First Physical Therapy Session...

I stayed at my parent's house Thursday night so that it would be easier on everyone to drive me to my therapy session.

Kendra called me in around 9:30. The first thing she said to me was, "You survived the surgery!" I looked at her and thought, "If you only knew..."

Well, she was about to find out the truth.

As I made my way to a table, she commented, "Your moving pretty good." I told her I've had 9 days of practice on the crutches.

I then walked her through everything: Dr. Ramsey performed a lateral release, cut out all of the scar tissue, and removed one or more sutures. Also, he didn't have to repair the meniscus.

She said, "So what happened this week? You canceled your appointments because he wouldn't clear you?" I then told her about me doing exercises the first 3 days, and then being unable to lift my leg Saturday-Monday. Going to see Dr. Ramsey and the knee being enormous, and then him having to drain the knee.

"Do you know how much he drained?" I told her 40cc's. Her eyes popped out and she looked at me, "Oh my gosh! That's a lot!" She then said, "No wonder you couldn't lift your leg. That's a lot of pressure on that knee."

I showed her my pictures from the surgery, and she explained everything in even more detail than Dr. Ramsey. It was extremely interesting/informative. And, I learned something about that lateral release.

She said we're going to have to adjust some of the therapy because it causes "complications." She then went on to explain that it the kneecap is going to be a little more unstable since it's not connected to tissue on the outside of my leg.

I asked if this means I'm at risk for a dislocated kneecap... she said it's just the contrary. Because the kneecap was being pulled so far over by the tissue, it could have easily been dislocated had I experienced some sort of trauma.

We then unwrapped the knee because she wanted to see it. (Nosey Rosey!) She saw all of the stitches and swelling and said, "Well, you may not think so but it looks pretty good." I said she should have seen it on Monday and she said she could only imagine if he pulled out that much fluid and blood.

Speaking of, there are 4 little "marks" on the outside of the knee that she said is where he went in with the needle. So maybe he wasn't actually moving it around... it was him going in multiple times. Sheesh!

Then, it was time for work.

Most of the exercises I was familiar with - having gone through them prior to surgery. However, some were new. After about 10 minutes I was already sweating.

One exercise is very odd to me: I have to lie down and rest the heel about 8-10 inches above the ground on an object for 10 minutes. It sounds easy... but after about 5 minutes, I really start to feel it. The reason I'm doing this is my alignment is off. This helps to develop my muscles to straighten out. No wonder I walk with a "strut."

The final exercise was me walking over small cones. It was to teach my leg to come up from the toe and land on the heel... and then to lock the knee. After my first down and back, she had me remove my left crutch. I then had to go down and back 2 more times.

While I was doing that, I said it was very awkward and that I'm used to using the walker. Kendra asked if I'm on a walker for stability, and I said yes... and that it's just easier to get around with.

Then she wrote something down in my file... hence, the comic above (I saw that this week in the paper). How ironic...

My homework is to do my exercises all the time, 3 times a day... meaning, every 30 minutes I'm to do one of the exercises. The goal is to keep the blood flowing through the knee.

She also said that I'm to keep the knee unwrapped when I'm at home and I don't have ice on it. When I go out, though, it needs to be wrapped.

Oh, and she told me I'm to lose the left crutch. I need to be working on one crutch now... this puts more weight on the left leg, thus building up those muscles.

Believe me, it's not easy... NONE of it is easy... but I'm trying and adapting.

I go back to see her on Tuesday. Then Thursday and Friday.

One Big Fat Knee...

Tonight I was out on the deck with my Mom, and she wanted to see what was under the bandage.

So after the unveiling, this is what she saw: a pretty big knee with 5 areas containing about 10 stitches. (We're not exactly sure)

As you can see, the knee is still fairly swollen. However, it's definitely smaller than it was on Monday. I'm not kidding - it was huge!

Dr. Ramsey and his nurse both commented today how much smaller it had become.

On the left side is where we noticed 4 dark marks - at first we thought they were stitches. Upon further review: scabs.

Then it hit me - this is what Dr. Ramsey was doing on Monday. He was inserting the needle into these 4 places (and possibly one of his incisions) to draw out the blood and fluid. Wild!

If you were to touch it, the skin is very "spongy." You can tell there is still fluid under the skin... so hopefully in a few more days it will come down.

My Mom was like, "You can't even see any bone!"

Well, she didn't see it on Monday when it had "waves" in it - that knee was so amazingly deformed that it looked like a water balloon with ripples (bandage marks).

Pain? I'm about a 5-6 tonight. Can't wait to see how high my level gets tomorrow with Physical Therapy!

So now you can see why I'm constantly hooked up to that ice machine... I guess it's working.

It's About Damn Time...

Sorry for the curse word, but that's exactly how I feel after the week I've had...

I've tried to control my frustration, but now I can at least express my relief.

We went to see Dr. Ramsey this morning. Before we arrived, I made sure I could still lift the leg this morning because I knew he would be checking that. No problems... still could lift it as I've done since Monday afternoon.

When Dr. Ramsey's nurse came in, she immediately said, "Well, you look a lot better than you did on Monday." Joel was in the room and she said how I was very pale and my expression showed I was in a lot of pain.

Then she unwrapped the knee - no bleeding this time. Now that I was more cognizant than I was on Monday, I got a better look at it. The stitches are in multiple places - top, bottom, right, and left. However, the bottom has several along the pre-existing scar and the left side has numerous "stitch" areas where the release was made.

Dr. Ramsey then came in and said the same thing - "You look MUCH better." We then went through the leg lifts and he remarked that he could tell I was doing my exercises. I now need to do them every hour that I'm awake to maintain that muscle tone.

He said that Monday's knee draining was unusual. When he saw the stream oozing out the side of my knee, he knew there was a serious problem. Even though he had to insert the needle to get it all out, he said that was a risk of inviting infection into an area that needed to be healing.

Then he pulled out my pictures from the surgery.

