Knee surgery, recovery, and physical therapy
On December 16th I had knee surgery at a hospital near my hometown. It went well and I know have a donated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a titanium screw holding the upper end of my medial cruciate ligament (MCL) to the bone. The family whose deceased loved one donated the ligament I now have I am forever thankful to. Tissue and organ transplants are wonderful and positively life-changing.
I stayed at the hospital overnight, and rested and laid in bed for 24 hours. Then I was discharged and I went home. I had two days of misery of vomiting and constipation, but I was over that 99% on Saturday the 20th. Since that day my energy and appetite have improved and I'm back to normal in that regard.
I have a hinged brace, rather than a straight brace, and I am allowed up to 90 degrees of range of motion. My doctor doesn't want me to go any further than that because he wants the meniscus to heal. I had torn each meniscus (there are two) in teh back, and my doctor stitched them together in surgery; I am glad he could repair it. The only other option would have been a partial menisectomy.
The 23rd I saw my doctor, and they X-rayed it at the office. I then saw that the screw is no small screw. It's about an inch long and holds my MCL to my femur (thigh bone). He made a tunnel in the femur and part of the tibia for the tissue transplant, so I have hollow space in my femur. I don't feel it, and I am glad the bone pain went away quickly after surgery.
I was prescribed Percocet for pain, but that along with the residual effects of the anesthesia, I was puking all day Thursday (17th) and constipated, and Friday I was over the constipation, but not the nausea. Saturday, I felt so normal I thought there was something wrong. I am now walking with a crutch and driving and doing everyday things and being able to take a shower, which is always a plus.
I am doing physical therapy to regain strength and range of motion. I can now bend 90 degrees, and though orders say partial weight bearing, I can bear my full weight on it. Eventually I will be walking with just the brace, and after a long time, no brace at all.
I intend to make the best of this and get my knee to being as normal as possible so I can resume the things I want to do that require a healthy knee, such as sky zone, scuba diving, and more.
I stayed at the hospital overnight, and rested and laid in bed for 24 hours. Then I was discharged and I went home. I had two days of misery of vomiting and constipation, but I was over that 99% on Saturday the 20th. Since that day my energy and appetite have improved and I'm back to normal in that regard.
I have a hinged brace, rather than a straight brace, and I am allowed up to 90 degrees of range of motion. My doctor doesn't want me to go any further than that because he wants the meniscus to heal. I had torn each meniscus (there are two) in teh back, and my doctor stitched them together in surgery; I am glad he could repair it. The only other option would have been a partial menisectomy.
The 23rd I saw my doctor, and they X-rayed it at the office. I then saw that the screw is no small screw. It's about an inch long and holds my MCL to my femur (thigh bone). He made a tunnel in the femur and part of the tibia for the tissue transplant, so I have hollow space in my femur. I don't feel it, and I am glad the bone pain went away quickly after surgery.
I was prescribed Percocet for pain, but that along with the residual effects of the anesthesia, I was puking all day Thursday (17th) and constipated, and Friday I was over the constipation, but not the nausea. Saturday, I felt so normal I thought there was something wrong. I am now walking with a crutch and driving and doing everyday things and being able to take a shower, which is always a plus.
I am doing physical therapy to regain strength and range of motion. I can now bend 90 degrees, and though orders say partial weight bearing, I can bear my full weight on it. Eventually I will be walking with just the brace, and after a long time, no brace at all.
I intend to make the best of this and get my knee to being as normal as possible so I can resume the things I want to do that require a healthy knee, such as sky zone, scuba diving, and more.