Hydrocodone Helps

Surgery Day! Or at least people wanted me to have a good attitude about it. I woke up to my alarm of Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger. It helps get me pumped up for the day, yes, I know I’m strange. After brushing my teeth it was time to head to the hospital. I got signed in, they gave me my ID bracelet, and informed me they would call my name over the PA system when they were ready for me. It took them over an hour to get me back to pre-op. So, in other words, I got through two and a quarter of the same 30 minute episode of SportsCenter while I was sitting in the Surgery Waiting Room.

Once I got back there they took my height and weight measurements as well as temperature. I changed into my hospital gown, laid down, and watched some NFL Classics on the NFL Network. They had told me it was going to be about two more hours, before they would be able to see me so I just chilled, tv and magazine reading keeping me sane.

The next part was the least enjoyable of it all. The nurse that was taking care of me in pre-op then came in to start my IV and pre-op antibiotics to reduce possibility of infection. Aside from being an obviously heavy smoker she wasn’t able to get my IV started. She tried twice, bending one of the needles pretty bad, before handing me off to another nurse. Nurse #2 then tried just as valiantly once and couldn’t get it. In comes Nurse #3 for attempt #4. Nurse #3 was as unsuccessful as the first two and my surgeon had become frustrated with them and called in the anesthesiologist. He got it going first try no problem. This whole process took over 35 minutes by my best guess. It was the only part that didn’t go according to plan.

I got wheeled into the operating room, they put an oxygen mask on me, informed me they would intubate as soon as they knocked me out and they went to work.

I woke up several hours later with my leg wrapped up heavily with gauze, ace bandage, and a brace just like you see above. I was told by my surgeon that along with the full ACL replacement that they had to also repair my lateral torn meniscus. Apparently it didn’t show up too clearly on the MRI for them to know about it ahead of time. I now have a 2″+ vertical incision over my knee as well as two smaller holes on each side from when they began the arthroscopy.

The physical therapist came in a while later and gave me some crutch walking lessons, on flat ground, and the stairs. Once I was able to master the crutches, I then had to master a restroom break. That was no problem whatsoever and after that I had fulfilled my ability to go home requirements and got carted out to the car where I laid down in the back of my parents Explorer.

Over the last day and a half I’ve just been sitting around the house recovering by eating, drinking, doping up, watching TV, playing online poker, and getting a few walks around the cul-de-sac for exercise. Everyone is more than welcome to stop by and hang out or call, I am fully coherent and have been de-loopyized from the hospital meds. Thank you for all your support and prayers, the doctor said the surgery was a success and I know that I owe a lot of that to you all.