First, the meniscus did not need to be repaired. It had a small tear in it, but he said it wasn't significant enough to need fixing. He showed it to me and I tend to agree. He said what we're seeing is normal in most individuals.

However, there was a tremendous amount of scarring. He showed it to me - resembling gray "spiderwebs" throughout the knee. He cut all of that out, which should help with flexibility and pain.

While he was cutting, he ran across a suture. It was blue. He said, "Obviously I wasn't a part of your original surgery, so I'm not sure why that was still in there." He said it was tied to the bottom of the kneecap, so he cut that out. Apparently that surprised him... and me, of course. (The other day he said "sutures" and I guess I forgot to ask if there was more than one today)

Then he went through the "release." He showed the pictures and explained that's why the outside of my knee looks like it has a "vienna sausage" inside of it. The swelling is causing that now, but that's normal.

Finally, he showed a picture of him cotterizing the blood vessels. "And, as you well know, not everything was cotterized even though I tried to get it all - which caused the bleeding and swelling."

So while my knee looks like it's twice the size of my other knee, it's come down enough that he is comfortable to send me to therapy. He doesn't want me to do much knee bending/heel slides right now... which means no biking yet... but at least I can get this process started. This next phase should last 4 weeks.

He doesn't want me to go back to work just yet. I told him I was thinking August 9, and he said he thinks that's the earliest but that I should plan to see him on the 1oth. I felt like he really wasn't sure if I'd be ready by then... but is leaving it up to me. Normally he sees patients 4 weeks later, but because of the complications he wants to see me in two weeks.

So I'm cleared for Physical Therapy starting tomorrow. He doesn't want me to stay by myself just yet, so I'll be bunking at my parent's house at least tonight. I guess I tend to agree... if you saw me, you'd understand. I'm just not there yet to be "Mr. Independent."

He said I might be able to start driving sometime next week. That would be determined by my Physical Therapist, Kendra. They re-wrapped the knee and said I could also start showering without the trash bag.

Overall, I feel like I got some good news today. I really couldn't imagine going into another surgery and putting my parents through all of that again. It's been tough on everyone this week, so I'm thankful for some good news in that I've finally turned a corner.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers...

I Spoke Too Soon...

For the record, I slept really well again last night.

However, before I went to bed, I was feeling quite a bit of pain in the knee. I thought it might be the ice pack "freezing" the skin, so I turned it down... quite a bit, actually. However, that didn't seem to help.

Throughout the night I took 3 pain pills - that's about one more than I should, but it's still within the limit.

Around 5:30, I woke up and realized the A/C temperature was going to start moving up after 8 unless I made a change. That's what has been waking me up each morning - after 8 it gets a bit warmer. So, I made my way over to the thermostat and cranked it down to 73 and hit "Hold." Ahhh... sweet cold relief.

I got up around 9:30 and noticed a lot of pain: knee and head. That was unusual... time for Mr. Pill.

After being up for about an hour, I realized something wasn't right. It's like my body is "off." I thought I might have a fever, so I took it. 98.2. Ok, maybe I just need some food. When Rachel arrived, she saw I wasn't feeling well and made me a sandwich. It was good, but it didn't fix the problem.

My energy level is just WAY down. It's like I've got the flu or something. I've forced myself to go through my exercises twice today already, but those didn't boost my energy level either.

Then I thought, "Maybe it's my blood pressure." So I took that and it read 134/89. Not great, but not "off the charts," you know? I mean, if you've been following this blog you know it's been a struggle... and the numbers have been much higher. To me, that's not the problem.

So Rachel was still concerned and wanted to know what she could get me to try and help the situation. I decided that maybe a smoothie from Sonic (props to Chandra) would give me some energy. I also ate a banana.

While I was sitting up, I showed Rachel one of my stitches (top of the knee) and she said that my knee is significantly larger than the other one.

Anyway, that's about how my day has gone. I've had zero energy and I've spent the entire day lying on this couch. Mom stopped by and wanted to know how I was doing... and of course, she feels bad as any mother would.

We talked about how it's been 1 week and I'm still feeling the same/worse than I was this time last Wednesday. And then she looked at my knee and commented how large it still is. I showed her the link below to the "lateral release" information so she/Rachel could see what happened.

Tonight Rachel is staying with me. She's taking me to the Dr. tomorrow morning (8 AM). I'm hoping to find out several things:

1. Is my knee still bleeding?
2. Are the pictures ready for me to see of what is going on internally?
3. What did he actually do/see during the surgery?

Overall, my pain has been about a 6 for the past two days. I can lift the leg, which is a good sign. I'm just completely wiped out and I've had a persistent headache all day. I guess it's just not a good day... maybe tomorrow will be different.

Feeling Better...

Today I woke up and my knee was bursting with pain...

My immediate thought was, "Oh great... more bleeding."

I had slept probably the best I have in over a week. I woke up just a few times (instead of every hour), and didn't roll out of bed until 9. I guess it's finally catching up to me.

I grabbed the walker and meandered out to the living room... and took my first pain pill of the day. After eating some breakfast, I settled into my spot - the couch.

Mom and Tanner showed up around 10:30 and she wanted to know my pain level. Well, it was pretty high still, and of course that bothered her (hypochondriac, remember?).

She wanted me to call Dr. Ramsey and move my appointment from Thursday to Wednesday. I told her let's play it by ear and see how I feel in the afternoon. She then left with Tanner and Carson for the next few hours.

Rachel showed up around 1:30 and immediately started helping out - cleaning up the house, changing the sheets, running the washer, etc. When Mom returned with Carson, she and Carson went to Target and Chili's for me.

While they were out, I decided to apply for "Short Term Disability" from my company. That was a lengthy phone call, and apparently I have a few more to make tomorrow regarding it. Awesome.

Then the Sears Repairman showed up - icemaker is on the fritz. When he was walking up, I thought, "Oh great... same guy." A few years ago he showed up to fix my freezer (different problem) and he spent more time gabbing then working.

