The Surgery

Meant to write this earlier. Of course. But as I sit here watching the first weekend of NFL football I know I've already gone way way late on my deadline. I've been too lazy to do it but I've been thinking about it so hopefully this turns out ok.

Here I am Sunday, a full 4 days since having ACL reconstruction w\ hamstring graft surgery.  Right now I feel okay. I was finally able to lift my leg yesterday and it is not easy. Can't wait for another week to go by basically :)  Before that, here's a flashback to last Wednesday when I went in for the procedure.

Wednesday morning we dropped V off at school and I enjoyed a couple last chance steps before the upcoming inevitable. Into the school and out. I wish I had taken some video of how far along my progress was with walking. All I have are my memories. It'll do. I was due for arrival at the Bone & Joint Ambulatory Surgery Center at 8:30am for a 10:30am procedure.

Got there, signed papers, Sat in waiting room for about 4 minutes. Got called back. Changed into hospital gown. Got to put on a sock sleeve type thing on my non-operating leg. Just in case anyone forgets I suppose. Okay.  Confession: I wore bright red undies just in case, as well.

After getting my vitals all checked she said my blood pressure was a little high. Um, yah. I'm about to get all chopped up here! Ha. at one point the guy across from me was told that his blood pressure was abnormally low and that they may need to give him something to increase it a bit. He said that's what they had to do last time, somewhere else with something else.  Must take a lot to get that guy angry in his normal life. He probably just goes about his day not really giving a crap about much either way. Good for him.

I got the IV inserted into my left hand and of course still felt like I had to pee a million times even though the last thing I had was a big gulp of water at 10:30pm the previous night.  I think I had a brownie at about 9:00pm. That was my last food.  Sara came in and sat and waited with me shortly around 9:15am when I was already prepped and basically ready to go. I still had to pee a few times.

Nearly an hour later the anesthesiologist asked me if I could read magazines in the backseat of a moving car. Um, hm. It's been a while but I can. But it's not awesome. So no, not really.  I also confirmed that the epidural anesthesia would be fine. Typing this paragraph in is making me hazy. Just thinking these words again. Anyway, few more minutes went by and then I got the back/spine epidural put in and Sara had left before that and now I was on my back and about to go. They even asked me my name, date of birth, and procedure that I was having done.  One last time.

I got wheeled down into the operating room and wow this will sound cliche, okay maybe not. Back step - Right, by the way, before all this the anesthesiologist said that with the epidural I could watch the procedure on TV. Well, that wasn't possible either way cause I didn't have my glasses and I am so so very blind. I was blind for a couple hours during this part of the story so that doesn't make any of my abilities to take in and observe my surroundings any easier. So okay, the cliche part is... When they opened those doors and wheeled me into the actual operating room all I saw and remember was seeing like a dozen of those movable bright lights, like the ones you see at the dentist but obviously way bigger and brighter. The lights were moving all over the place. There was a whole team of people in the room too. They lifted me off the bed and into, ha, or rather, onto the operating bed or whatever. Who knows what they put me on. I sure don't. They could have tossed me down the river at that point and I probably wouldn't have cared much. I was along for whatever ride was about to happen.

I think I remember the surgeon saying hello early on but its very fuzzy. He did stop by the pre surgery staging area waiting room earlier in the day and told us he was doing three ACL surgeries that day. Jeeze. This guy. I asked which one I was and he said 2nd. I "guess" that's good. Who knows.

I don't remember much. Early on, if I had glasses, this would have been the spot where I could have watched the exploration part of the surgery on TV. I never even saw a TV. They could have had it pointed right at me and I wouldn't have known. Usually when I can't see, I just close my eyes and go to sleep. I like sleeping. So I took a little nap.

At one point, I woke up. We were most certainly not done. I couldn't feel anything. I imagine they noticed I woke up cause they gave me more of something that felt cool down my right side. That sensation started in what seemed like my right shoulder and just went down. Yeahh. Whatever. I didn't even care what was going on down there but I did think about it and knew that's why I was there. I was pretty comatose. I can't remember if my face was covered, or not covered, or how much I could actually see in the room. Maybe I tried to look at it at one point? I can't remember.  They even started banging on my leg a couple times with something. That was strange. I could definitely feel that it was a bang on my leg, but it didn't feel like anything. It was like a tap through my core with no effect. I cant even speculate as to what part of the process that may have been. It would be cool to get a copy of  the procedure on DVD if that's possible.

