Before blissfully allowing me alone to sleep, I was informed that I had to start using the CPM machine at 11:00 that night. Just before 11:00, my husband rejoined me in the private room to help me through that first night. He brought movies. :)
Getting into the CPM was okay, but it was somewhat painful. I kept pushing it away from me to try to get more comfortable but that only made the position worse. It especially hurt when fully straightened. As wonderful as the nurses were, I don't think they were confident in CPM positioning so they kept letting me make it worse. I finally found a fairly comfortable position, though it was very incorrect, and got through those first two hours.
This is where the night got interesting. The nurse and technician got me out of the CPM machine and allowed my leg to rest straight in the bed. I don't know if was the bad positioning of the CPM or if was just the effect of movement, but I was quickly overwhelmed by a level of pain which I had never experienced nor imagined. The best way I can describe it is that my brain whited out. I wasn't aware of anything but the pain and when I did remember to breathe, it came out as hyperventilating. The worst was that writhing made me move my leg which started fresh waves of pain. I didn't know that level of pain existed.
At any rate, they increased my pain medication and eventually I was able to regain myself and rest.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Another Perspective
Writing about the day of the surgery is strange. I read back over it and don't feel like I have actually said anything. I slept through most of the major events! In that spirit, I asked my husband to relay part of the day himself. Here is his account of a highlight: meeting with Dr. Trice after the waiting was over.
Family Waiting Room
Although Dr. Trice, Allison’s surgeon, had scheduled for eight hours, the surgery ‘only’ took about four and a half. At around 3:30, Dr. Trice came into the waiting room and found our two families (Allison’s mother and both my parents had come to visit) waiting for any news. Even through one of the many assistant nurses had called a few times during the procedure to keep me informed of her progress, I was looking forward to hearing from him. He looked understandably tired, and even though I expected it, my attention kept getting drawn to the small splatters of red that stood out against the green surgical scrubs.
After meeting the family, he explained how he found the condition of the cartilage and generally what the gist of the procedure was. He produced two pages of pictures, the first a series of four images (1 2 3 4 Warning: GR 5 for all of them) outlining the current damaged area. In these he pointed out that the surgical probe was able to easily puncture the cartilage; it looked like the consistency of curdled milk. The second page was a series of four images (1 2 3 4 Warning: GR 5) outlining the steps taken in the procedure. These pictures were the most striking, and he explained that he was able to clean out the impacted area, and implant the cultured cartilage under a thin membrane of organic material. From my obviously untrained eye, the remaining tissue looked a great deal healthier than the damaged cartilage.
Additionally, Dr. Trice shared with us a series of images from what I assumed was a successful procedure. In these, a picture stunningly similar to Allison’s damaged area was compared to the same knee after the patch had dissolved. The new cartilage was silky smooth, like an overly polished piece of pure white marble. He reminded me again that this procedure had a 70 percent chance of success, so nothing is guaranteed. Although, when compared to the option of having done nothing, I will take a 70 percent increased chance of getting a result like that. Dr. Trice wrapped up by saying Allison was coming out of the anesthetic well, and that it would be a few hours until they moved her into her room.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Details
So obviously it has been a few crazy days. I will try to relay as much as I can, but it will take several entries.
Surgery Day
My husband and I got up early and got to the hospital on time. I had to wait for about an hour as they had a full schedule and there was more than enough time allotted for my preparation. I cooled my heels in the family waiting room and got to see where my husband and mother would be waiting. It was a nice room with a monitor that provided updates on patients by their numbers. The room had a view of the Baltimore harbor and you could actually see the USS Comfort docked out there.
At 9:30 they called me back and I changed into a hospital gown. Soon a series of people started streaming in asking the standard questions about any complicating factors. Dr. Trice came by and signed the correct leg for surgery. He asked if I had any questions, but the way he looked at me I could tell he knew we had been through everything and there was just nothing left to discuss. This was it.
The operating room had been booked for eight hours. While we knew it would be a while, that was still a shockingly long time. My husband and mother would be given updates from inside the operating room every few hours and they could leave the waiting room (or hospital) and still get updates as long as they left cell phone numbers.