Sure as anything... same thing today. This guy talked for 30 minutes straight... it went from "What happened to your knee" to me hearing about him riding motorcycles and his son piloting planes. (Note to Mel: His son is a Hunt pilot. Weird coincidence)

Then Rachel/Carson returned and I gave Carson a list to work through while Rachel finished up. She'll be back tomorrow and Carson will still be helping me.

Today I've been able to go through my exercises 3 times... not bad. Although the last one was a bit difficult.

My pain level is probably about a 6. Not bad. But I think overall I'm feeling better. Maybe the bleeding has stopped.

By the way, I got a little interested in what exactly is a "lateral release." The picture at the top shows that the kneecap is riding in a different position - which makes sense as I've always felt it wasn't lined up like the other one.

If you're interested in reading more, here is a link.

Still not doing much... just staying on the couch. My Mom said that Joel thinks I need to be checked into a hospital. Well, that's probably because when he saw me yesterday I wasn't looking that good... or the past few days. Mom said he was pretty shaken when he came home yesterday afternoon after seeing me.

I told her to make sure he knows I'm doing better... so let's hope things continue to go positive in that direction.

Monday's Update...

Sorry for the gruesome picture... but it plays well in today's update.

I guess everyone knows I've been in a lot of pain since Friday night. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it's been a steady 7 with moments up to 8 or 9.

Misery...

This has been frustrating because I had no idea I'd be dealing with all of this after the surgery. I really thought it was going to be fairly simple and I'd be driving in a day or 2 after the operation.

I've also been amazed at how little I can move. It's incredibly difficult to get to the bathroom, or to the kitchen, or to wherever. I haven't left the house since Wednesday, until today.

Mom and Tanner showed up around 8:15 and picked us up. We got to Dr. Ramsey's office around 8:40, and were called back around 9:10. I wanted Mom in there with me to hear what he had to say - these pills still make me loopy.

Dr. Ramsey's PA seemed a little "matter-of-fact" when I told him I was in a lot of pain. "Well, that's to be expected since you had a lateral release." Mom asked him what that was, and he said the Dr. would explain everything. He then said, "And you're scheduled for PT today, right?" I said yes...

Then Dr. Ramsey's nurse came in to ask a few questions, and then Dr. Ramsey. He asked how I was doing and I said I'm feeling considerable pain. He wanted to know if I was doing my exercises, and I said, "I was doing them Wed, Thurs, Friday, but by Saturday I couldn't lift my leg."

He then had me lock my knee/leg and try and lift... no success. He told me to try again and this time he helped me... but then he let go and a pain that could only be described as "HOLY CRAP" shot up my leg and I came up off that table!

He immediately turned around and told my mom she needed to leave the room. I knew there was a problem...

They unwrapped the leg and my knee looked like a VERY large grapefruit. I could see various stitches in different places of the knee, but I couldn't get over the size of it. Then I saw it was bleeding out the side.

Dr. Ramsey said that it was filled with blood/fluid and he needed to get it out. Meaning... right now. So his nurse iced my knee with an ice cube for the next few minutes, and then he came in with the needle.

Good gosh... have you ever had the pleasure of a needle going into your knee? It's such a fun experience. Not only is he drawing the blood out, he's moving it around...

I laid on that table sweating like a pig and his nurse kept reminding me, "Breathe... breathe..." Man... that pain was intense. All the while I'm thinking, "Good gravy! What else can happen with this freakin' knee?"

Well, my question would be answered shortly.

He finished up and they re-wrapped the knee. He said he removed 40 cc's of blood and fluid, and that means there is a problem. But, removing that amount should help my strength and pain level.

He then had me try and lift the leg again... this time, success. He said I need to cancel my physical therapy sessions this week and he left to go get my mom.

Here comes the "Bad News" train...

The bleeding in the knee is a concern. He said he did a lot of cutting during surgery, and that he tried to cotterize everything but it's obvious I haven't completely clotted. He wants to see me on Thursday morning. Early. If I'm still bleeding like this, he's going to have to go in again. Meaning... another surgery.

Unbelieveable...

He then explained that a lateral release means he made a cut about 2-3 inches inside the knee to release the kneecap from the side of the knee. He also said he removed several sutures. But he said that we'll talk more about that later... he could tell I was fading.

So I go back to see him Thursday morning... I've canceled my 3 PT sessions this week... and right now I'm laying on my couch exhausted from the experience.

My sister is driving up from Houston tomorrow to stay with me for a few days... Carson will stay one more night.

Ok... I'm heading towards a nap. Just wanted to give everyone the latest and not-so-greatest.

Sunday's Update...

This is a picture of me about a year ago... and it could have been taken today.

If you had come to visit me on Thursday or Friday, you would have seen a much more mobile Regan. Dr. Ramsey had given me instructions on moderate physical therapy, which I was doing with little to no pain.

Then on Saturday, everything took a turn for the worse. I awoke and was barely able to hold myself up on the walker. It was incredible! I couldn't believe the change of events.

I'm not sure how many of you have experienced leg or knee pains before, but it felt like I had steel rods going up and down my leg. Even worse, the knee was constantly on fire.

Getting up or onto the couch was a major effort... as well as trying to get to the bathroom or anywhere else with the walker. I think Carson was even surprised...

Yesterday I spent the entire day on the couch. I also took two naps... the hydrochodone makes you extremely drowsey.

Last night, Carson and I watched "The Simpsons Movie" and then I had to call it quits around 10. Unfortunately, it wasn't a restful night's sleep.

About every hour I wake up - either I try to readjust (as much as I can since I'm restricted to sleeping on my back), or I've got to make a trip to the bathroom.

Around 3 I woke up to a lot of "firey" pain - the knee was killing me. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed 2 ice blocks. I put them in a grocery bag and waddled back to the bedroom to fill the ice machine. Ah man... it felt SO freakin' good. Plus, the pill helped.

I woke up around 8 but stayed in bed watching a move until almost 11. Carson got up and went through the process of setting up my ice pack. I then decided to make him a list of things I needed him to do for me (lists are good things with kids I'm finding out).