It seemed like from the point that I woke up until it was all over, not a lot of time went by. It could have been only 5 minutes. I'm guessing it was longer. That was so strange. When it seemed over, I thought, that's it? We're done? Ha. They rocked me off whatever it was they put me on and back onto a bed to wheel me out of there. I believe the nurse told me that I had been back there for an hour and forty minutes. Sure I was, sure I was.

My post op nurse was blonde. I'm sorry. I can't remember any of their names throughout the day. There were at least four or five of them. Five. Maybe more. Very strange post-op experience. My entire body was numb from my belly button down. I of course felt like I had to pee immediately. But I couldn't lift my legs. Either of them. I can't remember when I was given the immobilizer with ice for my right leg. It could have been immediately after, it could have been immediately before I left.  Either way, my only job at the moment was to wait until the feeling was restored in my legs. I was able to wiggle my toes. I had to pee. I was given a snack and drink. I got crackers with cheese and cranberry juice. The juice tasted great but I didn't drink all of it. My stomach felt fine as I ate the crackers. Slowly I became able to move my left leg. I was still without glasses and did my best to try to squint and see if I could see the nurse. I was directly across the nurses station and I could barely tell which one was mine. Haha. I had to pee.

They said I would start to feel the pain first in the bottom of my right leg. They were right. Ooh. Yow. Okay. This is the spot where they chopped a slab of meat off my hamstring to make a new ACL. Okay, so that's that.  A few more minutes went by and I could move my legs a little better but not good enough to get moved to the next outgoing station. I also had to pee before I could leave. Which I was totally on board with cause I really had to go!  Finally she took me to a rest room and I used a walker to get up and get to where I needed to be to do my business. I was ready! I was here... but nothing happened. haha. Maybe in a few more minutes I could go. It felt like she was waiting for me at the door, which I'm sure she was, but that doesn't make things easier for me in general. She knocked on the door and said that it was normal to be unable to at first . Half my body was just put to sleep after all. I got moved to that next phase room and just sat in a chair there. They brought Sara in and she gave me my glasses and I could see again!

They gave me some hot tea to help with the needing to go pee pee part. We waited a bit as the nurses continued to fill out more paper work in front of us. That folder was huge. At every station, the nurse had at least a half dozen to a dozen pages to fill out. Nope, they aren't paperless yet, Nope, you aren't. Who knows how much more time went by. It was around 2pm or shortly after 2pm. and it was time to try to go pee pee again. I got to the spot and was able to release. Sweet sweet glory release of pee. Wonderful.

A few more papers to sign. No more "Needs to Void" labeling for me and I was on my way. Another nurse wheel-chaired me to the car. Again she seemed to be going really fast, but for all I know it was a slow ride. I managed to get into the car and we went home. I got into the house and onto the couch. (Where yes, I've spent most of my time since, haha. jerk).

It all didn't exactly feel wonderful that first night home. Definitely worse than when I first got injured. It's been one of the stranger things, the feeling that it feels worse, but it's fixed, it just needs time to actually heal now.  I think I need to wrap this post up now though and talk about the first couple days after surgery in another post. I also had a followup with the doctor the day after surgery that also went well, but I've mostly been chilling since getting home. Each day is better than the previous. I'm able to straighten it good and flex my quads somewhat. I'm nervous about bending it. I can some. I was planning to try to go into the office tomorrow but I'm not sure. The doctor said I can drive when I feel comfortable doing so. Right now I can barely lift my leg and I'm still taking pain killers so I can't drive quite yet either way. Sara is willing to drop me off at work but we'll see. It's all a big hassle. I know. I'll just continue to wait and be patient until it all gets better. It will get better. It will.

Look at me, I'm ready for you to cut this knee.