Derotational Osteotomy + TTT - 10/20/2009

[WorkinWings]

I'd rather reflect on where I've come from, where I've been, and where I'm going.

That's the spirit! 
Thinking of you: first starved, then unscrewed....niiiiice!
You're in the best of hands. You know that Dr Sanders will definitely giterdone, and giterdone GOOD!
Can't wait to see your post-bionic-woman-but-ever-the-wonder-woman reports from the other side.
All the best,
A.

[crankerchick]

 

Thanks chica. You are definitely right, I'm in good hands. The best! I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks for the well wishes!

Apparently I'm quite the trouble maker. My legs are two different sizes and so we had to spend some time finding the right size and length TED hose. I'm so special I get to have 2 different sizes for my two legs. Last time was a bit of an ordeal finding the right length too LOL. I guess not too many 6'2" women come through here. My IV is flowing and I'm just waiting for my turn to go back.

In a few hours I'll be one step closer to pain free. It will just be all about doing my part to regain and improve my strength and flexibility. I'm closer to the end than the beginning, that is for sure. Nothing left to do but visualize success and then go get it.

Rock on folks, catch ya on the other side.

[Snowy]

Best of luck! I hope it gits done quickly and well and you're not in too much discomfort afterwards. If a positive attitude going in is any kind of marker for recovery, you'll do great. Will be sending you good thoughts today and look forward to hearing from you once you're on the other side.

[crankerchick]

Aug 31, 2010
Hardware Removal and arthroscopy
Day 0

Well folks, the deed is done. The hardware is out! I was taken to the OR around 1115 and I believe the surgery lasted for 2 hours, but I'm not certain. It's kind of hard to keep time when under sedation.

I was supposed to have spinal anesthesia but somehow ended up having general instead, so my throat is pretty scratchy and sore from the breathing tube.

The immediate post-op pain was unreal. Nothing like my previous experience. I believe I rated the pain 7/10 but that was being generous. My doctor's nurse was pretty mad that the anesthetist did not give me the spinal as indicated. THey had to give me some IV meds to get it under control. They have also made me stay the night.

I've been up and down the hallway with crutches. I'm WBAT. I've been doing straight leg raises (yes I can lift my leg!) and leg extensions and cannonballs every hour.

THe removal went well and my knee looked good. My patella cartilage is in good shape. Falling asleep now, but that's my update.

[Snowy]

Great news that the deed is done, but sorry to hear about the post-op pain. I hope that settles down overnight and you're feeling better by the morning.

Will you get the hardware to keep afterwards? I believe normally it gets disposed of as medical waste, but I do know one skier who kept the rod from her shattered tibia and made it into the centrepiece of a rather fetching windchime.

[Alyce]

Hi Crankerchick,

I am so sorry that your pain was not managed properly.  I can't imagine it being worse than the initial surgery.  I'll be sending healing thoughts your way, and just know that you'll be bowling 300 soon!

Best Wishes,
Aree

P.S. I'm definitely keeping my hardware once it's removed in November.  I'm framing it with a card with the Churchill quote,"Never, never, never give up."

[Lyndsey]

I'm so happy for you! Metal free is the way to be! I can't believe they didn't give you a spinal! That's pretty crazy, i'm sorry you were in so much pain afterward. I can't even imagine what the pain would be like waking up without an epidural. They had given me the choice between an epidural and general, and I chose the epidural. I'm glad I did!

Hopefully you'll continue to heal! I wish you a speedy recovery and all the best! Keep us posted!

Lyndsey

[crankerchick]

Thanks for the well wishes folks. Nice to sign in and see them.

So yeah, my doctor's nurse was pissed about the anesthesiologist not following the orders to give me a spinal. I could tell when I woke up with the scratchy throat that I had been on the receiving end of a breathing tube. It was rough, but some IV morphine qnd some physical therapy got it under control. PT showed up in my room as soon as they got me in there and got me up on the crutches and then doing the cannon balls and straight leg raises. I felt a ton better after that and had an uneventful night of dozing on and off and exercising. I took a few more trips down the hallway throughout the night.

Today I worked with PT again and then got showered up and then was finally released. That hospital was trying to hold me prisoner! I had to let them know that I had been released by Dr. Sanders and they needed to let me go! I had to stop in the clinic for xrays. Finally heading to the room now after we pick up my prescsription.

I'm headed home tomorrow. 3 hour plane ride, should be tons of fun. I've got all my exercises to do and will start on the bike probably Friday. I'm getting around on the crutches fine. I'm putting all my weight down and mostly just using them for balance. My ROM is 125 and holding. I'm so amped that I can lift my leg. I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to.

I already started rolling back the pain meds. I spread them out over 6-8 hours and took only 1 throughout the night. I have only had 1 today at the insistence of the nurse and my mother in law. It hurts but that is to be expected. I don't feel like the dope is helping so I don't want to take it.

Hope you all are having good knee days!

[crankerchick]

So it's post-op day 2 and I'm home from TX. It was a long day. My mother-in-law's flight left an hour before mine so I had I had to sit in the airport for 2.5 hours and then endure the the 3 hour flight home. The flight was delayed 15 minutes once we were on board too.

Sitting in the terminal was the worse. I had some ice, but no real way to elevate the leg. I used my backpack but it wasn't really high enough. I flew first class, so that helped with leg room and overall comfort. But the seat still dug into my side, causing some real pain on the femoral incision. I'm more swollen now, but whatever. I knew the flight would suck, it's a given. Just glad to be home now. Hooked up to the cryocuff and elevating with nothing but air under the knee.