Chandra came to visit and bring us a Sonic meal around 2. It was soooo good. We then watched a movie, "17 Again," and played our iPhone game ("Words With Friends" - it's fun, like Scrabble).

Overall, my pain is still pretty intense. It has been nonstop since Friday night. I think it's gotten a little better as the day has wore on, but I've got some decisions to make tomorrow.

You see, I planned to login and work from home in the afternoon. However, the pain coupled with these pills makes me struggle big time with "focus." We'll see...

Tomorrow morning my Mom is picking Carson and I up to go see Dr. Ramsey at 9. Then if he releases me, my first Physical Therapy session is at 10:45. However, "if" is a big word - I can't lift my leg as it is today.

Tonight we'll just continue to take it easy. Thanks for reading, and I'll try to keep the updates coming...

The Ice Man Commeth...

As you all know, I'm not able to do this on my own. I need help... which comes in the form of my nephew, Carson.

Over the past few days, I think we've really bonded as "Uncle/Nephew." He's been extremely helpful and conscientious, always checking on me.

In fact, the kid's got some sort of freaky "radar" hearing - I start to move a muscle and he calls out from the other room, "Do you need something Uncle Regan?"

OK, so on Thursday morning he comes into my room with the paper. "How did you sleep Uncle Regan?" I think he was expecting a positive answer... instead, I gave him the truth. "I didn't sleep well being hooked up to this gizmo, and the ice melted about halfway through the night."

That appeared to shock him - he went over and was astonished that the ice machine was only filled with water.

This bit of news also lit a fire under the youngster - he left the room while I finished up my paper. I heard "noises" coming from the kitchen, but I figured he was making himself something to eat.

About 20 minutes later he comes in, "Uncle Regan, I have filled up 10 containers (tupperware) with water and stuck them in the freezer." He then said, "I'm going to make sure we don't run out of ice again!"

He left the room and a while later he informs me that he's increased the number of containers to 25. Then he said, "I sure am glad you have all of these refrigerators Uncle Regan." Which then led to, "WHY do you have all of these refrigerators?" :-)

So for the past few days, Carson's number one concern is to check my ice machine. He packs that sucker with all shapes and forms of ice. He fills it with ice cubes, ice packs, and ice blocks.

There are times I look at it and it's so full I say, "There is no way you're going to get that lid closed," which he then says, "I LOVE to pack things Uncle Regan. I'll make it fit."

Anyhoo, our routine is this: Each morning he comes into my room and carries the machine to the kitchen to re-pack. Once I'm situated on the couch, he comes over with the frozen concoction and I hook myself up. Which he stays next to me because he wants to see the "relief" when the frozen water pumps into that pack on my knee. (It's amazingly refreshing!)

Every few hours, we go through that process again. He empties out the water, adds more ice, and waits by my side to see the reaction.

I'm going to miss Dr. Freeze when he leaves... but it will be nice to get the space back from my freezers!

Bad Day...

As the day wore on yesterday, the pain continued to intensify. Last night - it got worse.

I went to bed around 10, figuring I could catch up on my sleep and battle the increasing pain with bed rest.

Unfortunately, I was up every 1-2 hours either dealing with the annoyance or having to empty my bladder. I don't know if a side effect of hydrocodone is "whizzing your life away," but I seriously am thinking there is a diaretic packed in that pill!

At one point in the night, while making my way to the bathroom, I realized my leg felt as though it was disentegrating under the weight/pain.

This is seriously a much different surgery than #2... resembling a lot like #1.

When I finally got myself up this morning, I could barely walk. I guess the doctor was right - after the first 24 hours, things would go south in a jiffy.

The plan today was for my folks to come over with Tanner and pick up Carson and myself for brunch. Well, because my mobility has dwindled to a crawl, I knew I couldn't handle getting out of this house.

Worse... they were to take Carson and Tanner with them tomorrow back to his parents. Notice, I used the past tense.

New plans: I need someone here and Carson has been a huge help. I've asked if he can stay for the next few days to help me. I'm not trying to be flippant about all of this, but I can barely hold myself up on the walker. There is no way I can carry anything, especially an ice machine.

My parents are taking Tanner back tomorrow, and I said we should "pencil in" Tuesday as a possible day for me not needing anyone's help. Joel asked, "Why don't you just come stay at our place?" (We know the answer to that)

So today we've taken it pretty easy. I'm on the couch with one nap already under my belt. He's in his room reading and doing whatever. When I need something, I just call for him and he handles it.

If I wasn't so loopy on this medicine, I'd write one humdinger of a blog about his "ice" skills.

But for now, I just wanted to let everyone know that this isn't a vacation for me... far from it. I'll be SO glad when this is all over...

Surgery: Part III

(Continuation from Wednesday)

So Mom, Carson, and I arrived at my house around 3ish. Mom walked Carson around the front and the back of the house to show him what needed to be watered.

I settled into the couch.

Before she left, Mom made sure that everything was setup the way I would need it... and made sure that Carson knew he was my extra appendage.

I assumed I would be tired... but for some reason I wasn't. I watched TV and Carson got onto his Facebook page. We also setup his gadgets to plug into my Wi Fi.

Dr. Ramsey called and asked how I was doing - I told him my soreness was in both of my lower calves. He said to keep doing my exercises and it should clear up. He also said he'd call me the next day.

We made a pizza and watched "The Blind Side." He thought we would also watch "2012," but we didn't finish the movie until 9:30.

He was very attentive to my "ice" situation - always making sure the box was filled with ice and that I was comfortable. I really haven't had to do a lot - he's been a very good helper.

I went to bed around 11, but really struggled falling to sleep. If you see the pic above, I'm having to sleep on the left side of the bed so that my leg can be plugged in.

Not only that, but I can't sleep in any other position except my back. So, my first night was fairly restless.

I woke up around 7:45 on Thursday and laid in bed watching TV. Carson came in around 9 with the newspaper, and we hung out playing "Words With Friends" (great game - it's like Scrabble and you can play it on your iPhone with someone else).

