Hydrotherapy :o(
In an NHS pool.
In a swimming costume.
Oh Lord.
I won't enjoy this much.
So my appointment with Owen was this morning at 10.30 so I got a call at 8 saying he wasn't in could I come in at 9 (!) or 9.30. I chose the second option (ha!) and went in to see Georgie instead. Georgie is the one physio who I always see at the physio gym but have never spoken to. She had a look at my flexion and extention. Last time Owen and I had decided that I had full extention but in retrospect I don't think I did. Georgie kind of pressed on my quad quite hard which helped me to get more extention. Then we did flexion which is a bit more difficult. She was pushing my leg up quite hard. But it was ok and she said my flexion is at about 95 degrees at the moment.
Oh yeah... when I was straightening she wanted me to straighten my other leg and obviously noticed the hyperextention. Then she started feeling my kneecap in the bag leg and then in the good leg. In my good leg you can literally grab hold of the patella and move it, in the bad leg she was unable to move it at all! She did a bit of work on getting it to move around. I bet my leg is even more swollen tomorrow. Great. Once my knee gets a swelling it doesn't let it go. Tubigrips here I come...
So yes, then while I was doing my bending she went to get the hydrotherapy form. :o(
I really really really don't want to do hydro. :o(
Party because I don't really know what to expect. Partly because I see the type of people who go to Northwick Park and I'm not sure I want to share a pool with any of them. Also, I hope there are no young strapping sportsmen around. And I'm not thrilled about wearing a swimming costume. Oh... also there is a "hoist". I will be going no where near a hoist. No thank you very much.
So now every hour I have to bend and straighten and now do very slight squats - with my back against the wall to keep straight. Another new exercise is putting my feet flat on the floor and move my toes sideways. It quite a cute little thing to do. :o)
That is all...
xx
Monday 31 December 2007
Sunday 30 December 2007
Ha...
I have just been searching for other people blogging ACL reconstruction because to be honest I don't fully understand blogspot, I mean I do, but still, I just want somewhere I can search for all the other people who get their knees fixed!
Anyway, so ACL means a variety of things: it is a music festival somewhere on this planet, it is some form of software and it would appear that a) a lot of super religious Christians blog or b) it may have something to do with Christianity.
I wonder if people actually read my little blog.
Anyway, so ACL means a variety of things: it is a music festival somewhere on this planet, it is some form of software and it would appear that a) a lot of super religious Christians blog or b) it may have something to do with Christianity.
I wonder if people actually read my little blog.
Saturday 29 December 2007
Bored. I am bored.
Its nearly been a month now which means I can come of my crutches soon. Yipee! I have a physio session on Monday so I will see what dear old (young) Owen says. He told me to do my exercises every hour but that is really hard. I have to straighten my leg and hold for 10 seconds then bend it and hold for ten seconds 3 times. He also wanted me to lift my leg from a seated position on a chair but that is not closed chain and the consultant told me to only do closed chain exercises. Closed chain is when your foot is touching the floor... I think. Actually I'm just gonna google it.....
Oh... I love Wikipedia
So yes... closed chain is when the foot is fixed and cannot move.
At the moment I am still supposed to be partial weight bearing with 2 cructhes but in the house I tend to use one crutch just because it is so fiddly to use 2 and it is easier to carry stuff around if I only use one crutch. Sometimes I don't use any crutches, if I'm in my room just moving from the door to the window or whatever. I know that my consultant said not to but I have read American blogs where people are off crutches in a few days so I don't think I'm doing any harm really.
That is all really.
I am bored.
Oh... I love Wikipedia
So yes... closed chain is when the foot is fixed and cannot move.
At the moment I am still supposed to be partial weight bearing with 2 cructhes but in the house I tend to use one crutch just because it is so fiddly to use 2 and it is easier to carry stuff around if I only use one crutch. Sometimes I don't use any crutches, if I'm in my room just moving from the door to the window or whatever. I know that my consultant said not to but I have read American blogs where people are off crutches in a few days so I don't think I'm doing any harm really.
That is all really.
I am bored.
Wednesday 26 December 2007
Tuesday 25 December 2007
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas everyone!!
Went out last night and managed to put away a vat of wine and not damage my knee so its all good.
xxxx
Thursday 20 December 2007
6 to 8 weeks
I went to clinic today to have my stitches out and to have a follow up with my consultant. I was so excited because the nurse that works in the clinic is so amusing without realising, she once told me to look after a toilet! I love her. So yes, as usual there were LOADS of people waiting and the doctors were late. At the moment the clinic is in a ward while they refurbish so everyone has to sit along one side of the wall - its quite funny to see lots of people with broken legs and casts having to move when people get wheeled in. Today more and more people kept on turning up for their appointments and it seemed that noone was leaving. I was sitting just by the door to one of the doctor's rooms and he seemed to see more doctors than patients!! He's obviously popular.