It will feel good to sleep in my bed tonight. I was dying in the hotel bed. Crappy pillows.

I believe I can tell a difference in having the hardware out. It's hard to gauge right now, when everything hurts, but so far things seem better.

So my time in TX is over. I have to say, it was a blast, like totally the best time ever. Up until surgery, that is. But even that was for a good reason, and I couldn't have a better doctor or clinic taking care of me.

[Snowy]

So glad to hear that you're home! It sounds like all is going as well as it possibly could at this point. I have to admit I'm very impressed that you even attempted the flight so soon after surgery; I'm sure it wasn't fun at all.

Take care, and heal up well.

[Lottiefox]

Great to hear that you're home, I can only imagine that wait in the terminal and then the flight were....nasty....but all for a good cause and now you're hardware free the gains will just keep coming.

Take care, chuffed you're doing so well! 

Lottie xx

[crankerchick]

Thanks Snowy and Lottie. Yes, that flight was pretty crappy. But I had a few things going my way during the flight to make it a little bit more tolerable. I was a bit surprised my doctor said I could fly home 2-days post-op. Last time I had to stay for a week. After the pain I was in immediately post-op, he had the "we'll see" look on his face. Glad he still let me go, it feels great to be home.

Chuffed, LOL, hooray!

Day 4 post-op hardware removal

I just got back from my first trip to the gym since the hardware removal. It's always funny to see the looks on people's faces someone crutches into the gym wearing TED stockings and all bandaged up and then hops on a bike and rides. It's priceless. I once had a lady tell me seeing me in the gym on crutches made her feel like she had no excuse not to come in and work out.

I'm not a fan of the stationary bike at all, but I must say that was a most welcomed bike ride. I skipped the geriatric grandma recumbent and went straight for the upright. The first revolution was as tough as one would imagine But I got it around and it only took a few more revolutions and I was going. I ramped up the resistance and RPMs slowly until I got to my target heart rate.

The knee responded right away and loosened up nicely. Lots of creaking and cracking and popping. The thigh and the shin, well they no likey the bikey as much but oh well. Can't say it didn't hurt to ride, but it also felt good too.

After the bike I just did some stretching, core exercises on the ball, and some hip range of motion and glute activation exercises. One of them was always pretty painful to do for both the hip and and the medial part of the knee. The hip because of the snapping and the knee because of the screws. But hooray, I didn't feel that old pain today. Of course, a ton of other stuff hurt LOL but the hardware removal seemed to get rid of the old pain. I'm feeling pretty good about this removal. So far I can tell a difference for the better. I shall see for sure when I can do more.

My knee felt like jello when I finished, and is kind of achy now. My thigh is still feeling like it has been violently assaulted, but my shin and the muscle down the front of the leg (tibialis anterior??) is a bit looser now. I can almost pump my ankle through the full range of motion without pain. Right after the surgery, my shin was so sore, ankle pumps were not happening.

So that's it. Tomorrow, back at it for more biking. Everyday. Bike. For 1 hour. Yes! Fun! Did i mention I just looooove the stationary bike?

[Lottiefox]

Yay!!! Oh how I WISH you came to my gym in your TEDs, on crutches and pedalled for an hour.....I'd love it!! 

Good news on the reducing pain in the troublesome hardware sites. Whats the rehab protocol for post hardware removal? is it a case of on with what you've been doing or do you have some restrictions for a while? It must be great to think that this is it now...the leg doesn't have any nasties in it and can just get stronger....

Oh, BTW..have you thought of trying the bike? I think you'd like it....

Just make sure it isn't a dream bike....

Lottie xx

[crankerchick]

LOL nice find Lottie! I love icanhascheezburger.

I have to take it easy for a few weeks. Removing the screws weakens the bone as it leaves behind holes that need to fill in. I had 15 screws removed--8 from the tibia and 7 from the femur, 4 of which were taken from long part of the femur. So I do have some restrictions for a while, as my doctor wants me to be mindful of the weakness of the bone as the holes fill in.

I'll be riding the bike everyday just like after the last surgery, and doing the exercises I got from the physical therapist. Not sure when I'll be allowed to start back on the weight machines and things, but I'm sure plyometrics and more impact stuff will be restricted for 6 weeks. Since I'm not going to do formal PT this time, I plan on just taking it a few days at a time and just communicating with my doc and/or his people on what I can do as I go.

It feels weird not to be working out though, I gotta say. This time last week I was jumping around, going up and down 20 floors of stairs, and shooting baskets. But I have a good feeling that when i get back to those things this time, I'll be able to do them pain-free!

[Turtlebug]

Oh, how I hate the "grandma geriatric recumbent" bike.  This is what the trainers have me use - The recumbent is nothing more than a "leg burning device to torture my legs" - their words and so true.  It loads the glutes and quads.  I don't want to cry "Uncle" - I want to SCREAM "Uncle"!.  They have me doing a workout with changes in intensity from level 10 to 19 (out of 20) - maintaining a minimum speed per level of intensity - and doing upper body weights at the same time. I like to think of it as one stop shopping. 

On "off" days - I will use the upright.  For me now, the upright at the same level of intensity almost feels "easy".  Strange how that works.