I blogged and then "got up" close to noon, where I went straight to the kitchen and heated up a burger (puffy burger). NOTE: I totally forgot that my Mom was bringing us Chick Fil e... oh well. She showed up around 2.

Mom hung out for a while and we chatted more about the surgery and how crazy that he had to remove a permanent suture. I'm still puzzled why that was in there...

Mom left and around 4 we popped in "Avatar." If you haven't seen it, it's a very good movie. I was surprised. During the movie, I noticed a bit of pain coming on... so I decided to take my first Vicodin.

After the movie was over, I ate sushi (courtesy of Mom) and Carson made a french bread pizza. He then wanted to watch "2012."

Around 9:30 Dr. Ramsey called and asked how I was doing. He also confirmed that I need to continue doing my exercises (helps to prevent clots) and to take it easy. Not a problem. I am NOT going to force this... I'm fine and dandy laying around.

Well, the movie ended around 11:15 and Carson asked if he could stay another night. I said that's fine but that he'd better stay the last night at my Mom's because she's probably missing him.

I went to bed around midnight and took another Vicodin - uugh. Let's just say that does not make for good dreams.

This morning I got up around 8 because my Mom/Tanner were coming over around 9 to pick up Carson. She's taking them to a movie and to see a customer of hers, and then she'll bring Carson back this afternoon.

My pain is a little more intense today - not bad. Just there and more apparent then yesterday. It feels like it's burning on the interior side of my knee, and then on the top it feels like I pulled a muscle. But overall, this isn't that bad.

I'm going to grab a nap this afternoon while Carson is gone. So, there you go... that's about all I have to say right now.

Surgery: Part II

Waking up from surgery is always a weird experience for anyone...

It's always the same: I'm in a deep sleep and I hear my name being called out. When I open my eyes I'm very confused - where am I and what just happened?

I wanted to just close my eyes and go back to sleep, but they won't let you - they start asking you questions, handing you stuff to eat and drink, etc.

I was also shivering... a lot. That was weird but the nurse said it was the drugs in my system causing that.

Joel then walked into the recovery room (I was in a room with a bunch of curtains where others were out of surgery) and said something like, "Well, you were in there for a while." It was 10:30. And then he said something like, "That bandage looks a lot different than what I had."

I looked down and saw my leg bandaged up and a tube coming out of it. "What the ???"

OK, so I'm very groggy but I had no idea it would look like this. I remembered him saying it would be wrapped in a bandage but I could remove it for showers. What in the world was going on?

Dr. Ramsey then appeared and explained everything. In addition to repairing the torn meniscus, removing the cyst, cutting out the scar tissue, shaving down the bone, and fixing the "problem" discussed below... he ran into something else: a permanent suture.

My previous surgeon had attached a permanent suture which attached the kneecap to the femur (I think - remember, I'm groggy). He said it was restricting the kneecap and shouldn't be in there.

I don't know if that means the previous doctor left it in there by accident or on purpose, but this may be a HUGE change in my mobility.

If you've seen me walking on stairs (especially going down), it is an extremely difficult process. When I step down, I'm always holding onto a railing because I don't feel like I have any control. While the right knee is flexible, the left knee would only go to a certain point. It was like there was a wire in there!

Well, now I know... at least I'm really really REALLY hoping that is what was causing this and that my flexibility improves. This falls right in line with my goals - walk like a normal person again!

So then he explained the tubes: It's a glorified ice pack. As you can see in the picture above, I'm attached to a machine that pumps cold water into a pack that is on my knee. Hence, why the knee looks like it's 10 sizes too big.

I have to keep this hooked up 24 hours a day while I'm stationary. If I need to get up, I have to unhook it (it's a process, believe you me) and then re-hook when I return (couch or bed).

Dr. Ramsey then said I'm not to remove the dressing - which means I'm back to trash bags for showering. I was supposed to see him next Thursday, but he wants to see me this Monday morning. I then go into physical therapy after leaving his office (that day).

My restrictions are not to bend the knee and to stay on crutches until he or my therapist releases me... and no driving. Good gravy!

After getting dressed, they wheeled me out to the front and got me into Joel's car and off we went. I was one big groggy mess - Joel was talking and I was trying to talk but was having difficulty. They had stuck a tube down my throat, so it was sore and I had a lot of drainage. Couldn't seem to clear my throat.

During the drive, Joel said "You're not going home tonight. I'll go to your house later to get your crutches." (Hair on the back of the neck perks up)

You see, I left my crutches at my house specifically because I was told I'd be going there directly after surgery. Then I reluctantly agreed the night before to stay a few hours at their house after the surgery. Now I'm being told this bit of news.

OK, I'm not trying to be stubborn, I'm just more comfortable at my house. I keep the AC very cold, I don't have bugs flying around or landing on me when I'm on the couch, and it's quiet.

We got back to their house and Joel helped me out of the car and to the couch. Immediately the IV fluids were ready to get out of the system - I went to the bathroom 3 or 4 times in the few hours I was there.

Mom arrived and I made it clear (while sitting on their couch with my shirt off sweating) that I was going home. She could see my frustration... and agreed if Carson stayed the night with me. No problem.

More to come...

Surgery: Part I

OK... here goes my attempt to bring everyone up to speed...

I agreed to stay at my parent's house Tuesday night since I knew it would be easier for us to get to the surgery center by 7 AM on Wednesday.

I also took this "no driving for a few days" as an opportunity to put my truck in the shop for it's 90k mile service.

Joel met me at the dealership around 5:30 Tuesday - his surgery was rescheduled because he had a cut on his hand. So, that was one less headache for my mom.

On the way back to the house, Joel told me he was going to be taking me to/from the surgery center tomorrow and that I would be going back to their house. (The hair on the back of my neck started to rise)

Even though I told him I thought the plan the entire time was for me to go after the surgery, he made it clear that I was going to their house. I knew it was a lost cause to argue with him, so I told my mom when I arrived - "I'm going home tomorrow."