Mary the nurse called my name and told me to stay where I was because she had nowhere to go! I waited about half an hour but thats ok because I just love the comedy value of Clinic 7&8!
Once Mary had found a room she made me sit on the bed and then asked me to help her take the covers off the stitches - she's brilliant! So I did, and I had mainly steristrips over the incisions and had 2 stitches, one of which she just pulled out with her hand.
Then luckily because Mary had used Mr. Bartlett's room to take out the stitches he then had a look at my knee. Tested the movement, which he was happy with - it matches my other knee apparently. He asked how my flexion is, so I told him it is a lot harder to bend than straighten but he wasn't worried and said it was expected. He also told me not to let physio rush me through my rehab. They would have me jogging at 3 months but he'd prefer it if I didn't jog until 4 to 5 months. Oh dear - do I look like a jog?????? Ew!!
He also told me I don't have to wear the brace anymore - which is nice, but I think I will wear it on Christmas Eve to make sure I get a seat in the pub. :o) Still have to use the crutches for the next 2 weeks and am going back to clinic in 6 weeks time. He seems confident I'll be able to go back to work on January 21st (which is the 6 week mark) but I wonder when the last time he was in a Nursery teaching 3 year olds. Hmmmm. I'll have to see how I feel but if I'm honest I don't know if I'll be strong enough to go back... I will only have been walking without crutches for a week or so. I don't know.
That's all for now really. The stitches, well where the stitches were, are sore. I have only done physio once today. Every hour just comes around so quickly so I have just been doubling up every other hour. I wonder if that's really bad :S
Mary the nurse called my name and told me to stay where I was because she had nowhere to go! I waited about half an hour but thats ok because I just love the comedy value of Clinic 7&8!
Once Mary had found a room she made me sit on the bed and then asked me to help her take the covers off the stitches - she's brilliant! So I did, and I had mainly steristrips over the incisions and had 2 stitches, one of which she just pulled out with her hand.
Then luckily because Mary had used Mr. Bartlett's room to take out the stitches he then had a look at my knee. Tested the movement, which he was happy with - it matches my other knee apparently. He asked how my flexion is, so I told him it is a lot harder to bend than straighten but he wasn't worried and said it was expected. He also told me not to let physio rush me through my rehab. They would have me jogging at 3 months but he'd prefer it if I didn't jog until 4 to 5 months. Oh dear - do I look like a jog?????? Ew!!
He also told me I don't have to wear the brace anymore - which is nice, but I think I will wear it on Christmas Eve to make sure I get a seat in the pub. :o) Still have to use the crutches for the next 2 weeks and am going back to clinic in 6 weeks time. He seems confident I'll be able to go back to work on January 21st (which is the 6 week mark) but I wonder when the last time he was in a Nursery teaching 3 year olds. Hmmmm. I'll have to see how I feel but if I'm honest I don't know if I'll be strong enough to go back... I will only have been walking without crutches for a week or so. I don't know.
That's all for now really. The stitches, well where the stitches were, are sore. I have only done physio once today. Every hour just comes around so quickly so I have just been doubling up every other hour. I wonder if that's really bad :S
Tuesday 18 December 2007
Every hour...??
I've just got back from my first physio appointment with my new PT Owen - he's lovely bless him. And will let me off jogging and running when i throw a girly strop... can't do that with a girl physio!
So he let me take my bandage off - thank goodness - because the nurses at the hospital had told me to keep it on even though it was slipping down and quite manky! So yes, I got there and had to do my 70000th initial questions, I don't know why they don't just transfer the previous notes.
So, he couldn't really do much because my stitches are still in. Just straightening and bending. But I have to do it every hour. Urgh!! I think I'll have to set an alarm or something. And my muscles are so tight that that makes it hurt more.
Other than that everything is fine, the stitches come out on Thursday thank god. Erm, yes, I have been walking a little bit without my crutches but I know I shouldn't. Oh, and Owen says I have to carry on wearing the Cricket Splint. :o( It's a bit big now so it slips down a lot. But it does feel safer when I have it on.
I think that's all for now... Off out to the Staff Christmas 'do' tonight, lets see how much sympathy I get from people who haven't even given me a get well soon card!
