Another trip to the orthopedist. Seems like if I am not at home, I am there. But that is going to change. Soon. My surgery is scheduled for Friday, and after that, I am done with that place except for 3 more visits. After 10 days, I have a follow up to get the stitches removed and start a rehab regimen. Then there is a 6 week appointment to talk to the surgeon and examine progress. The in 3 months, there is another follow up and evaluation, and then I think I am done with that place.
I am not upset with them, not at all. I think I have simply run out of willingness to actually go there. Every room, and I have been in a few of them, looks exactly the same. EXACTLY. It's uncanny, even the crap on the identical tables is identical, and spaced the same distance apart. When I am in there, I feel like I am in some sort of Groundhog Day doctor's office. The only difference is the time in which I am in there, and I have to say, when I have a meeting, I get there on time, not a half hour late. I know, Mr. Doctorface, you have a way more important life than I do. I am a meager patient who can wait while you do whatever the hell it is that you are doing. At least have someone tell me that there is going to be some sort of delay, they give you that much at the damn airport. I would think that there are enough nurses and other staff around that one of them can pop their head in and give me a status report. Instead, I am stuck in a room that looks and smells sterile and my mood is growing more and more impatient.
My surgeon looks like an older Dr. Turk. That's kind of awesome.
I got the rundown of my post-op timeline. I have to be in a knee immobilizer that runs from my hip to my ankle for 3 days. That means I am essentially useless to society, even more so that I already am or have been for the last 31 years, for a few days after the operation. During that time pooping is going to be, we'll say, an interesting proposition. Can't wait for that. During that time, I have to have a couple of things attached to me.
Not in my ding-dong. Nothing in my ding-dong.
Attached to the immobilizer is a machine that is going to cool my leg down for 2 days straight in order to reduce swelling and pain. I am going to get a bag with a tube also inserted into my leg to reduce pain. I am going to get pills to reduce pain. I have booze to reduce pain. Pain management is the key to this whole experience. Apparently, the operation isn't going to be notches fitted together in the knee, rather it is going to be a tunnel drilled into my femur and tibia. The new ligament is going to come from a dead person's ankle, and attached to that is a barb that will attach to the bone. Think the back of an arrowhead. After 12 weeks, the bone will grown back and fuse to the little piece of metal.
But that is in the future. After 3 days, I can start to put a little pressure on the leg again, and take that insane brace off to try to bend the knee, at least a little bit. They want to get the patient up at going again, so they want you to be brave and try stuff incrementally. The doctor told me to move it as I can tolerate it. There is going to be a lot of swelling, and I am going to have to work with that for about 6 weeks until both of my legs look like they should.
After 10 days, I have a follow up with the Assistant, who will take out the stitches and set up physical therapy. At that point, I can move around a little bit, but I have to have the immobilizer on whenever I do try to move about, even in my apartment, for 2 weeks. Hello sponge bath. But I can start to drive after about 10-14 days, so long as I can manage the pain and brake hard if I have to. I might try to practice in a parking lot like a 16 year old with a learner's permit, just so I can test the durability of my knee.
There is a long rehab and PT period and I am not going to be 100% for at least 6 months. But I feel a lot better about the recovery process than I did yesterday, or any day after the injury. I just have to be careful not to push myself too hard too fast. I have to remember to wear a brace when I am out and about, especially in the space after I get to remove the immobilizer and before the 3 month benchmark.
At least I have a timeline now. And I can get this crap over with.
SD
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