The rest of the evening involved a dinner, 2 nephews playing their games, and me watching TV after the parents went to bed. The nephews and I went to bed around 10.

I was up by 5:45 and Joel and I arrived at the center by 7 AM. After signing in (and paying my deductible... grr), they called me back. I then got changed into the "gown" and got into a bed where the nurse started more pre-op work.

This included taking the temp and blood pressure (128/78), hooking up my IV (fluids), and shaving my knee. Ahh... memories.

Joel came back and sat with me for the next 30 or so minutes. The anesthesiologist arrived and said I could keep my contacts in. He then gave me something in my IV to make me drowsy, and Dr. Ramsey then came in.

He told Joel and I that he was looking at my X-Rays Tuesday night and he thinks there is a "problem" on the left side of my knee. In previous blogs, you read that I've been having 3 areas of pain: Overall top, inner knee, and lately the outer knee. The outer part was knew to me and I thought it was because I was overcompensating because of the inner pain.

Well, remember I'm drowsy at this point... so "problem" is defined as "some name he gave it that he needs to do more cutting inside (not outer) to fix it."

He also said my recovery is going to be longer and that the surgery will be a bit longer. Well, I obviously didn't care at this point... he could have said, "And then we amputate" and I would have been find and dandy.

So they wheeled me out (Joel left to go to the gym) and I went into a room with about 5 other people (nurses/doctors) waiting for me. Probably within a minute of looking around, it was "lights out." I think this was about 8:15-8:30.

Wednesday is D-Day...

Doesn't this look like fun???

I went in to see Dr. Ramsey this morning for my pre-Op work. All I can say is it was MUCH different from the previous two surgeries.

Instead of giving me a "mini-physical," they basically wanted the general information. I told them what meds I was taking, gave them all of my contact information, and received all of their instructions for pre and post surgery.

I asked a question that led into the whole "knee replacement" possibility. Dr. Ramsey said he didn't think I'd have to undergo that at this point (or in the future), but said he'd know more when he looked inside.

Background: My previous surgeon said in 10 years I'd probably be replacing the entire knee.

My surgery is around 8AM. I have to be at the "surgery center" by 7AM. Joel will be driving me. So, instead of a hospital, it's some facility located at Preston/Frankford (for those in the Dallas area that know what I'm talking about) where he does his surgeries. Interesting.

It will last about an hour or so, and then I should be home by noon.

Dr. Ramsey said the first 24 hours it will seem like no big deal. The knee will be numb. However, once I start feeling the pain, I need to hit the Vicodin immediately and take it every 4 hours.

Thursday should be an OK day but Friday should be my worst. Then, it should start to improve.

I then went and filled my prescriptions (I start taking an antibiotic tomorrow) and prepared for the upcoming pain by buying things that I never do: ice cream, cookies, etc.

5 days after surgery, I start physical therapy. I need to go through that for the next 4 weeks, 3 times a week. At least two of those weeks I won't be going into work.

9 days after surgery, I go see him for a follow-up. I'll probably get my photos, too... the interior of the knee. I'm really looking forward to that...

I can shower the next day, and I don't have to wrap it up with a trash bag. Shocking! I will take off all of the bandages and then re-apply them when I'm finished.

Absolutely NO weight on that leg for the first 5 days - meaning, I need to stay on the crutches. And, I have plenty of exercises I have to do to avoid blood clots (that's the biggest worry).

Anyhoo, that's all I know. I'm probably going to be grumpy (or grumpier than normal) towards the end of the week, but I'll do my best to write in the blog.

Got the Green Light...

All week I've been taking my blood pressure at home... twice a day.

The numbers haven't been very impressive. Typically running around 130/90 (variations in those ranges).

Dr. Ramsey wanted me to get clearance from my regular doctor, Dr. Patel. She knows my history pretty well, and was aware of my upcoming surgery.

Well, the good news is my blood pressure was 116/76. That shocked me... but then it made sense of the disparity in numbers.

When I typically take my BP, it's in the morning right before I go to work... and right after I return.

I'm assuming that my meds haven't had a chance to kick in when I take it in the morning - and I'm probably pretty dang stressed when I return home from work each day.

Believe me - this will all be resolved once my knee has been fixed where I can exercise again. I'm a firm believer in this because I've seen the proven results before.

So Dr. Patel wrote me a note that I'm "clear" for surgery, and I'll give that to Dr. Ramsey on Monday when I go through my pre-op work.

Speaking of Dr. Ramsey, my mom ran into him yesterday while she was seeing one of her other doctors (same building). She thanked him for helping out "her guys" (Joel and me) and he said he really thinks I will see significant improvement after the surgery. He even said he's really looking forward to "fixing me up." Awesome!

My plans this weekend are to take it easy - lots of time on the couch! I know next week at this time I'll be experiencing a different type of pain, but at least I'll be one step closer to resolving all of this!

Answering Questions...

... and we all know how much I enjoy answering questions. :-)

OK... here we go...

What is your current blood pressure?

It's running around 140/95 to 130/87. My doctor said it's better to get it more normalized as it makes the anesthesia more effective.

I've been working with my regular doctor to bring it down. Prior to the knee issue, and way before I was running, I had very high blood pressure. Seriously high... like 170/110. For the past few years, I've taken medication and exercised. Well, guess what has been eliminated from that equation? So because of being stagnant due to a crappy knee, I haven't been exercising.

Now that I know why the knee is hurting, my hope/goal is to get back into "mobility" after it gets fixed up. Meaning... go back to a normal life!

I just had no idea that the high blood pressure would be an issue and could prevent me from having the surgery (see picture) next week.

I'm going to see my regular doctor on Friday. If she doesn't feel comfortable with my BP level, then I'll need to reschedule the surgery. That will really bum me out.

You're still feeling pain? I had no idea...

Yes... frustratingly, absolutely and emphatically yes! This was posed to me today after someone found out that I'm scheduled for surgery. They followed it up with, "But you must be hiding it because you don't look like you're in pain."