So he let me take my bandage off - thank goodness - because the nurses at the hospital had told me to keep it on even though it was slipping down and quite manky! So yes, I got there and had to do my 70000th initial questions, I don't know why they don't just transfer the previous notes.
So, he couldn't really do much because my stitches are still in. Just straightening and bending. But I have to do it every hour. Urgh!! I think I'll have to set an alarm or something. And my muscles are so tight that that makes it hurt more.
Other than that everything is fine, the stitches come out on Thursday thank god. Erm, yes, I have been walking a little bit without my crutches but I know I shouldn't. Oh, and Owen says I have to carry on wearing the Cricket Splint. :o( It's a bit big now so it slips down a lot. But it does feel safer when I have it on.
I think that's all for now... Off out to the Staff Christmas 'do' tonight, lets see how much sympathy I get from people who haven't even given me a get well soon card!
Friday 14 December 2007
Shower Sleeve!
Well, my bestest friend Laura's Mummy is a pharmacist and she got me a "Shower Sleeve". If you knew about these already and have read my previous posts then I guess you are probably laughing at my plastic bag and tape efforts to have a shower and bath. If you've not heard of them they are genius, yet so simple. Basically it is a plastic bag with ties on each end that cover casts/bandages/post surgical incisions etc! So yes, I am now the proud owner of a Shower Sleeve and I suggest that you get one if you are have any form of surgery that will mean having to wear a bandage and therefore not being able to get ur incisions wet. (But only on legs, or arms, I guess they don't make one for abdominal incisions... I dunno????)
http://www.healthenterprises.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/557
Mine comes from Boots. So yes, and it was £4.99.
http://www.healthenterprises.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/557
Mine comes from Boots. So yes, and it was £4.99.
Wednesday 12 December 2007
Shower
Hullo!
Just thought I'd report that yesterday I managed to have a shower - I just put a plastic bin bag on my leg like I did when I had a bath. Used my crutches to get into the shower cubicle, and then just stood on my good leg and out the bad one on the floor to support myself. I think I taped up the bag too tight again, my stitches started to throb a bit - next time I must remember not to tape the bag too tight. :D
Erm, so yes, I turned the water off and dried myself before I got out then used my cructhes to get myself out of the shower. Simple really.
Oh, and I have a very odd bruise on my shin that looks like its growing. And as far as I can see not connected to my knee. I guess its just from where the bone has been drilled and stressed? Obvs that is not a medical opinion! It's just something I made up! :o)
Tuesday 11 December 2007
I went out!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen! I left the house yesterday! It was so exciting!! I went to the shops. With Laura!
Also... I had a bath! I had a horrible day on Sunday, I was really depressed and fed up and I convinced myself that the only thing that would make me feel better would be having a bath. I was sure I could get in and out without too much trouble but my mum and dad were sceptacle and so I didn't. Which made me really cross and angry, which made my day even worse.
So yesterday when they were all out at work I ran the bath and had a go. I put a bin liner on my leg, taped it up (a bit too tight I think) and then got in the bath. I sat on the edge with my bad leg on the floor, then turned a little bit, put my bad leg up on the toilet, then turned a bit more, put my leg on the side of the bath put my good leg in the water and lowered myself in with my hands and good leg. And I just kept my leg out of the water. And to get out again I let most of the water out, stood up using my arms and good leg to help me, and got out the same way I got in really, just balanced myself with my hands while I carefully got my bad leg out then swung round and stood up. So yes! Easy peasy! I think I might try a shower today.
What else...?
Oh, got my outpatients appointment, not having my stitches out until 20th December... just seems such a long way away! And I have my physio appointment before that, I wonder how much physio I can do while I still have stitches... I read another blog about someone who burst their stitches doing physio exercises! Ewwwwww! If that happens to me I'll be so upset! Especially since I'm going out the same night for a Christmas Party!
Also... I had a bath! I had a horrible day on Sunday, I was really depressed and fed up and I convinced myself that the only thing that would make me feel better would be having a bath. I was sure I could get in and out without too much trouble but my mum and dad were sceptacle and so I didn't. Which made me really cross and angry, which made my day even worse.
So yesterday when they were all out at work I ran the bath and had a go. I put a bin liner on my leg, taped it up (a bit too tight I think) and then got in the bath. I sat on the edge with my bad leg on the floor, then turned a little bit, put my bad leg up on the toilet, then turned a bit more, put my leg on the side of the bath put my good leg in the water and lowered myself in with my hands and good leg. And I just kept my leg out of the water. And to get out again I let most of the water out, stood up using my arms and good leg to help me, and got out the same way I got in really, just balanced myself with my hands while I carefully got my bad leg out then swung round and stood up. So yes! Easy peasy! I think I might try a shower today.
