The Right Knee Experience

On Wednesday morning my right knee was replaced and on Friday morning  I went home. 

My knees may never win any beauty awards but I really don't care. I am so looking forward to the day that I can walk and hike without pain. The process was the same as last time but pared down a bit for repeaters. Instead of a six hour physio class I spent less than an hour with Peter at the hospital. I took the cryo cuff to the hospital with me but forgot that we are under a boil water advisory. The frequent boil water advisories is really a nuisance and the money should be spent to correct the problem. Since the boil water advisory isn't the purpose of this post I will move on. I didn't need to have another physical as I was on a priority waitlist as a repeat customer. I also learned that my orthopod has been doing extra joint replacements by filling the allotted OR time of orthopods on vacation. 

All of the staff that I have encountered have been exceptional. North Island College has been running a Bachelor of Nursing program for longer than I have lived here. The students that were assigned to me, with an RN to oversee, have been exceptional. Their attention to detail, dedication to the patient and love of their chosen career are all wonderful.

I was the first case scheduled on Wednesday morning and was told to arrive at the admissions desk at 6:15 in the morning. For retirees, except those that golf, 6:15 is very early. But both myself and my post-op caregiver (aka Ruth who was previously a nurse) were up to the challenge and arrived on time if not a few minutes early. My state-of-art ID bracelet was attached to my wrist and we were off to the Surgical Day Care center which more or less gets everyone ready for their surgery. When it was my turn I was transported to my designated operating room. It was comforting that I had the same anaethetist as last time. He had told me, when I met with him the day before, that the spinal anaesthetic had not worked fully last time and had been supplemented with a general. I did not know that. All I knew was that it was the only anaesthetic that I have woken up from easily. He also let me know that sometimes a membrane doesn't allow the anaesthetic to leave the spinal column and be effective. He added that was no reason to believe that it wouldn't work on the other side this time. And it worked exactly as it should and I didn't hear anything until the surgery was over and the surgeon lifted my right leg up and bent it at the knee until the heel touched the back of my thigh. As he did that he said, "See how far it bends? It is all up to you now." And he is quite right, it is all up to the patient after the surgery but that amount of bend is IMPOSSIBLE. 

I came home today and the exercising begins tomorrow. And now it is time for bed.  

Below is a post op picture complete with the drain and lots of padding. Next to it is a picture taken today just after I got home. The drain and tensors are gone but the steri strips will be on for two weeks.

        

The blue tube on the right is from the Aircast Cryocuff which makes "icing" the knee easier. To morrow I may try a walk to the mailboxes.

And now Lines from Linda is heading to bed.