I finally did it. I had surgery to repair my torn right ACL on July 2nd. I initially injured my knee 3 months ago on a ski trip to Calgary, Canada. That injury forced me to withdraw from the Wildflower Triathlon. I got better from the initial injury and started working out again, but my knee didn't feel entirely stable. So I decided to transfer to next year's Ironteam and proceeded with the surgery.
I got up at 3:30 AM had a cup of black coffee ( clear liquid), went through my pre-race routine (except for the eating part), and left the house at 4:30 AM with my wife and son. I decided to have the surgery at my previous hospital, where I knew the Ortho and Anesthesia docs well. This would also provide some privacy since everyone knows me at my current hospital from the security guards and janitors to the administrators, doctors, and nurses. There was a traffic accident, so we arrived at 5:45 AM. I registered and about 15 min later got called in to the Pre-op Holding room. I changed into a hospital gown, answered some more questions from the pre-op nurse, had an IV placed, and then waited for my friend who I selected to be my Anesthesiologist.
Soon my friend arrived and we discussed the anesthetic plan. I chose to have a continuous femoral nerve catheter placed which would provide me with numbing medicine ( local anesthesia) for about 48 hrs. I would also have a general anesthetic during the surgery, so I can sleep, wake-up and it would be all over.
Then the surgeon arrived and he examined my knee, went over my MRI and knee x-rays, and discussed the surgery. I chose to have a graft taken from my hamstring tendon to use as a replacement for my torn ACL. He reassured me with his expertise and caring bedside manner. He marked my right knee with his initials and then it was showtime.
My friend, the anesthesiologist, gave me an anxiolytic and I only briefly remember being in the OR, my leg twitching as they used an Ultrasound machine and nerve stimulator to place the catheter for the local anesthetic alongside my femoral nerve. He then placed a facemask over my face and had me breathe deeply as I went off to sleep.
The next thing I remember is being in the PACU ( recovery room). I had great nursing care. Saw my wife. Saw my surgeon. He discussed his findings. Apparently I had a meniscal tear, that wasn't present on the initial MRI. He repaired it during the surgery. He hopes that it will be successful, but if not, I may need another surgery for the meniscus. The ACL reconstruction went very well. Most likely I aggravated my meniscus after the initial ski accident, perhaps by returning to running too soon after the injury. If I was in my 20's, the surgeon said the meniscal repair would certainly be a success. However since I am 42, the body does not heal as effectively. I can only pray for healing and hopefully by keeping in shape all these years, my body will respond more like a 20 yo, than a 40 yo.
At home the nerve block provided about 36 hrs of relief, before the medicine in the pump ran out. I removed the catheter. I have been taking oral pain meds since with good relief. As the days go by the pain is more tolerable. I also have a cuff around the knee that attaches to an ice water machine. The machine pumps ice water to the cuff and is very effective in relieving pain and swelling around the knee. I try to keep my feet elevated either sitting or supine to minimize swelling. Swelling = pain!
So one week out of surgery, I'm getting around on crutches with a knee brace, and placing partial weight on my operated leg. I try to do ROM ( range of motion) exercises to prevent my knee from contractures. One problem is my Quads have shut down and I'm trying to wake them back up. I have a follow-up visit with Ortho tomorrow and my first PT ( physical therapy) appointment on Friday.
I have photos on my I-phone, at a later date I will place the photos on this blog.
