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Besides some oral surgery to take my wisdom teeth out, this is my first major surgery. I was not looking forward to this at all. And I hope this will be my last major surgery, at least for a very long time.
The main reason I've had this surgery is that I've had this tear in the meniscus last year from my horrible car accident. I babied my knee since the accident which happened in August or September (I can't remember the exact time) and was going PT and taking it slow in training. I thought by December, my knee was getting better. Once in a while, I'd pop my knee but each time, the pain wasn't as bad.
Then last month, my knee locked up in a 45 degree angle. I couldn't flex or bend the knee. It was frozen in a locked position and this was serious. I had to go to my doctor and he jammed a needle in my knee to put some anit-inflammatory (I think Cortisone) in my knee and it hurt like HELL!
It took over 7 days before I could straighten out my knee and extend it. I knew that with my knee locking up, I had to have the surgery if I'm going to keep training Jiu JItsu.
I've talked to some guys and they've had local instead of general anesthetic. I asked my doctor about getting only a local and he basically said that any Ortho that does a local is a hack. In order properly do the knee, you have to have the patient out. He's going to be twisting and turning my leg to make sure to look at every nook and cranny in my knee to make sure everythings cleaned up. I'll be having a tournaquet put on my leg to reduce the blood flow and that can make a person's leg very uncomfortable after about 15 minutes.
Friday, I went into the hospital to get all checked out.
I even a nurse come in to give me a lesson on how to use crutches and I had to walk about 10 feet with the crutches so she would approve I knew how to use them.
Stooopid
But I guess there are people out there that have no clue how to use crutches..
I peed in a cup, had an EKG, blood drawn and a chest X Ray.
At least now I know I'm healthy. My doctor got the results from the blood work in 2 hours and told me my levels are extremely good; liver, kidney functions all in the best/highest levels.
So now it's try to get as much work done as possible since I'll be out for probably the rest of the week and I'll have my 4th of July re-habbing.
I know in so many weeks, my knee will be feeling good but I'd like to fast foward to that point.
Well, at least soon, I can go back to training 100% instead of just taking it slow and not training hard.
It was pretty bad for a while; when I was sparring, if I had someone in my guard, I'd just let them pass, mount me and then do a reversal so I wouldn't have much pressure on the knee..
I talked to one guy on Sunday at a Crossfit work out, had his knee scoped, he walked out of the hospital and was on an excercise bike the next day. He did the surgery a few years ago and was 34. The owner of the building I'm in, he just had his meniscus scopred and he's going to be in the office today and had the surgery last Monday.
My Surgery yesterday was successful, no problems, no complications.
Oh how I hate to wake up early. But with no choice, I woke up at 4:55, took a shower and was careful not to get any water in my mouth so that I wouldn't drink any. NO food or water after midnight. I was asked this question way too many times today.
Driving over that early in the morning, just when the sun is coming up, it's kind of weird.
It's a strange feeling of walking into the hospital, to know that I won't be walking out the same way I came in.
I have to sign up on a sheet at admitting. They made a big deal about me getting there at 5:30 am but I went in later since my doctor told me to come in at 5:45. Ok, so it's only 15 minutes but I got 15 minutes more sleep. I still had to wait a half hour. And then there was problems with my insurance coverage. I figured that might happen.
I'm taken downstairs with a few other people to get prepped. I have to put that dumb gown on. The nurse told me to take everything off. I decided to keep my briefs on instead of commando. No one checked and no one cared. Once again the questions about when I ate and drank last. One nurse double checked which knee I was getting surgery on and put a big red X on the knee. Yeah, you've heard the stories about doctors amuptating the wrong leg, a wrong kidney and other botched surgeries.
I had to put that dumb looking cap on my head. One nurse from the surgical team came in and then the Anesthesiologist came into give me a brief talk, asked if I had any questions. The guy was very cool. Then my Ortho doc came in to make sure I was ok.
I'm wheeled into a few sets of doors and then finally into the room. They had put in IV in my hand and then when I was in the surgical room, the Anesthesiologist told me I'll feel a rushing sensation and looking back, that's when he put in the anesthesia. No one asked me to count backwards. I was ready and had memorized all the numbers...ha
The next thing I remember is someone asking me to blow out which I think was when they took out the breathing tube, I'm not sure. I was in and out of consciousness. I do remember being very uncomfortable and just couldn't find a comfortable position. I next remember I'm in some room, a few nurses would come and talk to me and I don't remember what they were saying or what I said. I was in a bit of pain so I got a short of demerol and that sure hurt getting the shot, a lot of burning in my arm. After about 10 minutes, the med kicked in and I was so drowsy and fell asleep for about a half hour. The one nurse didn't want me to sleep anymore and told me I had to stay awake to get discharged. Every time she came in, I would kind of sit up and then when she left, slumped over.
I came home, fell asleep for a few hours, woke up a few times and just finally ate some dinner.
My knee is throbbing and hurts but I can walk a bit. I really don't need any crutches but figured it's better to use them instead of messing up my knee. My doctor called tonight to see how I was doing and he said it's ok to walk a bit if I wanted to go out for dinner but not walk too much. I"m pretty much going to stay home for the next few days.
So, not much to report on except that the doctor told me when he went in, he was surprised how much damage there was to my knee.....and got it all cleaned up
Now, I'm on the road to recovery (sounds like I'm an addict).
And I Hope that now, I'll be 100% and able to train without fear of hurting my knee.
