6.30 – well, it’s d-day. Started fasting last night, and this morning all I want is a cup of tea (but can’t). I am tired but adrenaline and nerves will probably kick in at the hospital. I am still totally calm, not stressed at all. It’s time to have a shower (with their antiseptic wash) and get down there.
7.20am – arrived at the hospital, handed a form and asked to sit down. I fill it out, and end up causing the lady at the hospital all sorts of extra work as my medicare number was different to the one they had listed. She had to re-print labels with my details, and apply about 15 labels to different page in my file. Just sitting here waiting for someone to come and get me now.
8.00am – They came and got me, and took me to a room to get changed. This is where I had to say goodbye, and I actually started feeling a little sad. He looked so worried, and said he loved me about 5 times *grin* It was such a hasty goodbye, I felt bad. But I was ushered into a room, handed two gowns – purple and white – with the purple going on first (opening at the back) and white (over the top, opening at the front). I was also handed some very sexy white paper undies that I had to wear. I was so nervous I bumped into a trolley, and the nurse and I laughed. She had to shave my leg with an electric razor (I’d been too worried to shave myself in case I got a shaving cut. Any cuts on the area to be operated on would cause them to cancel the surgery). She then caked my leg in betadine, and covered it with a cloth taped to my leg. After that, we went into an interview room where she checked with me about 5 times if I was positive it was my right leg. I was weighed, blood pressure tested, and questioned about any allergies, metal parts in my body (e.g. piercings, screws etc). A compression sock was put on my left leg to ensure no blood cloths formed during the period of inactivity. I was then sent to the waiting room for all the patients. I was given a reclining chair and told to put my leg up, and to put a blanket on. Keeping warm would relax all my veins etc.
9.30am – i had been waiting in there for an hour and a half. I actually spent the time sleeping – not sure why I’m so tired. My name was finally called, and we walked into another room. I went to the loo again (nerves kicking in), and asked my name and date of birth, and confirmed my hospital bracelet matched my records (for my UR number). I would be questioned on my name and date of birth every time I met someone new from that point on – going into surgery, getting painkillers after etc. They were very thorough. In this new room, I was also asked again on whether I was absolutely positive about whether it was the right knee. I actually started getting worried, racking my brain to make sure there was nothing I’d forgotten.
9.45am – They checked for any allergies again, then lying on a bed I was wheeled into the anaesthesiasts room (she called it her “fridge”). She explained it was kept cold to ensure the surgeons didn’t warm up and start to sweat (bacteria). They put the catheter in my hand, then I was left there for a bit while they finished setting up. The surgeon came in and greeted me, double checked the leg, then drew a nice big arrow on my leg to point out which knee it was.
10.00am – they put in the general anaesthetic, and wheeled me into the surgery. I moved myself onto the table, then vaguely remember talking to one of the surgeon’s about jager bombs, then I was out of it. I have no memory of the surgery at all.
11.30 – apparently I arrive in the ward. I have no recollection.
12.00 – 5.00pm – I managed to wake up in little bursts, eat a little bit of food and post twitter updates, before crashing heavily again. Each time I woke up it was because the nurses were checking my blood pressure, pulse and temperature. I really can’t remember much over this time.
5.30pm – Mum arrives with a nice candle thing for a present, and some chocolates. It’s great to see a familiar face, and she fusses over me trying to make sure I’m set up and everything is within reach. Very nice of her. She stays for about an hour and a half just chatting, and helps me eat my dinner. I can’t stand pumpkin, so she eats it for me (after I spend about 15mins trying to convince her to eat it). It took me about an hour to eat my dinner, and I only finished a breadroll, about 3/4 of my cheese omlette, mashed potato and beans. It was cold by the time I really started to get into it, but it tasted so good! Mum also bought me a bottle of water and diet coke, the diet coke being a lifesaver in helping my stomach settled. Mat calls and tells me he can’t find a way to get into the hospital – he can’t drive because he dislocated his arm the Thursday before, and our closest mates are busy, we didn’t dare ask anyone else. Mum offered, but it would be approximately a 1hr round drive for her between picking him up, coming back to the hospital, dropping him home, then going home again. I tell her not to worry about it. Mat’s upset he can’t come, but we both understand the circumstances, and it’s not that big a deal to me. Mum also takes a photo of my leg.
My knee hours after the surgery
7.00pm – Get up for the first time to go to the toilet. They offered to let me use some rolling thing, but said I’d be fine with crutches. I’m a bit wobbly, but I get there. On the toilet I make the mistake of flexing my hamstring and almost scream out in pain. Made a mental note to ensure I didn’t flex my hamstring again. Make it back to bed with no more issues. Because I stupidly brought top & bottom pyjamas, I end up being given a hospital dressing gown to wear to bed, totally sexy. I was given some heavy painkillers to go with my dinner, and try as hard as I can I can’t stay awake once I reach the bed again. I tell Mum I’m going to fall asleep, so she may as well go home, kiss her goodbye and she’s on her way. I think I’m asleep before she’s even left the room.
