We Have a Surgical Date!!!

Do you know what today is? Exactly 6 months ago to the day, I broke my kneecap. April 26th... my how time flies....

WRONG!!!

I don't know what your 6 months have been like, but I've seen better...

Dr. Rutherford took some new X-Rays and moved the knee around. He took a measurement to see how far I could bend it (had a funky ruler), and then really examined the film.

Diagnosis: "It's really healed up quite nicely, and the wires can come out whenever you want them to."

(I could hear Angels playing harps in the distance...)

Now this is where it gets weird: Remember how I saw him on a Monday and the surgery was scheduled for Wednesday back in April? Well, mine is more like "elective" surgery. As odd to me as this sounds, some people choose to leave the wires in. I assume because of age or inactivity. However, I want these suckers out!

I next had to meet with the scheduler. She asked, "So... when do you want to have the surgery?" I said, "Well, either this week or next is fine by me... or December." My thought was to do it in plenty of time prior to my vacation to San Diego (Thanksgiving).

Turns out, there are only 2 days from now until the end of the year that I can have the surgery (based upon availability): November 11 or December 23.

Hmmm.... decisions decisions...

So not wanting to have a Christmas with stitches, I opted for the 11th. Now, I'm sure I won't answer everyone's questions, but I can at least tell you "This is all I know about what awaits me" and then you can ask your 20+ questions (which I'll respond, "I don't know):

November 5, I go in for my pre-op. Registration, blood work, etc. This is what I did on that Monday when I hobbled around the hospital with a dangling lower leg... Should take half the day.

November 11: Surgery. I do not know the time, but it should be in the morning. I'll be out and will awake in the recovery room. If there aren't complications, I go home. Most people go home. I don't know what the complications would be.

I'll stay with my folks for a few days... taking those days off. I will have stitches and a bandage, but no brace. I'll probably be on crutches for a few days. Assuming I'm feeling fine, I will work from home on the following Monday.

Three weeks after the surgery, I return to see Dr. Rutherford. He'll snip the ends of the stitches, check the incision, probably take another X-Ray, and if all goes well, that's it. He said, "You won't see me again until you break another bone." Good Lord!

At that point, I'm on my own. I'm thinking towards the end of December, I should be ready to start doing some therapy/working out. Probably will go to the gym... might look into getting a trainer. We shall see...

I have simple goals... walk without a limp, walk up/down stairs without pain... anything above that is just gravy.