Well, who wants to see someone grimacing... whining... or complaining all of the time? If you've been following this blog for a while, you remember I mentioned one time that I have a "strut." That helps me to try and prepare for the pain I know is going to occur when that foot hits the floor.

Here's my "pain" description. When I stand up... walk... even bend the leg with the foot pulled in... everything tightens up. I don't have any cushion between my bones. It's worse when I'm walking... it's a compressed grind. When I put my foot down, everything goes together. This pain is the top of the knee to about the middle of the knee. From what Dr. Ramsey showed me, this will always be a part of my life. That's why I need to take glucosomene to help build up protection/shock absorption around my joints (i.e. knee).

Now, there is another area of pain: Interior. This is where the meniscus is torn... possibly shredded. Every step down feels like it's being poked. Once he goes in and mends the tear, that pain should go away.

The third area (yes, there is a third) is on the exterior. It aches. I think it's because I'm over-compensating to the outside now that I know there is a tear on the interior. Kendra, the physical therapist, thinks it may be that or it may be another tear on the lateral meniscus. Hopefully by the end of the surgery, this will be alleviated.

So, if you look at it from this perspective, I'm hoping for a 2/3 improvement. Right now, it just hurts like a mutha... all the live long day.

Oh, and one more thing: Dr. Ramsey asked me to stop taking Alleve and Advil until after the surgery. Anti-inflamatories don't work well when he's got to go in and poke around. Let's just say it hasn't been a very fun day... and this is going to be one long week.

Is this a Day Surgery?

You bet. While I don't know the time, I expect to be heading home a few hours later. Maybe this time the doctor will stick around and answer any questions my parents have. Ok, I know he will. He knows my parents...

Are you staying at your parent's house?

No. I really just want to be at my place, sleep in my own bed, and keep the A/C at a temp that is comfortable for me. Sounds selfish, but hey... that's my attitude after two surgeries.

The plan as of now is for Joel to come pick me up and take me to the hospital. He may or may not stay - he's having his own surgery (hand) the day before. (When it rains it pours... poor Mom) I think she'll be there when I get out and drive me back to my house.

Now instead of being alone, my nephew Carson will stay with me that day/night. I hope he brings something to entertain him because I know I won't be very fun to be around.

Can you put me on the list to be notified?

Sure. Send me an email if you want to be notified. I'll either send out an email at some point in the day or just update the blog... or both... not sure what my frame of mind will be.

So that's about it. Pray for my blood pressure to come down. Pray for the pain to be bearable this week before the surgery. And I guess overall, just keep me in your thoughts as I try to keep a positive attitude through all of this.

Surgery Time...

Next Wednesday, July 21st, is my scheduled surgery for the knee. Let's hope it's the last one for a while...

I met with Dr. Ramsey this morning to go over the MRI and my options. Basically, he said, "We're at the point where we need to go in and scope your knee if you're going to see any kind of improvement."

The results of the MRI were sketchy. The drill bit really caused a lot of problems, both for him and the radiologist.

Here's the good news: Both my ACL and PCL are intact. This means I don't have any tears in my ligaments.

The bad news: I have a torn meniscus (we knew that) and a cyst. He didn't seem to think this was surprising... so neither do I.

But, the rest of the results start with a phrase, "Metallic susceptibility artifact obscures..." Translation: "Drill bit prevented a good MRI of the entire knee."

Dr. Ramsey then walked me through what he believes is going on. He said with the "force" of the impact, it took tremendous energy to break that kneecap. He said it's his belief that the meniscus tore at that moment because that is a normal occurrence if the patella breaks.

He asked me again, "So did your previous surgeon scope the knee?" I said I have no idea... and told him I never heard the term "scope" or "meniscus" after my surgery (as dimly lit as my pilot light was after being under) or in subsequent office visits... including the surgery to remove the hardware.

So here's the deal...

This week I need to follow up with my regular doctor to see if the new meds she put me on brought down my blood pressure. If it hasn't come down, then I need to reschedule the surgery. (notice that I'm trying to get this over with as fast as possible)

On Monday I go in for my pre-op work. Hopefully that won't be as long as before. This time it's done in his office... if you remember my last 2 took half a day of me walking around the hospital. I know my surgery is Wednesday, but I don't have the time yet. Probably in the morning.

Wednesday's surgery will last about an hour, but I'll be there for about 3 hours. He's going to make about 5 incisions to work around the knee... arthroscopic. He's going to fill the knee with fluid so it swells up and allows him to work. That fluid will stay in my knee for about 24 hours, which will alleviate the pain when I come out. But, after 24 hours, I'm really going to be feeling the pain.

When he goes in, he's going "scope" the knee. Part of this will be to use a camera to check out everything (and take pictures for me to keep). He's going to repair the meniscus, remove any scar tissue, and "shave" down any bumpiness. He'll also check the other meniscus and remove any "loose bodies." I assume that means cysts or bone fragments. We'll see. Probably something I should have asked...

Personal Note: I hope the pics show the trauma of the break. I really want to see what my bone looks like and what I'm feeling through the skin.

After the surgery, I should be in pain for the next 2-3 days. I'll be on crutches for 5 days, and he really doesn't want me returning to work for two weeks. I can work from home, so that should be fine.

The big concern after this surgery is blood clots, so I'll have some exercises I have to do to move both my feet so that doesn't happen.

Nine days after surgery, I'll go in and see him and should start physical therapy right after that. PT will last about 4 weeks, 3 times a week.

He also reaffirmed that from what he saw on the MRI and the X-Rays, I should never run again. Or, more specifically, "I can't run." Even after hearing that multiple times, it's still not the greatest of comments.

Which means my next hobby will most likely be "biker." I know certain people reading this will say "swim," but I don't really enjoy that. I do like biking, so that is probably my next best sport.

Going back to the scheduled date: I chose this because I want to get this part of my life on the fast lane and reduce the daily pain at least somewhat. My nephews are coming to visit my parents next week, so I know it's going to be a scheduling nightmare for my mom. I'm sure Joel will help out.