8.30pm – wake again, and this time I manage to stay awake to actually remember what I’m doing. I start reading my book, as well as watch some tv and more twitter updates. Mat comes online on msn, and we chat for about an hour or so. The nurses are mighty impressed by the iphone and IM abilities.
10pm – the lady down the end has resumed snoring very very loudly. I praise the lord that I thought to bring my ipod with me so I can drown out her sound. I haven’t yet found a powerpoint to charge my iphone, so using the ipod allows me to save the iphone’s batteries. Just as I start to watch good news week I’m presented with some more painkillers. The nurse also informs me I’m meant to be wearing a knee brace, so she locates one for me and we put it on. I last until about 1/2 way through the podcast, then I’m knocked out again courtesy of the painkillers.
10.30 – 2am (second day) – I wake up to hear the lady snoring, and change my ipod to play music with 1/2 hour timer. I wake up periodically, and reset the ipod to play again. I should have just let it play overnight. At 2am I wake up and wonder if they had taken my blood pressure, temperature and pulse at midnight like they said they would. I think it actually looks light outside my curtain, check my iphone to see what time it is, realise its 2am and go back to sleep.
6am (second day) – wake up with the nurse inserting more antibiotics through the catheter (I’d been disconnected from the IV drip last night after my first trip to the loo). She also checks my pulse, blood pressure and temperature. The other nurse walks past and sees I’m awake, and tells me I was dead to the world last night at midnight when she came to check on me. We laugh, and I told her I hope I wasn’t too painful to navigate my limbs so she could do the necessary tests. She assures me I was fine. She asked about my ipod (because I had that playing in my ears), and I explain I’d been watching good news week then some music. She tells me she absolutely loves that show and never realised it was available as a podcast. She has a new nano, so I inform her on where to find it in the iTunes store.
7am (second day) – breakfast arrives, and I down a wholemeal breadroll with butter & strawberry jam, apple juice, and banana. I try to stay awake, but I’m soon fast asleep again, damn painkillers.
8am (second day) – the surgeron comes in with a couple of aids, and checks on my knee. It turns out I don’t need the brace as he didn’t have to make any repairs to my meniscus cartilage (which is good). He said they’d had a look around with the camera, and my ligament was completely torn….far out! He said the surgery went perfectly, and he’s really happy with the results. He tells me I need to come back and see him in 2 weeks to get the stitches out. They’re dissolvable, so if I’m wussy I can leave them in (they’ll fall out as they’re on the outside), but I said I’m tough and will see him then.
8.30am (second day) – time for a shower. The nurse takes my catheter out of my hand, and puts a cotton wool bud over it (taped down). Using the crutches I work my way in where the nurse has already dropped my bag off. She’s placed a seat in the shower for me, but I prefer to stand. In the end the seat is totally in the way, so I pick it up and put it on the other side of the shower curtain. I find I can actually put some weight on my leg, which is great. The rest of the shower is uneventful. I manage not to get much water on my bandage courtesy of the tremendous wrapping job by the nurse – plastic bag over my knee and taped down. I get changed, and I’m stoked when I realise my jeans will fit over my bandage.
10.30am (second day) – the physio was meant to arrive around 9am, but he’s running late. They’d rung him about 10am, and he only just showed up at half past. Luckily I’d arranged with Kim I’d call her before she made her way to the hospital to pick me up (she had her baby Hayden in the car so was easier for me to meet her downstairs). I find out the way my leg has been supported has been wrong, and that I need to keep my leg completely straight. I get lessons on walking with the crutches – I’m actually using them to walk with my leg – I’m not hopping. I also get given my exercises that I need to do over the next fortnight, consisting of straightening my leg (by flexing my quad), bending my knee (within pain boundaries), and moving my foot up & down. He writes my referral for my physio that I’d been seeing (Anthony Thomas at Physiocare – can’t recommend him enough, he’s fantastic!!) describing exactly what procedures had been done and his recommendations on what I need to do.
11.30am (second day) – the physio is long gone, and we’ve been waiting for a wardie to come and collect me in a wheelchair to take me downstairs. Kim has arrived, and ended up having to go to a different carpark because I was still stuck upstairs. They wouldn’t let me go on my crutches, thought it was too far. I don’t think I’d have managed with all the bags I had anyway. In the end, a nurse went and found a wheelchair and wheeled me down herself. My painkillers to take home weren’t yet available from the pharmacy, so mum agreed to go and pick them up for me later on her way home. What a good mum I have!!
2.05pm – I’m now at home with my leg elevated, and icepack on. Mat was home, and made me some lunch, got me a drink and set me all up with the computer. What a lovely boy. I’ve now typed up all the blog you’ve just read (if you made it this far congratulations are in order) and I’m absolutely knackered. I think it’s time to go have another nap in bed. Part of me wants to go to netball tonight to watch our team, but everyone is telling me I shouldn’t. Nevermind that we can’t get there *grin* Mum said she’ll be coming around tonight with a lasagne she made for us (how lucky am I!!) so I could try and convince her to take me *evil grin*. Obviously I’m not one of those people that can just stay at home and rest….I guess I’ll have to learn over the next fortnight. Bed time, ciou!