What else...?
Oh, got my outpatients appointment, not having my stitches out until 20th December... just seems such a long way away! And I have my physio appointment before that, I wonder how much physio I can do while I still have stitches... I read another blog about someone who burst their stitches doing physio exercises! Ewwwwww! If that happens to me I'll be so upset! Especially since I'm going out the same night for a Christmas Party!
Sunday 9 December 2007
Keeping up with the Kardashians...
Ha! I have a new obsession... Keeping up with the Kardashians on E!
Oh what my life has become!Right so an update. I haven't written for a few days because really there has been nothing to report. I am getting more bend on my leg each day and straightening it is getting easier. If I put my hand under my knee I can definitely feel my leg pushing down.
Last night I was doing bending and straightening before I went to sleep (its easier to do it in bed) and I noticed some pain under my knee, I was worried because the doctor had told me about the risk of blood clots and I was worried that it might be one, but I have no idea what that would feel like and I think for the moment its just that I have pulled the muscle. I don't know. Last night it seemed harder to bend and straighten my leg, and again this morning, I think its just stiff.
Also, I thought about saving some of my codeine tablets for when I have physio so it didn't hurt afterwards, so I was just taking paracetamol but then I was getting sharp pains in my knee. It wasn't fun. Today I took one this morning and one before I go to bed and see how I go. I don't really know if I'm in pain, or if its just uncomfortable. And my stitches are really really really itchy, which means they are healing, but its so annoying not being able to look at them! I have sort of rolled the bandage down a bit and there is quite a lot of blood on one of the small incisions, but they don't have proper sticthes. Hmmm, its annoying not being able to look. Ooh, and here is an exciting bit of news... The doctor told me that sometimes a little area under your knee goes numb - something to do with the nerves getting affected whilst they are operating. Anyway, I have said numbness... its very odd, and its under my bandage so I can't investigate it properly yet, but yes, there is quite a big area that is numb. I have read in other blogs that sometimes this feeling comes back so we'll just have to wait and see.
Erm, so yes, thats it really... nothing else knee related to report. Just a bit more pain, and I just want to get the stitches out. Urgh. This is my leg at the moment (please note my lovely sparkly socks)!
In other news I am BORED out of my skin... A lot, utterly and 100% extra bored.
I had my hair cut. This is good.
I am hearing reports from my school where I was in charge of the lower school Christmas production. Well it would appear that all my fabulous plans have been ruined! Urgh. No dance to Dolly Parton? What sort of Nativity will this be????? ;o)
Ooh... and I got some lovely flowers from some family friends... they are pink and lovely.
Thursday 6 December 2007
Today...
Well, nothing really much to report... I realised that I have been taking too many painkillers!!! The nurses at the hospital said every 4 hours, and that I should set my alarm, so I have been doing that. But then I was just looking at the packets and it says 4 times a day, not every 4 hours! Oh dear! But at least that means no more setting my alarm for the middle of the night to take pills!
My leg feels quite sore at the moment. The muscles ache, like at the top of my leg and my ankle, where I am moving them around to keep my leg mobile. I have been doing the "exercises" that Andy said I should be doing, practicing straightening and bending my leg. Actually I am quite surprised at how much I can bend it already, straightening it is harder but I can do it and it has improved already, so I am confident that I am getting better!! :o)
Thats's all for now really...
Well apart from the very odd bruise I have on my hand where the nurse tried to take blood in the hospital but it didn't work. It has a reddish bit, and then a big oval shape that is sort of brownish-blue. Interesting!
My leg feels quite sore at the moment. The muscles ache, like at the top of my leg and my ankle, where I am moving them around to keep my leg mobile. I have been doing the "exercises" that Andy said I should be doing, practicing straightening and bending my leg. Actually I am quite surprised at how much I can bend it already, straightening it is harder but I can do it and it has improved already, so I am confident that I am getting better!! :o)
Thats's all for now really...
Well apart from the very odd bruise I have on my hand where the nurse tried to take blood in the hospital but it didn't work. It has a reddish bit, and then a big oval shape that is sort of brownish-blue. Interesting!
Wednesday 5 December 2007
I'm home!
Hi there!!
So I am home from the hospital, I got home last night about 7pm (so much for the pre-op nurse who told me I would stay for 4 nights - what a fool I looked with my giant hold-all).
So.... what happened?