The surgery was scheduled for 11:00 and we headed back there just a few minutes after. When the operating room doors opened the first thing I saw was the smile of Holly, Dr. Trice’s surgical nurse who I had spoken with at every appointment leading up to this. She knew how glad I was to finally be there. I am not sure how often patients are that happy about surgery.
They moved me over from the pre-op bed to the operating table, which was very narrow. They swung in arm rests with foam egg crate padding and began strapping me down. They put a mask over my face and told me to breathe deep. I went out like a light.
After
Things went smoothly and they were able to finish in 4 ½ hours. I woke up in the recovery room in a more comfortable bed and in some pain. I actually came out of the anesthesia much smoother than I expected. I read a lot about others having nerve blocks, but I don’t think they did that with me. My painkiller was in my IV and I had a morphine pump that I could use once every six minutes.
The recovery room is basically where they take you to wake up. Family isn’t allowed in there and I don’t really remember much, so this part is hard to write about. About all I remember is that the recovery nurse did notice my pretty toes and got a kick out of them. :)
When I was clearly stable they took me to my room in the Wenz Orthopedic Wing and brought my husband and mother up to join me. The room was gorgeous! It was big, had hard wood floors, a few chairs, and a sofa that folded out into a bed. It looked like they hired the same designers that Westin uses. I saw all this in the morning though, because my eyes were closed. I was alert, but just had no interest in opening my eyes. After seeing me get settled in, my family left since all I wanted to do was sleep. I got right to that.
Surgery Day
My husband and I got up early and got to the hospital on time. I had to wait for about an hour as they had a full schedule and there was more than enough time allotted for my preparation. I cooled my heels in the family waiting room and got to see where my husband and mother would be waiting. It was a nice room with a monitor that provided updates on patients by their numbers. The room had a view of the Baltimore harbor and you could actually see the USS Comfort docked out there.
At 9:30 they called me back and I changed into a hospital gown. Soon a series of people started streaming in asking the standard questions about any complicating factors. Dr. Trice came by and signed the correct leg for surgery. He asked if I had any questions, but the way he looked at me I could tell he knew we had been through everything and there was just nothing left to discuss. This was it.
The operating room had been booked for eight hours. While we knew it would be a while, that was still a shockingly long time. My husband and mother would be given updates from inside the operating room every few hours and they could leave the waiting room (or hospital) and still get updates as long as they left cell phone numbers.
The surgery was scheduled for 11:00 and we headed back there just a few minutes after. When the operating room doors opened the first thing I saw was the smile of Holly, Dr. Trice’s surgical nurse who I had spoken with at every appointment leading up to this. She knew how glad I was to finally be there. I am not sure how often patients are that happy about surgery.
They moved me over from the pre-op bed to the operating table, which was very narrow. They swung in arm rests with foam egg crate padding and began strapping me down. They put a mask over my face and told me to breathe deep. I went out like a light.
After
Things went smoothly and they were able to finish in 4 ½ hours. I woke up in the recovery room in a more comfortable bed and in some pain. I actually came out of the anesthesia much smoother than I expected. I read a lot about others having nerve blocks, but I don’t think they did that with me. My painkiller was in my IV and I had a morphine pump that I could use once every six minutes.
The recovery room is basically where they take you to wake up. Family isn’t allowed in there and I don’t really remember much, so this part is hard to write about. About all I remember is that the recovery nurse did notice my pretty toes and got a kick out of them. :)
When I was clearly stable they took me to my room in the Wenz Orthopedic Wing and brought my husband and mother up to join me. The room was gorgeous! It was big, had hard wood floors, a few chairs, and a sofa that folded out into a bed. It looked like they hired the same designers that Westin uses. I saw all this in the morning though, because my eyes were closed. I was alert, but just had no interest in opening my eyes. After seeing me get settled in, my family left since all I wanted to do was sleep. I got right to that.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Home again, home again, jiggity-jig!
