thats helping the best is the cold pack, this ones called a biochill. Its a pad that gets filled up with cold water, you have to fill the ice chest looking thing with water and ice and it circulates the icewater around the pad and cools the knee. Last night I slept like a baby but when I woke up pain was out of control again, a lil while after I took the meds Im doing ok. Hes given me strict insturctions to not do much of anything this next 10 days, no excersises, dont worry about ROM, dont do any leg lifts, the only thing hes allowing me to do is ankle pumps to keep the swelling in check. He said hes giong to be very cautious and conservative with the therapy, its going to be a long drawn out recovery and rehab. Ive been looking on this website and the avg for doing leg lifts is about a month to 2 mos. and to get to be walking is about 3 mos. avg total time is about 4 to 6 mos to be relatively normal, therapy lasts about 6 mos though. By the time this is over it will be about a year that this knee has been giving me trouble or rehabing from something. I just talked to PT over at BAMC and they want me to stay there for PT because they want to keep a close eye on me and keep reigns on me. Im starting Dec 29, originally they wanted me to start the 19 but the reason so late is becausse my husband and I are giong on a trip and we wont be back till the 28th, surgeon knows about the trip so Im sure he wont have a problem with it. If anything he'll probably give me some home excersises till I can get into PT. Right now hes got me on Vicodin, Oxycontin and valium for pain control. I have to make sure I have enough meds for the trip. Wel Im getting tired and its lunch time, laters.