Right, I got to the hospital at 7.30am and was seen straight away by the anesthetist who was lovely and had much better people skills than the one I saw last time I was there! Then I met my pre-op nurse who was called Victoria and was lovely, she was really friendly and funny. She did the pre-op questions (which are the same as the ones the anesthetist asks and the same ones I have already been asked 70000000 times elsewhere!) There were 2 other people having surgery with my surgeon and they were both having knee replacements which take 3 hours each. A random man named Ian came along and spoke to them both, I was sitting there waiting for Mr Bartlett, but apparently Ian is on his team so he came with the consent form. Asked questions (that I had, of course, already been asked) and marked my leg with a giant arrow! The woman who was next to me waiting was 92 years old and so with it! She was great, she told me to leave the doctor alone because he was her toyboy!! She was saying that she'd had her first operation when she was 79! She was amazing, born in 1915! Thats so crazy! Anyway the nurse got her ready and I didn't have my attractive robe on yet so I was asuming I was last, which meant loaaaaaaads of waiting. Suddenly Victoria popped her head round the curtain and said "Quick get ready get ready!!!!!!" I was like, "Oh really? ok!" So I put on my pretty robe, and my mum did it up for me, I looked HOT!!!! She took me and my mum round to the theatre and then I think she took my mum to the ward I was going to afterwards. I went into, well I guess the theatre waiting room, where I laid down on the trolley. It was so very cold in there and when the door to the theatre open it was like an icy ice block! The theatre nurse hooked me up to the monitors and then left me. I was left lying there for about half an hour listening to my heart rate on the monitor! HA! That was scary. The anesthetist came back and put my IV in, and then gave me my medicine and the last thing I said was "I like this bit!".
I woke up and was shivering so Jo the nurse made it very cosy with a hot air blanket. She was so fun! I don't remember it completely but I know I was in pain because she gave me Morphine. She gave it slowly and I remember asking for more because it was still hurting. But the pain did wear off and it was just an ache really. A strong ache but an ache nonetheless. There were other people waking up there but they all seemed quite drowsy. Jo kept on telling me to snooze to make the medicine work better but I didn't feel sleepy really. I was just loving the blanket that was keeping me warm, it was inflated with hot air, it was great!! I kept on asking Jo if I could take it with me. She was saying "they don't have these luxuries on the ward". Rubbish. I also remember her telling me she didn't do sports in case she ended up in hospital so while her friends do sports she looks after the plonk! Ha! Then, about an hour and a half after I woke up I was wheeled up to the ward. I was in a side room, so I didn't have to share (thank god!). The nurse came and did my observations, which they did every 15 minutes. I remember having a drip and drifting in and out of sleep. My leg was still aching.
My mum and dad arrived for visiting and suddenly the nurse started going on about me
going to the toilet and how I must, but no one had asked me if I wanted to! They made me really upset for some reason and then she started fiddling with my DVT stocking which upset me even more because I'd put it on myself and no one had bothered to check it! Then she gave me antibiotics through my IV which really really hurt. A lot. Then she gave me paracetemol through my IV which worked so quickly and a codeine tablet and my leg stopped aching for a while. As you can see they kept on putting another bag of fluid up and my hand got really swollen and painful! :o(
When my parents had gone they started nagging me again about going to the toilet and brought the bed pan. Good grief, going to the toilet on a bed pan was the most interesting experience of my life! I'll say no more, but I wasn't allowed out of bed until the physio saw me the next day, and so yes, the bed pan was my friend. And I guess it was a better experience than the campsite toilets at Leeds Festival!!!
Ok, so the night was alright. The nurse on the nighttime shift was really lovely and apologised everytime she had to do something. She told me to to sleep but then she or someone else would come in to my room every hour or so to give me drugs or take my blood pressure. She came in and said "Aren't you sleeping?" I was thinking well I'm trying love but you keep on coming in!! She said my blood pressure, oxygen and temperature were all steady so once she'd given me drugs at 4 o'clock she would leave me until 8 to sleep. So someone came in at 6 to do obs! And then breakfast arrived at 7.15 then my doctor and his mate from the day before came at 7.30. They said it had gone really well and told me about the "cricket splint" that I had to wear and that I would be on crutches for 4 weeks, which I knew already. They also said I'm not allowed to jump for 6 months. How weird is that? I find it very odd. So yes, they came and so I didn't really get much sleep. A lovely nurse (I'm not sure if she was a nurse or like an assistant) came and she was really lovely, she had a chat with me. I was so bored in the room by myself. There was no Patientline thing which has TV and I tried to read and play on my DS but it kind of tired me out. So yeah, I just snoozed really. Oh and lay there listening to this woman who was in the room opposite - she was quite something. Had an opinion on EVERYTHING!!!! If I was allowed out of bed I think I would have gone and told her tp SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrr!
