Tag Archives: knee surgery

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The big day was yesterday.

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Up at 3:00 am to shower, pack a lizardless bag and drink that nasty clear Ensure. Blech.

Arrived at hospital 6:00 am. It’s small as far as hospitals go but I love the larger staff to patient ratio and they’ve always treated us well.

Given a private corner room with en suite bath and peaceful wooded view. Ooh la la. I felt special.

Immediately began putting my male nurse to work.

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Ha!

He’s going to be a busy boy for a while.

Surgery at 8:00 am and all went well. Not to mention quickly. Supposed to take an hour and a half but I was done in 45 minutes. Thankfully everything else looked good and they were able to perform just the partial replacement.

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Laid in bed for a while to let the spinal wear off.

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My husband flipped out when he had a spinal a few years ago, feeling paralyzed and not able to move. For me? It was lovely. First time in 6 years I didn’t have knee pain.

😊

Once that exited my system it was physical and occupational therapy in the afternoon to make sure I could get around and dress myself. My leg buckled once ( a terrifying, out of control feeling I don’t recommend ) so they told me to lock my knee and step heel to toe when using the walker.

Bing, bam, boom… we were out the door at 4:30pm.

Home at 5:15 where I exited the car, used the walker to hobble to the kitchen landing, took one step up and felt my knee buckle again. Thank god the husband was right behind me because it was like someone pulled my plug. No control, just rubber. Bam! I crumpled and the husband caught me.

Thinking this knee surgery stuff sucks so far, I made it to the couch with my elevated wedge pillow and an ice pack.

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I think I live here now.

No pain… yet… but the stupid nerve block makes my calf so numb and weak I can’t lift it straight out or up. it feels paralyzed.

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Bought this silly leg lifter thing a while back thinking I’d never use it… but it’s a life saver right now.

Until the block wears off my husband is on 24/7 call. He’s been good but I don’t think he realized how many little things I do around the house every day….. and now that’s he’s doing them? I chuckle as I lie on the couch and give instructions..

😉

The sweetest part?

He had these delivered to our house while we were gone and I found them on the doorstop when we got home.

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Beautiful and perfect colors for the season.

He’s a good guy.

I think I’ll keep him.

❤️

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What a waste of time.

56 Comments

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The knee surgery saga continues.

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And at 62?

It’s time for replacement parts.

The husband and I (his presence was mandatory as my designated care giver) spent a mind numbing two and a half hours in a conference room at the hospital the other day, sitting through a class of pre and post op information I’ve already been given three times.

Seriously, the lecture and presentation were word for word identical to the large folder of material given to me by the orthopedist.

I’d say it was a complete waste of time, but I did learn not to pack a lizard in my bag….

So there’s that.

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And yes..

That was an actual part of the presentation.

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I sneaked a picture for the blog and earned a dirty look from the nurse.

If she holds it against me in the operating room? I’m blaming you.

🤣

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I have a date!

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No, I haven’t been scrolling Bumble or eHarmony…

But the orthopedist scheduler finally called and it looks like my crunchy pain riddled knee will be on the table by the end of October.

I’m happy to finally have a date, but still immensely frustrated with the process and our healthcare system in general.

I started this journey in January. Which means a nine month wait.

I waited 3 weeks for an appointment with my primary.

Waited 6 months for an appointment with the orthopedic PA.

Waited another month to see the orthopedist.

Waited almost another month to be scheduled.

Then two appointments at the dentist… so I could be ripped off to the tune of $3,500 …. for a clearance letter.

Followed by an appointment at the hospital for an EKG, MRSA swab and multiple blood tests.

Still to come?

A 2 1/2 hour pre op class.

An hour long pre op phone call with the surgical nurse.

An appointment with my primary… again… for another clearance letter.

A pre op appointment with the PA and an orthopedic nurse.

Then, finally… the surgery.

10 appointments in nine months for a partial knee replacement. When I had my full abdominal hysterectomy in 2015? It went like this – primary sent me to a gynecologist, gynecologist said you need a hysterectomy, 3 weeks later I had a hysterectomy. To my mind that was a major surgery and I zipped through it with ease.

This has been a nightmare in comparison. Though I’ve had friends tell me it’s taken them upwards of a year.

That’s just wrong.

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It damn well better be.

😉

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Ask me if I’m frustrated. Go on, I dare you.

58 Comments

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The journey toward knee surgery continues. Albeit slowly, like a three legged blind tortoise fighting a headwind.

I swear if I’d known it would take this long I would have started the process last year.

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Three weeks ago I finally saw the Great and Powerful Oz my orthopedist who told me the scheduler would be in touch.

Three.

Weeks.

Ago.

I’ve waited three weeks for someone to call and no, not very patiently. After the first week I called the scheduler, but no one answered. I continued calling through the second week and no one continued to answer. I left messages. Multiple messages. But no one called.

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In the middle of week three, I received a honking folder of information in the mail.

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Filled with pre op tips, pre op instructions…

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Even pre op exercises… for the op that hasn’t been scheduled yet.

Included in the packet was a list of hoops I’ll have to jump through before I finally get my poor aching knee on the table.

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So let me get this straight – I waited 6 months to see an orthopedic PA….who told me all about the surgery and recovery.

Then another month to see the orthopedist… who told me all about the surgery and recovery.

Three weeks after that I get a packet of papers in the mail…. that tells me all about the surgery and recovery.

And now? I have to take a 2 1/2 hour class… so someone can tell me all about the surgery and recovery – followed by a one hour phone call from a nurse…. who will tell me all about the surgery and recovery – ending with a second PA visit… so he can tell me all about the surgery and recovery.

Again.

What. The. Utter. Hell?

I’m not a surgeon, I get it.

But even for a lay person? This seems a trifle redundant.

Not to mention frustrating.

😡

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