| My Surgery |
| Discharge Instructions Antibiotic: Keflex Pain Medication: Tylox Rest, elevate leg, ice while awake, do not remove bandage,partial weight bearing with crutches, no lifting, no driving, diet as tolerated. Follow-up appointment 3 days later. Call if rise in temp. unusual bleeding, severe/unusual pain etc. |
| Post Op Follow-up Appt Moment of Truth! 1st time seeing knee. Swollen, no visual of patella but not that bad. Stitches will be removed in 1 week, lateral pad/cushion to remain in place, ACE bandage used to do this. Start physical therapy ASAP. Elevate and ice. Stop taking Tylox because of dizzines. Start using crutches as normal as possible. |
| 2nd Post Op Follow-up Appt Removal of stitches. Rub around incision area to avoid adhesions. Wear lateral pad for 2 more weeks, using ACE bandage to do this. Only remove pad only at physical therapy. Continue therapy and walking with crutches until limp is gone. Next appt in 2 weeks. |
| Day Before Surgery Figured it would be my last day to do anything so I got my room together, books, phone, bell :) made sure I had everything within reach. Also went out to eat since I wouldn't be doing that for a while. Chinese for lunch and Outback (cheese fries a must) for dinner. Then I awaited my midnight deadline for drinking and eating and went to bed. |
| Morning of Surgery Got my things together and tried not to even think of the surgery. Followed doctor's orders and removed contacts, nail polish etc. Went to leave for the hospital and of all things, my car wouldn't start! It occasionaly does that! So I got a ride from my neighbor and my mother said she'd meet me at the hospital. I was mentally fine until this moment. I became paniced becuase of the sudden change of events. |
| Pre-Op Arrived at the hospital approximatly 1 hour before surgery and went to the pre-op/post-op area. Nurse put an IV in and marked my right(good) knee with a big NO, until then I hadn't even thought about that surgery tale of operating on the wrong limb! After taking my vitals my mother had arrived. As we talked the nurse was trying to find out what to give me for an antibiotic. This was supposed to be taken care of during my pre-op visit but I guess wasn't. I'm allergic to amoxicllin so they had to find a subsitute. Finally they gave me some Keflex and the anethesiologist came in. Decided to have general anethesia and go to sleep. My OS came by and discussed the procedure and answered a few of my questions. Said bye to my mother and was wheeled away. Was talking to the nurse about great restruants in Boston and the anethesiologist came from behind and told me I would soon start to feel sleepy. Was playing with my IV behind me. We entered the operating room and I noticed a lot of people aroudn me but didn't see my OS. They transfered me to the table and took off my blanket. I commented on the freezing temperature in the room and asked the nurse to move a piece of hair from my mouth and that was all. I was out! |
| Post-Op I remember being cold and shaking. I heard someone's voice behind me say give her Demeral for the shakes. Someone put another blanket on me and felt a warm fan blowing inside the blanket. I then became aware that I was awake , didn't feel any pain and wanted to keep it that way, so I tried to fall back alseep. I heard a nurse tell someone to bring my mother back and then I decided to open my eyes. I looked down and noticed a large mound where my knee was supposed to be. Spoke with my mother, she told me what the OS had told her. The nurse came by with some Ginger Ale and I realized how thirsty I was. Told her I felt I was ready to leave but I wanted some pan medication before I left. She gaveme half a dose of something and I got dressed. To my amazement I wasn't in much pain and I could basically dress myself. Got in the wheelchair and went to the car. My luck it was beginning to rain! Scooted in the car and was off. I wasn't in much pain so we went and picked my neice and nephew, who were staying the night, up instead of having my mother go back out and get them. Got home and I felt good considering, thought the recovery would be a piece of cake! Got out of the car and stood with my crutches. At that point I relaized that I couldn't go forward. My hips had no forward momentum. I felt stuck! And the pain started rushing through my leg. That was when I realized this wasn't going to be easy. My nieghbor's brother and friends helped carry me inside my house and put me on the couch. After my mother came home with my prescriptions I decided it was time to make the trip upstairs, where I would stay until my follow-up appt with my OS. I felt embarrased for some reason and didn't want ot ask my nieghbors for help so it took about 20 minutes but I scooted myself up the stairs with the aide of my mother and neice holding my leg straight! Got upstairs, iced and elevated my leg, took my prescriptions and went to sleep! Later on that night I was brought up some food, ate and went back to sleep. |
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