Anyway, the morning continued the same, just sitting and waiting, then Andy the physio brought me my cricket splint... It was cool coz I knew him from my Physio classes at Northwick
Park when I first hurt my knee and he remembered me which was nice, I said I really wanted to get out of bed so he said he would come back and see me soon. About half an hour later Lucy a student physio came and put the brace on for me, we were joking about how I will make everyone jealous with my sexy knee brace. It really is HUGE, it goes from the top of my thigh to my ankle and is very thick. Then she went away without giving me crutches so I was stiiiiiiiiiiiiill stuck in bed. FINALLY Andy and Lucy came back with my crutches and I got out of bed, walked to the door of my bed, said it hurt, which it really did and then they said I had to go back to bed. Wow, the excitement!
The sister "Sister Edwards" she was very serious, came and took some blood and I asked if I was allowed to go the toilet by myself, she said yes and it was like the best news I had ever heard. So I got up and went to the toilet all by myself! HOORAH!!! Then I had some more medicine and some lunch and did some more waiting. Then Andy and Lucy came back and we went to practise stairs! Woo! I thought it'd be really hard but actually it was simple! Then Andy went away to get me my appointment for physio and guess what... I did some more waiting!!
I was only waiting for my medicine from the pharmacy but Sister Edwards said that everytime she took my sheet to the nurses station someone brought it back into my room. I asked if I was allowed to get dressed and they said yes so I got up, did my hair (well sort of) and then got dressed. I was still waiting. Then at about 5.15 Nenneh my nurse came and did my discharge questions and the student nurse went to collect my medicine! Yey! Do you know what I had been waiting for... paracetamol! Great! And some codeine - which is nice and strong! Then Nenneh asked if I minded waiting in the day room, and suddenly I was there and there were 2 more people being brought up to go in my room and one other!! Talk about last minute.
So yes, that was it really my dad came to pick me up and I was out! I put on shorts coz I think I would have looked ridiculous trying to put trousers over the splint, everyone was telling me I was going to be freezing. I got outside, I wasn't cold, it was quite nice to feel fresh air. I had to keep my stocking thing on, and I have to keep it on for 2 weeks! How sexy! Giant brace on one side, stocking on the other.
Yeah, so basically I got home, Laura came over (YEY) and brought me magazines and chocolate, and in one of the magazines was a lovely article on being addicted to codeine! Great!!! Lol! So yes. I have to set my alarm for every 4 hours to take my painkillers. The nurses told me to take them and not to wait until I'm in pain. But actually I do feel like I should be taking them, I can always feel my leg, I think its the stitches I can feel more than anything inside. I have to keep my foot moving and every couple of hours I have to try bending my leg and straightening it. Both are quite hard but Andy said he thinks in 2 weeks time when I have my first physio I should be able to straighten my leg and bend it to 90 degrees! Hmmmm - we shall see!
So I am home from the hospital, I got home last night about 7pm (so much for the pre-op nurse who told me I would stay for 4 nights - what a fool I looked with my giant hold-all).
So.... what happened?
Right, I got to the hospital at 7.30am and was seen straight away by the anesthetist who was lovely and had much better people skills than the one I saw last time I was there! Then I met my pre-op nurse who was called Victoria and was lovely, she was really friendly and funny. She did the pre-op questions (which are the same as the ones the anesthetist asks and the same ones I have already been asked 70000000 times elsewhere!) There were 2 other people having surgery with my surgeon and they were both having knee replacements which take 3 hours each. A random man named Ian came along and spoke to them both, I was sitting there waiting for Mr Bartlett, but apparently Ian is on his team so he came with the consent form. Asked questions (that I had, of course, already been asked) and marked my leg with a giant arrow! The woman who was next to me waiting was 92 years old and so with it! She was great, she told me to leave the doctor alone because he was her toyboy!! She was saying that she'd had her first operation when she was 79! She was amazing, born in 1915! Thats so crazy! Anyway the nurse got her ready and I didn't have my attractive robe on yet so I was asuming I was last, which meant loaaaaaaads of waiting. Suddenly Victoria popped her head round the curtain and said "Quick get ready get ready!!!!!!" I was like, "Oh really? ok!" So I put on my pretty robe, and my mum did it up for me, I looked HOT!!!! She took me and my mum round to the theatre and then I think she took my mum to the ward I was going to afterwards. I went into, well I guess the theatre waiting room, where I laid down on the trolley. It was so very cold in there and when the door to the theatre open it was like an icy ice block! The theatre nurse hooked me up to the monitors and then left me. I was left lying there for about half an hour listening to my heart rate on the monitor! HA! That was scary. The anesthetist came back and put my IV in, and then gave me my medicine and the last thing I said was "I like this bit!".