Anyway, that's all I know...

Back from Vacation...

... and it was AWESOME!!!

The pics above start with Galveston. I went there for the 4th (3 nights) to spend time with my family and hang out on the beach. We typically go twice a year. The beach was great, although we had some storms on Friday/Saturday related to Hurricane Alex.

If you've never been on a cruise (like me), I've been told you fall into one of two categories: You either love it or you hate it. I was hoping I wouldn't fall into the "hate" mix... and I'm proud to say that I definitely didn't! If you're looking for "simple," then a cruise is definitely for you.

Since we stayed at the Tremont Hotel the night before, we were able to park for free throughout the week. They shuttled us over and we arrived at the terminal at noon. Would you believe we were on the ship in less than 30 minutes? (I was told it could be up to 2 hours!)

Everyone was extremely welcoming... we immediately went to the "Activity" desk and booked our 2 excursions and one ship tour. We then grabbed a drink and walked around the ship. In some ways the ship was larger than expected... and in others it was smaller (if that makes sense). There are a lot of stairs, but thankfully quite a few elevators!

We went to the back of the ship to eat lunch - it was packed. That wasn't a very good first impression for me - tons and tons of people trying to eat (including screaming kids!). But the food was good and we weren't there long.

After the safety briefing, we started moving and David and I headed up to the front of the ship to watch us go out. It was fascinating - I've been to Galveston so many times, but never out the ship channel.

We went to check out our room and our luggage was sitting outside the door. The room was actually bigger than I expected - including the bathroom. The Ecstasy is an older ship - built in 1991 - but it was refurbished a few years ago.

That night we had dinner (3 courses) and then headed over to the karaoke bar. All I can say is people do the funniest things when they know they won't be seen by those around them ever again! It was hilarious! One big fat white guy got up there and sang "Baby Got Back" and brought the house down!

Oh, one thing on the dinner - they seated us at a table for 2. You're assigned a table throughout the cruise, so this was ours. It was a little surprising... we really thought we'd be sitting with others. But, there were A LOT of families on this cruise...

Tuesday was a sea day - we had no idea of the time when we woke up because it was so dark in the room (no window) - it was 10:3o AM! That day we lounged around a lot, went to the Casino, enjoyed the bars, and got dressed up for dinner.

One night on the cruise is a "dressy" night. David wore a suit and I put on a sport coat. Well, our little "table for two" table finally sought revenge/embarrassment. When the dinner was almost over, our waiter asked (in all seriousness) if we were celebrating an anniversary. Uugh... right then it felt like the spotlight was directed on us! Good gravy!

Wednesday we arrived at Progresso, Mexico, in a blinding rainstorm! A tropical depression was sitting right on top of us when we docked... and we had to be on the bus by 7:00... so we headed out into it. Everyone was running except me... oh well. David hung with me, though. He's a good friend. We were soaked from head to toe. Thankfully, the rain ended before we got to the ruins.

We drove 2.5 hours to Chichen Itza, the largest Mayan ruin site. It was very impressive, very large, and very touristy. It was interesting to learn about the culture (Mayans are of Mongolian ancestry). I was told by my fam that it would be a lot of walking, and they weren't lying. My knee was speaking to me! We drove back in order to make it back on the ship by 2:30... we arrived at 2:45 and the ship took off at 3:30.

That night we had another nice dinner in the dining room (I started asking the waiter what he recommended and it was always the right choice), then went back to the room. My knee was killing me, and I needed an ice pack in the biggest way.

Thursday we arrived at Cozumel - that island is incredibly beautiful. The water is very blue, the sand is very white, and believe it or not, most of the locals we ran into spoke very good English. We had signed up (on the ship) for a "Snorkel/Beach Party" excursion. Basically, it's a "Booze Cruise" that takes you snorkeling and to a beach.

Jumping into the water was awesome - we were on a reef where there were tons of fish in about 25 feet of water. Immediately these little tiger fish were swimming all around us thinking we were going to feed them. I saw all colors of fish... but the most impressive was a HUGE school moving beneath us... thousands of fish! It looked like a large black cloud.

Oh yeah, we also saw a barracuda. It was about 3 feet long... and it was very cool! Plus, the coral was purple and blue... As you can see, I really enjoyed it. We snorkeled for about 45 minutes, and then they called us up. I took pics with an underwater camera (future blog), but need to get them developed.

Then we headed to a beach - it was great. Very relaxing... drank beers and margaritas, swam in the water (floated on my back!), and hung out for about an hour... then headed back to the dock.

We had one mission: Buy watches. After about an hour of browsing and haggling in a recommended shop (by the cruise), we emerged with some nice watches. We then had lunch at a great little restaurant where we met the waitress who promised to show us more of Cozumel if we ever came back.

Friday was another sea day - but we did something really cool. We signed up on the first day to have a "ship tour." For the next 3 hours, we got a tour of the control room (engines), laundry, galley (kitchen), trash, storage, stage (performances), crew quarters, crew break room/galley/gym, and the bridge. Up there we met the captain (got a picture with him), saw the navigational equipment, and asked them a bunch of questions. It was freakin' awesome!

That night we ate at the sushi bar (we ate A LOT of sushi on this trip!), went to a show, went to the karaoke bar, listened to a very R-rated comedian (he was funny, though), and then went to a dance club (yes, we met some chiquitas to hang out with because if you know me, I don't dance!) It was a late night (and don't ask me any questions!)

Overall, the trip was just what the doctor ordered. I enjoyed the conveniences, the staff, and all of the excursions. The food was good, the drinks were plentiful, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun and easy vacation.

What would I do differently? Don't go in the summertime - too many kids/families. Make sure the boat has an "adult" pool because the main pool was a bit too small and crowded (never got in). We hung out in an adult area, but it only had 2 very hot jacuzzis. Oh, and make sure you break your twenties down so that you have money to tip with. Let's just say some locals got very nice tips.

Now, back to reality... I go see my surgeon in the morning. I'm pretty sure we're going to schedule the surgery.

More later...