It's been close to a year now since I've been able to do that.
The main reason I've had this surgery is that I've had this tear in the meniscus last year from my horrible car accident. I babied my knee since the accident which happened in August or September (I can't remember the exact time) and was going PT and taking it slow in training. I thought by December, my knee was getting better. Once in a while, I'd pop my knee but each time, the pain wasn't as bad.
Then last month, my knee locked up in a 45 degree angle. I couldn't flex or bend the knee. It was frozen in a locked position and this was serious. I had to go to my doctor and he jammed a needle in my knee to put some anit-inflammatory (I think Cortisone) in my knee and it hurt like HELL!
It took over 7 days before I could straighten out my knee and extend it. I knew that with my knee locking up, I had to have the surgery if I'm going to keep training Jiu JItsu.
I've talked to some guys and they've had local instead of general anesthetic. I asked my doctor about getting only a local and he basically said that any Ortho that does a local is a hack. In order properly do the knee, you have to have the patient out. He's going to be twisting and turning my leg to make sure to look at every nook and cranny in my knee to make sure everythings cleaned up. I'll be having a tournaquet put on my leg to reduce the blood flow and that can make a person's leg very uncomfortable after about 15 minutes.
Friday, I went into the hospital to get all checked out.
I even a nurse come in to give me a lesson on how to use crutches and I had to walk about 10 feet with the crutches so she would approve I knew how to use them.
Stooopid
But I guess there are people out there that have no clue how to use crutches..
I peed in a cup, had an EKG, blood drawn and a chest X Ray.
At least now I know I'm healthy. My doctor got the results from the blood work in 2 hours and told me my levels are extremely good; liver, kidney functions all in the best/highest levels.
So now it's try to get as much work done as possible since I'll be out for probably the rest of the week and I'll have my 4th of July re-habbing.
I know in so many weeks, my knee will be feeling good but I'd like to fast foward to that point.
Well, at least soon, I can go back to training 100% instead of just taking it slow and not training hard.
It was pretty bad for a while; when I was sparring, if I had someone in my guard, I'd just let them pass, mount me and then do a reversal so I wouldn't have much pressure on the knee..
I talked to one guy on Sunday at a Crossfit work out, had his knee scoped, he walked out of the hospital and was on an excercise bike the next day. He did the surgery a few years ago and was 34. The owner of the building I'm in, he just had his meniscus scopred and he's going to be in the office today and had the surgery last Monday.
My Surgery yesterday was successful, no problems, no complications.
Oh how I hate to wake up early. But with no choice, I woke up at 4:55, took a shower and was careful not to get any water in my mouth so that I wouldn't drink any. NO food or water after midnight. I was asked this question way too many times today.
Driving over that early in the morning, just when the sun is coming up, it's kind of weird.
It's a strange feeling of walking into the hospital, to know that I won't be walking out the same way I came in.
I have to sign up on a sheet at admitting. They made a big deal about me getting there at 5:30 am but I went in later since my doctor told me to come in at 5:45. Ok, so it's only 15 minutes but I got 15 minutes more sleep. I still had to wait a half hour. And then there was problems with my insurance coverage. I figured that might happen.
I'm taken downstairs with a few other people to get prepped. I have to put that dumb gown on. The nurse told me to take everything off. I decided to keep my briefs on instead of commando. No one checked and no one cared. Once again the questions about when I ate and drank last. One nurse double checked which knee I was getting surgery on and put a big red X on the knee. Yeah, you've heard the stories about doctors amuptating the wrong leg, a wrong kidney and other botched surgeries.
I had to put that dumb looking cap on my head. One nurse from the surgical team came in and then the Anesthesiologist came into give me a brief talk, asked if I had any questions. The guy was very cool. Then my Ortho doc came in to make sure I was ok.
I'm wheeled into a few sets of doors and then finally into the room. They had put in IV in my hand and then when I was in the surgical room, the Anesthesiologist told me I'll feel a rushing sensation and looking back, that's when he put in the anesthesia. No one asked me to count backwards. I was ready and had memorized all the numbers...ha
The next thing I remember is someone asking me to blow out which I think was when they took out the breathing tube, I'm not sure. I was in and out of consciousness. I do remember being very uncomfortable and just couldn't find a comfortable position. I next remember I'm in some room, a few nurses would come and talk to me and I don't remember what they were saying or what I said. I was in a bit of pain so I got a short of demerol and that sure hurt getting the shot, a lot of burning in my arm. After about 10 minutes, the med kicked in and I was so drowsy and fell asleep for about a half hour. The one nurse didn't want me to sleep anymore and told me I had to stay awake to get discharged. Every time she came in, I would kind of sit up and then when she left, slumped over.
I came home, fell asleep for a few hours, woke up a few times and just finally ate some dinner.
My knee is throbbing and hurts but I can walk a bit. I really don't need any crutches but figured it's better to use them instead of messing up my knee. My doctor called tonight to see how I was doing and he said it's ok to walk a bit if I wanted to go out for dinner but not walk too much. I"m pretty much going to stay home for the next few days.
So, not much to report on except that the doctor told me when he went in, he was surprised how much damage there was to my knee.....and got it all cleaned up
Now, I'm on the road to recovery (sounds like I'm an addict).
And I Hope that now, I'll be 100% and able to train without fear of hurting my knee.
It's been close to a year now since I've been able to do that.
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