I just came home this afternoon and wanted to let everyone know I am doing fine! I will post more details tomorrow once I get some rest. Thanks for all your support!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
S-day
Today is the big day. I am supposed to be there at 8:00 am and my surgery begins at 11:00 am. Thank you so much for all the good wishes!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Final Countdown
Now you have that song stuck in your head, right?
So today is my last day. I finished handing everything off at work yesterday and gave some treats to my wonderful team to thank them for putting up with me. I am certainly not the only one this injury affects. It was kind of sad leaving. I will miss everyone.
I did get my pre-surgery pedicure this weekend! My toes remind me of cupcakes with sprinkles. (I give the picture a GR of 2 only because some people have a thing about feet.)
Stepping off the Ryzolt has been unpleasant. It is a 12-hour pill so I am taking it once a day now instead of twice. Since I am not ahead of the pain, it never really calms down. Oh well. It will be worth it to not have to go through that withdrawal again.
The instructions I received from pre-op said they will call today to tell me what time my surgery will be tomorrow. I am waiting by the phone. They said that since they are a trauma hospital, they can only schedule things so far in advance. A friend of mine had her hip surgery rescheduled at the last minute recently and she was so frustrated. I totally understand! You get so worked up with anticipation. I don't think my surgery can be rescheduled though. Once the cells are ready and delivered, they have to be used immediately.
Adding a few more things to my list that I picked up over the weekend:
- Back pillow (the kind with arms)
- Bed tray
@ Jenn - My mother used to swear by Arnica gel! I haven't thought about that in years.
So today is my last day. I finished handing everything off at work yesterday and gave some treats to my wonderful team to thank them for putting up with me. I am certainly not the only one this injury affects. It was kind of sad leaving. I will miss everyone.
I did get my pre-surgery pedicure this weekend! My toes remind me of cupcakes with sprinkles. (I give the picture a GR of 2 only because some people have a thing about feet.)
Stepping off the Ryzolt has been unpleasant. It is a 12-hour pill so I am taking it once a day now instead of twice. Since I am not ahead of the pain, it never really calms down. Oh well. It will be worth it to not have to go through that withdrawal again.
The instructions I received from pre-op said they will call today to tell me what time my surgery will be tomorrow. I am waiting by the phone. They said that since they are a trauma hospital, they can only schedule things so far in advance. A friend of mine had her hip surgery rescheduled at the last minute recently and she was so frustrated. I totally understand! You get so worked up with anticipation. I don't think my surgery can be rescheduled though. Once the cells are ready and delivered, they have to be used immediately.
Adding a few more things to my list that I picked up over the weekend:
- Back pillow (the kind with arms)
- Bed tray
@ Jenn - My mother used to swear by Arnica gel! I haven't thought about that in years.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Checklist
I am assembling things that will be useful when I come home on Thursday.
- Rubbing Alcohol: to remove the iodine from my skin around the incision site.
- Toilet Seat Riser: Since getting up and down will be difficult with my knee locked. I looked at a few kinds and read that some people had trouble with the all-in-one models that included both a raised seat and handles for support. So, I just got the simple riser version and separately bought....
- Toilet Support Bars: These are supported by legs that go down to the floor, so they seem more stable.
- Leg lifter: I mentioned this one a while ago. It may be difficult to get in and out of the CPM machine on my own, and I am hoping this will help.
- Body wipes: I won't be able to shower for a few days but keeping clean helps tremendously with overall mood. I found these in the grocery store near the adult diapers, as they are marketed for people with incontinence. They will work for post-surgery care too!
- Dry shampoo: I haven't bought this one yet, but was informed I can get it at a drug store. It is like a mousse that you put in your hair to eliminate oil and make it feel a little fresher. It's not as good as washing, but better than nothing.
- Gold Bond Anti-itch powder: because spending too much time in bed irritates the skin.
- Gold Bond Anti-itch lotion: After my microfracture (MFX) surgery, my foot on the affected leg itched HORRIBLY and I could barely reach it. A little of this stuff felt like heaven! Note that I am not talking about the foot lotion that Gold Bond makes. That is a nice foot lotion, but it does not contain any anti-itch ingredients.
