Lessons Learned

I have been lucky enough to do a few things right that I didn't expect would matter so much and I have also just figured a few things out along the way. This is different from my checklist. These are my lessons learned (a.k.a. things I would have liked to know beforehand).

#1 - This Will Suck. The first few days were quite painful. In fact, the first 2 1/2 weeks were pretty awful. You have to be prepared for just how awful it will be, both in planning and mentally. However, it only stays that awful for 2-3 weeks. Then, if things go smoothly, suddenly it isn't so bad.

#2 - Know How to Use Crutches. Get confident on them. If you have stairs in your home, learn how to go up and down them with crutches. Figure out how to get and out of your bathtub or shower. I am talking more than a dry run. Use them until you are comfortable and confident. Practice with your leg in a normal position (slightly bent, held in front of your body), in a locked brace position (straight, able to move forward with the crutches on each step), and in a totally weak position (straight, unable to move your leg forward at all - this is more of a shuffle). I went through all three.

#3 - Quad Sets. Practice these until you can isolate the quad muscle and just do the exercise without moving your foot or pressing your knee down (two different methods used to show people how to activate the quad). If you haven't been to PT yet and don't know how to do a quad set, then here is a video showing how. Not only will your quad benefit from any strength you build up before the surgery, but it will be 1000 times harder to do the exercise after the surgery. It's only 100 times harder if you have practiced a lot (and I do mean a lot).

#4 - Stockpile Entertainment. I watched all 7 seasons of the West Wing in the first two weeks. Then I watched two seasons of Burn Notice, one season of Leverage, and one season of The Closer. Now is the time to borrow books, movies, and TV shows on DVD from your friends and family. Do not leave yourself to the mercy of daytime television!

#5 - Get Help. For the first week at home, if you can have someone there to help you all day then do it. For the next 2-3 weeks after that, try to have someone stop by once a day for an hour or two. You can't do laundry. You can't cook. You can't go to the store. Even if you get something delivered, you can't get the stupid box inside the house because you can't pick things up with crutches. That's just the sheer logistical side. Add in that every time you get up it's painful and you just need help. Accept it and plan for it.

#6 - Track Your Pills. When I came home from the hospital, I was taking 5 pills and one injection regularly at intervals ranging from 3-24 hours. It was extremely common for me to forget if I took something. I recorded everything I took so there was no question. This was helpful for setting my mind at ease and preventing dangerous mistakes (since usually the answer was yes, I did take it). There is no way I could have gone without a log.

#7 - Bend Your Leglifter. This may not be important for everyone, but I was very happy once I figured this out. The leglifter is a great little device, but every time I used it I felt almost as though I was putting weight through my knee. Eventually, I bent the head of the leglifter so I was pulling the foot up (GR2 for feet), instead of towards me (GR2 also for feet). In the early days of maximum suckage, this little realization helped a lot.

#8 - You Will Be Tired. This might manifest itself differently for others. I don't sleep well at night, and during the day I can easily get completely exhausted by simple acts, like bathing. I have taken quite a few serious naps. As I am slowly getting stronger, the need for naps has subsided but I do still tire very easily.

Since this is more of a reference post, I will add more as I think of them. I probably still have more to learn!