Day 3 Post-Op

Still bed bound with nothing revolutionary to note.

My world has been reduced to my bedroom, and the toilet. With the help of R. and crutches, I can hobble the couple metres it takes to brush my teeth (propped and balanced precariously on one crutch – thank you, core strength!) and use the toilet (lowering myself with my left leg – and thanking myself for all the pistol squats I used to do).

Being non-weight bearing for 6 weeks (due to my meniscus repair) means I must keep off my right foot, and being locked in a brace means I have to keep leg dead straight at all times (unless unlocked for exercise).

This is Day 3. Hard to imagine 39 more days of this. Hard to imagine a stronger, more powerful leg.

I’ve been struggling to sleep without tramadol, and struggling to keep my leg elevated with a pillow under my ankle at all times. The pain, even with tramadol, is too great. My knee has swollen up a lot more since the first day post-op, and it is making things uncomfortable. My current fear is healing with a limp, for being unable to keep my leg straight.

I’m trying to keep a structured, helpful narrative but I find I’m unable to do much in the way of organising my thoughts.

Why don’t people talk about the pain as much? I mean well okay they do, but you can’t help but wonder if they’re exaggerated accounts, and will never be able to feel it unless you’re in the throes, will you?

So yeah, I’m feeling it now. Reports are not exaggerated.

Am I just too weak, too whiny? I hope I never forget this – I need this seared in me, to remember to take proper care of my knees.

The tubi-grip compression sleeve the hospital provided me is also starting to itch due to the constant compression gripping around my knee. So I’m oscillating between pain and itch… pain and itch… pain and itch… one takes over, the other subsides… a steady thrum of discomfort.

This morning will be my first foray out since my return from the hospital – R. will help bring me to the polyclinic to get my dressing changed.

Here are some things that help:

• Focusing on small victories – e.g. I managed to brush my teeth standing yesterday
  
• The Game Changer cold compression therapy has provided much relief. I’ve been using it 15 mins x 3 times a day
  
• Diet – Based on a lot of reports, I had been anticipating constipation – but bowel movements have been great mainly due to my clean diet: no sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine. Protein heavy diet including chickpeas, salmon, chicken, snacks include fruit (dried prunes, bananas) and veggie (carrots, cherry tomatoes), breakfast consist of oats / chia seed pudding. I got a recovery meal plan service, and R has supplemented the rest – much to thank her for.
  
• Structuring my day with a routine and having a plan, even when that plan mostly takes place in bed, helps remove the “monotony” and stuck-ness of it all. The time I take my meds, the time I will exercise, the time I will shower, how I will dress to go polyclinic etc. – things we take for granted when mobile get extended when your world shrinks