- Face Wipes: because standing at the sink to wash my face will not be comfortable for a long time.
- The Perfect Shoes: I had a pair of these that I wore all the time after the MFX, but they got pretty worn out. They are nice because they are lightweight and supportive, but what makes them perfect is that they are very easy for someone else to take off and put on. Reaching your foot is very hard! And yes, I did order them in purple.
- New curtains for the bedroom: because I will be in there a lot and want to spruce it up a bit. :)
- Non-medicated throat lozenges: because the breathing tube is irritating.
- An ottoman: I chose a round one that is 20" across. I like this one because it still isn't large, but it supports the length of my leg better than a small square ottoman. I have this under my desk in my home office that is on the same floor as my bedroom. When I can move around a little, I now have a comfortable and safe (no stairs) place to go. The ottoman is crucial. It took a while after the MFX before I could keep my leg in a non-elevated position for more than a few minutes. My foot kept turning purple! I would rather my shoes be purple, not my feet.
- Vitamin E lotion: I don't think it has been scientifically proven that vitamin E helps reduce the appearance of scars, but many people swear by it. Keeping the skin supple and healthy just doesn't seem like it could be a bad thing, so I will try it.
As you can see, I learned a lot from the MFX. The recovery for that is like a "lite" version of the recovery for ACI. It will be harder, but I am better prepared.
- Rubbing Alcohol: to remove the iodine from my skin around the incision site.
- Toilet Seat Riser: Since getting up and down will be difficult with my knee locked. I looked at a few kinds and read that some people had trouble with the all-in-one models that included both a raised seat and handles for support. So, I just got the simple riser version and separately bought....
- Toilet Support Bars: These are supported by legs that go down to the floor, so they seem more stable.
- Leg lifter: I mentioned this one a while ago. It may be difficult to get in and out of the CPM machine on my own, and I am hoping this will help.
- Body wipes: I won't be able to shower for a few days but keeping clean helps tremendously with overall mood. I found these in the grocery store near the adult diapers, as they are marketed for people with incontinence. They will work for post-surgery care too!
- Dry shampoo: I haven't bought this one yet, but was informed I can get it at a drug store. It is like a mousse that you put in your hair to eliminate oil and make it feel a little fresher. It's not as good as washing, but better than nothing.
- Gold Bond Anti-itch powder: because spending too much time in bed irritates the skin.
- Gold Bond Anti-itch lotion: After my microfracture (MFX) surgery, my foot on the affected leg itched HORRIBLY and I could barely reach it. A little of this stuff felt like heaven! Note that I am not talking about the foot lotion that Gold Bond makes. That is a nice foot lotion, but it does not contain any anti-itch ingredients.
- Face Wipes: because standing at the sink to wash my face will not be comfortable for a long time.
- The Perfect Shoes: I had a pair of these that I wore all the time after the MFX, but they got pretty worn out. They are nice because they are lightweight and supportive, but what makes them perfect is that they are very easy for someone else to take off and put on. Reaching your foot is very hard! And yes, I did order them in purple.
- New curtains for the bedroom: because I will be in there a lot and want to spruce it up a bit. :)
- Non-medicated throat lozenges: because the breathing tube is irritating.
- An ottoman: I chose a round one that is 20" across. I like this one because it still isn't large, but it supports the length of my leg better than a small square ottoman. I have this under my desk in my home office that is on the same floor as my bedroom. When I can move around a little, I now have a comfortable and safe (no stairs) place to go. The ottoman is crucial. It took a while after the MFX before I could keep my leg in a non-elevated position for more than a few minutes. My foot kept turning purple! I would rather my shoes be purple, not my feet.
- Vitamin E lotion: I don't think it has been scientifically proven that vitamin E helps reduce the appearance of scars, but many people swear by it. Keeping the skin supple and healthy just doesn't seem like it could be a bad thing, so I will try it.
As you can see, I learned a lot from the MFX. The recovery for that is like a "lite" version of the recovery for ACI. It will be harder, but I am better prepared.
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