I woke up and was shivering so Jo the nurse made it very cosy with a hot air blanket. She was so fun! I don't remember it completely but I know I was in pain because she gave me Morphine. She gave it slowly and I remember asking for more because it was still hurting. But the pain did wear off and it was just an ache really. A strong ache but an ache nonetheless. There were other people waking up there but they all seemed quite drowsy. Jo kept on telling me to snooze to make the medicine work better but I didn't feel sleepy really. I was just loving the blanket that was keeping me warm, it was inflated with hot air, it was great!! I kept on asking Jo if I could take it with me. She was saying "they don't have these luxuries on the ward". Rubbish. I also remember her telling me she didn't do sports in case she ended up in hospital so while her friends do sports she looks after the plonk! Ha! Then, about an hour and a half after I woke up I was wheeled up to the ward. I was in a side room, so I didn't have to share (thank god!). The nurse came and did my observations, which they did every 15 minutes. I remember having a drip and drifting in and out of sleep. My leg was still aching.
My mum and dad arrived for visiting and suddenly the nurse started going on about me
going to the toilet and how I must, but no one had asked me if I wanted to! They made me really upset for some reason and then she started fiddling with my DVT stocking which upset me even more because I'd put it on myself and no one had bothered to check it! Then she gave me antibiotics through my IV which really really hurt. A lot. Then she gave me paracetemol through my IV which worked so quickly and a codeine tablet and my leg stopped aching for a while. As you can see they kept on putting another bag of fluid up and my hand got really swollen and painful! :o( When my parents had gone they started nagging me again about going to the toilet and brought the bed pan. Good grief, going to the toilet on a bed pan was the most interesting experience of my life! I'll say no more, but I wasn't allowed out of bed until the physio saw me the next day, and so yes, the bed pan was my friend. And I guess it was a better experience than the campsite toilets at Leeds Festival!!!
Ok, so the night was alright. The nurse on the nighttime shift was really lovely and apologised everytime she had to do something. She told me to to sleep but then she or someone else would come in to my room every hour or so to give me drugs or take my blood pressure. She came in and said "Aren't you sleeping?" I was thinking well I'm trying love but you keep on coming in!! She said my blood pressure, oxygen and temperature were all steady so once she'd given me drugs at 4 o'clock she would leave me until 8 to sleep. So someone came in at 6 to do obs! And then breakfast arrived at 7.15 then my doctor and his mate from the day before came at 7.30. They said it had gone really well and told me about the "cricket splint" that I had to wear and that I would be on crutches for 4 weeks, which I knew already. They also said I'm not allowed to jump for 6 months. How weird is that? I find it very odd. So yes, they came and so I didn't really get much sleep. A lovely nurse (I'm not sure if she was a nurse or like an assistant) came and she was really lovely, she had a chat with me. I was so bored in the room by myself. There was no Patientline thing which has TV and I tried to read and play on my DS but it kind of tired me out. So yeah, I just snoozed really. Oh and lay there listening to this woman who was in the room opposite - she was quite something. Had an opinion on EVERYTHING!!!! If I was allowed out of bed I think I would have gone and told her tp SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrr!
Anyway, the morning continued the same, just sitting and waiting, then Andy the physio brought me my cricket splint... It was cool coz I knew him from my Physio classes at Northwick
Park when I first hurt my knee and he remembered me which was nice, I said I really wanted to get out of bed so he said he would come back and see me soon. About half an hour later Lucy a student physio came and put the brace on for me, we were joking about how I will make everyone jealous with my sexy knee brace. It really is HUGE, it goes from the top of my thigh to my ankle and is very thick. Then she went away without giving me crutches so I was stiiiiiiiiiiiiill stuck in bed. FINALLY Andy and Lucy came back with my crutches and I got out of bed, walked to the door of my bed, said it hurt, which it really did and then they said I had to go back to bed. Wow, the excitement!The sister "Sister Edwards" she was very serious, came and took some blood and I asked if I was allowed to go the toilet by myself, she said yes and it was like the best news I had ever heard. So I got up and went to the toilet all by myself! HOORAH!!! Then I had some more medicine and some lunch and did some more waiting. Then Andy and Lucy came back and we went to practise stairs! Woo! I thought it'd be really hard but actually it was simple! Then Andy went away to get me my appointment for physio and guess what... I did some more waiting!!
