Wow.......So I cant believe I have survived 2 weeks since surgery. Honestly, its been a couple rough weeks but I definitely feel Im on the upswing! :)
I had my first post op appointment where they removed about 25-30 stitches. It was a little traumatic but I was really happy to see they used the incision scar from my ACL surgery a couple years ago. This means I have only 1 gigantic scar down the front of my knee. They also told me that I had 4 defects, not the 2 they saw previously on the MRI's. They used all of the cells that had been sent and also took this opportunity to realign my knee cap and cleaned up the remaining pieces of cartilage that were still causing damage under there. I love my doctor by the way and as I was waking up from surgery said something along the lines of my knee isnt looking too young anymore. Oh well, as long as I can get back to walking and riding my bike (like I used to) I'll think Im doing pretty good. The doctor also told me I can touch my toe down (25%) to stabilize if I need to. My next appointment is in 2 weeks. At that point they'll release some of the angle on my brace and said I should be able to put my foot down about 50%. This would continue every 2 weeks until I am walking with crutches, then I will start physical therapy. The removal of the stitches allows me to shower (by myself) without my husband sitting outside the shower holding my braced leg straight out so it doesnt get wet......a little uncomfortable for all of us! The showers have made me feel much better and Im starting to get around the house better too. Im looking forward to the next appointment because I think I'll be able to drive after that.
Im still on the CPM machine and currently at 75% increasing 5% a day. I had quite a bit of trouble yesterday around the 70% mark and had to back it down quite a few times. Today, I was concerned moving towards 75% but the stretch happened pretty quickly and I didnt have as much trouble as I thought I would. I am definitely concerned with the amount of muscle mass Ive already lost in my leg; in my hamstring, quad, and calf. When the time comes, Im afraid walking is going to be pretty tough.
Overall, a pretty good week!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
ACI Recovery......Week 1
So, Ive survived my first week of recovering from ACI surgery. I have to say its been a pretty rough week but feel much better on day 7 than I thought possible! :)
Ive thought alot about my initial questions about the surgery and if theres anything I wish I would have asked ahead of time. The answer is no. My doctor is fabulous and thoroughly explained everything I would be dealing with. There not much he can do about my reactions to pain and anesthesia. I had 2 large defects implanted and the doctor took this opportunity to clean up all the misc debris and realigned my knee cap. So far, Im not sure what the incision looks like and to be honest Im pretty scared. I know vanity doesnt mean much at this stage of the game......but you know! I did have my husband take before pictures which I'll upload when I can get to his camera and once my bandages are removed.
The best of week 1: allowing the accompanying ankle surgery to wait until sometime next year (the pain would have been unbearable), making sure my sister was here to take care of me for the first 5 days, how great my husband and son have been through this whole ordeal.........thats about it! lol!
The worst of week 1: not allowing the doctor to prescribe the strongest pain killers possible (of course I was taking percoset until day 3 and then did not think I would make it), and trying to get past the whole dry shampoo thing.........cause your hair just looks like crap!! lol!
I began the CPM on day 3 and started at 30 degrees for 6 hours. I have increased 5 degrees every day and have my first post-op appointment in a couple days. Im anxious to get the ice machine off and take a look at the damage. I was really freaked out a couple days ago I accidentally touched my toe down. I was devastated and scared to death that I would have gone through such a rough week to undo the surgery. It took a while for my husband to calm me down and he finally convinced me that if that were a possibility they would have kept me in the hospital. I'll chat with the doctor on Thursday and find out for sure.....but it was pretty darn scary!!!
Ive thought alot about my initial questions about the surgery and if theres anything I wish I would have asked ahead of time. The answer is no. My doctor is fabulous and thoroughly explained everything I would be dealing with. There not much he can do about my reactions to pain and anesthesia. I had 2 large defects implanted and the doctor took this opportunity to clean up all the misc debris and realigned my knee cap. So far, Im not sure what the incision looks like and to be honest Im pretty scared. I know vanity doesnt mean much at this stage of the game......but you know! I did have my husband take before pictures which I'll upload when I can get to his camera and once my bandages are removed.
The best of week 1: allowing the accompanying ankle surgery to wait until sometime next year (the pain would have been unbearable), making sure my sister was here to take care of me for the first 5 days, how great my husband and son have been through this whole ordeal.........thats about it! lol!
The worst of week 1: not allowing the doctor to prescribe the strongest pain killers possible (of course I was taking percoset until day 3 and then did not think I would make it), and trying to get past the whole dry shampoo thing.........cause your hair just looks like crap!! lol!
I began the CPM on day 3 and started at 30 degrees for 6 hours. I have increased 5 degrees every day and have my first post-op appointment in a couple days. Im anxious to get the ice machine off and take a look at the damage. I was really freaked out a couple days ago I accidentally touched my toe down. I was devastated and scared to death that I would have gone through such a rough week to undo the surgery. It took a while for my husband to calm me down and he finally convinced me that if that were a possibility they would have kept me in the hospital. I'll chat with the doctor on Thursday and find out for sure.....but it was pretty darn scary!!!
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