I pulled an all nighter just because of nerves and to help me sleep better afterwards. I took my last shower for a while and ince I didn't feel like having a nurse do a hack job at it I got my prepped. I marked on the opposite leg with a big X and "NO".
This is my 3rd ACL surgery and the 5th time I've gone under. I'm no stranger to the whole process. I showed up in some XL fleece pants from Old Navy (with NO ankle cuff) and a T-shirt/Sweatshirt. My mom had my crutches. They allowed me to bring my old Cryo-Cuff from surgery 2.
Definitely check with your doctor/hospital if they'll allow you to bring your own Cryo-Cuff. You can definitely get them for
cheaper on eBay. My parents took care of the insurance for #1 and #2, but I can't imagine that they cost anything less than $200. (Like the $150 pair of crutches that an ER tried to charge me once). I have 2 pair of crutches that I got at Good Will for $6 and the second pair for $3 (they were half off).
I got in around 9:30 for pre-registration. I got in by 10. Then the waiting game. I got into a special big mobile lazy-boy chair. IV in (I can't stand watching needles). Oxygen the whole 9 yards.
One thing that was different was the IV block. Both previous surgeries I was under before the blocks went in. Peoria Center for Health likes to run things like a methodical factory. Right down to the LCD with upto the minute status updates on where I am...
Anyway, I asked for a block. #1 I had a spinal block and they over did it. It felt like I was sitting on Jello until at least midnight. #2 had a leg block that was done proper. This time I got another leg block. The doctor came in with some rather large needles and one of those things that are used to stimulate muscles. Except they were going to be doing it directly. Inserted the needle on the bikini line and probed around using the electric stimulus to determine when they were ON the nerve bundle (think frogs legs in science class). Then injected something. Took 5-10 minutes for effect to take place. Numb (as in completely, not novicane numb) from point of needle insertion to 1/2 of shin bone on the FRONT of the leg only. (Different nerve bundle controls the back/foot). No feeling AND no response to muscle commands. Any extension of the leg is impossible. Any muscle that is under the numb area does not respond to any commands (no matter how hard you send them). It definitely felt weird.
By 11 I had made it into the room and another medieval torture table (just as all the others). Imagine if you will a table slightly larger than hip's width with two 'wings' for your arms and lots of strap downs. I got my self moved over with some assistance (due to my leg not doing anything). Laid back. I got the good gas and was asked to start counting back from 100.
Unlike the previous two surgeries I did notice that I almost had the feeling of being giddy/drunk (I didn't drink back when I had my other 2 so the 'feeling' was probably indescribable). I started from 100 and I think I made it to 95... I asked the nurses to mark down how far I made it. I wanted to know if that's just when my memory stopped. Similar to an alcohol blackout, body keeps on functioning and you say a whole lot of stupid things, but it's completely wiped out. Unfortunately I never got a report back on how far I made it.
I woke up around 2:30 in a completely different room. My leg was (thankfully) still completely numbed up. But I knew it hurt, even if it was all in my head. I seem to do very well with anesthesia because I came down from it with in 15 minutes. I was out of recovery 3 and on the way home by 4.
I'm home and immediately go to my 'recovery room' that I've set up in one of the extra bedrooms in my house. I have a tri-level so to reduce stairs I moved a couch / heater upstairs. I keep forgetting how much I absolutely detest crutches. If you are in fairly good shape I think a good pair of
muscular dystrophy crutches would be much better to deal with (and have much less chaffing).
I'm able to move my leg 5-10 degrees. Mainly just by lowering myself on my crutches. It bears some weight (directly down). Flexibility is much improved over FWO but not as much as Shelbourne. I still feel like I'm on Day 1 because I didn't stay over night.
Around 5-6 PM the feeling started to return and it felt more like a novocaine number. It's still to heavy to lift on its own.
Since I pulled an all nighter the night before to help facilitate sleeping now I decided to crash around 7. 2 Oxycotins weren't doing much good so I took a third and drifted off to sleep.
I woke up and started watching movies. I took 2 more Oxycotins at 11 pm and then 3 ibuprofens at midnight. Oxycotins are 5-325mg and for pain control. I'm to take 2 every 4 hours. I'm using the ibuprofens as swelling control (in addition to the CryoCuff.
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Here's the room where I'll be spending the next week:
I've rearranged the room probably 5 times before I got it into the setup that I like, but this is how it started. Note I spent the first 48 hours laying exactly as you see it here.
This is how I have my leg setup, it's resting comfortably on 3 pillows from the couch. They're rather soft and it feels great:
I've set myself up in one of the other bedrooms of my house since I'm a bachelor in a 3 bedroom. Since I didn't get the "Auto Chill" this is the improvised set up I have. The jump rope was a bit too elastic so I switched it out for some twine later on.
In a later post I'll be going over the art of using crutches. Here's what I'm doing to drain the water out. Note there is absolutely no additional pain in my knee. It actually feels kind of nice as I can feel the blood draining out of it.
Labels: day 0, hospital, surgery
