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October 28, 1997
I had my first physical therapy visit today. I met the therapist I'll
be working with throughout my whole rehab after surgery, Jenny. She's a
very nice person and a very professional therapist. I now have great
confidence in a complete recovery. She started by gauging my strength and
flexibilty and then went over a series exercises to increase both prior to
surgery. Finally, she discussed the post-op protocol for my rehab. It's
seems pretty ambitious to me, but in a few weeks won't, I should be off
crutches and at 120 degrees flexion in about six weeks, or so.
November 7, 1997
Over the past week and a half I've been keeping up my regular schedule
of academics and work. I've also been doing all of my pre-surgery
excercises. Here's the primary lesson for anyone else out there facing
ACL surgery, do exactly what your doctor and physical therapist tell you.
If you want to come back and you want to do it as quickly as possible,
follow their directions. Remember this, they've been through this many
times, and, unless you're some kind of unlucky son-of-a-gun, this is your
first time, so it's a safe bet they do know their stuff.
Today I had pre-op visits with both my doctor and physical therapist.
Jenny went over what I should be doing in the first week after surgery and
what to expect after the surgery. In a week and half I'll find that the
workload she's given me is surprisingly light.
Dr. Mott discussed what will happen in the surgery. First, he will
take a piece of the patellar tendon and small pieces of the patella and
one of the leg bones to make the repair. An incision will be made on the
side of the leg to feed the tendon through to replace the ligament, being
anchored through holes in the bones where the ACL was orginally attached.
Any remaining parts of the ACL will be cut out. Finally, he will look for
and repair any collateral damage to the cartilage.
Then I ask one of the obvious questions: What if I don't have this
done? Dr. Mott says that first my activities will be limited to such
straight ahead sports as running, cycling and swimming. Forget about
volleyball, touch football, skiing, or anything else like that. Second,
he tells me, expect constant and ongoing damage to the cartilage,
resulting in the eventual loss of all cartilage in the knee and all the
problems that will come from bone rubbing on bone in my knee with every
step that I take. That kind of decides it for me. "Either change your
lifestyle to suit your knee or change your knee to suit your lifestyle,"
echoes through my head. Plus I don't relish the idea of one, or more,
surgeries later on to have damaged cartilage taken out of my knee. One
surgery now, and the opportunity to get back to the same activities I've
always enjoyed and ones I hope to learn, looks like the option for me.
So far, though, nothing I've been told has prepared me for what I will
experience in the first few hours and days after the surgery.
November 11, 1997
I've spent the weekend having second thoughts, asking myself if I
really want to go through with this. Thinking about how I can adapt my
lifestyle to fit a knee with no ACL. Even as I am laying in pre-op, I'll
still be considering the idea of just telling the nurses and doctor that I
refuse to go through with the procedure, but I won't do that, and I will
have the operation.
When Dr. Mott first told me I needed surgery, I was moping around kind
of feeling sorry for myself, then one day I saw this guy on crutches with
only one leg. After that my attitude changed. That's when I realized I
still had both of my legs, and that what was wrong with one of them could
be fixed. No more moping for me.
The events of the actual day of surgery are now kind of hazy. I
remember arriving at 8:00 to check in, and that the entire staff at
Meriter Hospital was very nice and supportive. Everyone kept reassuring
me that I would be alright and I had nothing to fear. Meeting the rest of
my surgical team, the nurse and the anesthesiologist, makes me feel much
better.
The last thing I remember before the operation is the anesthesiologist
cracking jokes with me. The next thing I remember is waking up in
recovery and asking what time it is. Followed by begging for painkillers
about every couple minutes. The nurse gives me as much as she can, and it
still doesn't help a whole lot. I begin to ask why I put myself through
this. The next couple days won't be much better. My roommate and his
girlfriend get me home about 8:00 that night. I take a couple of pain
pills, lay on the couch for a while and then go to bed and try, without
much success, to sleep.
Rehab: Weeks 1 - 8
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