I was only waiting for my medicine from the pharmacy but Sister Edwards said that everytime she took my sheet to the nurses station someone brought it back into my room. I asked if I was allowed to get dressed and they said yes so I got up, did my hair (well sort of) and then got dressed. I was still waiting. Then at about 5.15 Nenneh my nurse came and did my discharge questions and the student nurse went to collect my medicine! Yey! Do you know what I had been waiting for... paracetamol! Great! And some codeine - which is nice and strong! Then Nenneh asked if I minded waiting in the day room, and suddenly I was there and there were 2 more people being brought up to go in my room and one other!! Talk about last minute.
So yes, that was it really my dad came to pick me up and I was out! I put on shorts coz I think I would have looked ridiculous trying to put trousers over the splint, everyone was telling me I was going to be freezing. I got outside, I wasn't cold, it was quite nice to feel fresh air. I had to keep my stocking thing on, and I have to keep it on for 2 weeks! How sexy! Giant brace on one side, stocking on the other.
Yeah, so basically I got home, Laura came over (YEY) and brought me magazines and chocolate, and in one of the magazines was a lovely article on being addicted to codeine! Great!!! Lol! So yes. I have to set my alarm for every 4 hours to take my painkillers. The nurses told me to take them and not to wait until I'm in pain. But actually I do feel like I should be taking them, I can always feel my leg, I think its the stitches I can feel more than anything inside. I have to keep my foot moving and every couple of hours I have to try bending my leg and straightening it. Both are quite hard but Andy said he thinks in 2 weeks time when I have my first physio I should be able to straighten my leg and bend it to 90 degrees! Hmmmm - we shall see!
Saturday 1 December 2007
The story so far...
On Monday (3rd December) I will be going into hospital to have my left ACL reconstructed. I wanted to blog it because ever since I was told I needed my ligament reconstructed I have wanted to know what would happen... I have found plenty of blogs about it but mainly from people in America where the operation varies from here in the UK. So I am going to blog my NHS experience of an ACL reconstruction. Fabulous!
Maybe I should do a bit of background now...
I am a 24 year old teacher and about a year and a half ago I was in a trampoline lesson (with a coach and everything) and was learning a routine. I twisted and as I did also pulled up my trousers! Classy eh?? As I landed, I landed really really badly and felt like I had broken my leg. I heard a huge snap and was in a lot of pain!! I think I landed just on my left leg and it felt as though my leg had bent backwards! Nice!!! Anyway, I went to the hospital and had an Xray which showed that nothing was broken. They sent me home with a tubigrip, crutches and a physio appointment for the following Wednesday. I went to it and had the LOVELIEST physio ever... Dave and his student. He was yummy! Anyway.... I did my physio and was having a physio session a week for about a month (all this time I was off work - there was no way I was going back to my class of 5 year olds while I was on crutches!). Dave was pleased with my progress but was worried because my knee kept on giving way and it was thanks to him I was referred to the Fracture Clinic... If he hadn't have done that I still don't think I would even have a diagnosis!! So I went to see the doctor at the Fracture clinic who then decided I need an MRI scan.
So, lets recap - I hurt my knee in May, I had an MRI in September - the NHS, not speedy! I had the scan and heard nothing and so I rang the hospital and got myself an appointment with the clinic. The nice doctor I saw this time told me that I had completely torn the ACL and that I had also damaged my cartilage. So I was put on the waiting list for an arthroscopy, and I was put on as urgent. As I waited my knee did get quite bad - it didn't give way so much as I was back to working out everyday - but weirdly every Friday my knee would 'click' out of place and get stuck which was really really painful. Luckily I found that if a child from my class sat on my knee it would click back!! Ha!
After a few months I got a letter from the hospital which asked me to phone a number to tell them I was free and ready for the op, which I did. But apparently they didn't get my message and it was only when I went to see my GP about something else he found the letter saying I had been removed from the waiting list that we found out. He wrote the best "angry doctor" letter ever and a few weeks later the hospital were ringing me! I was booked in to the hospital for July 23rd as a day patient and had my knee arthroscopy. It was fine and I was home about 2 hours after I had come round from the anesthetic.
I went back to clinic 2 weeks after my op to "have my stitches removed" which was interesting because I only had steristrips! And the doctor showed me the pics from the athroscopy and said I had an "empty space" in my knee and that I would need an ACL reconstruction. He also showed me some damage on my bone, which they haven't really told me anything about yet! So I filled out the form for entry onto the waiting list and waited. I was sent back to physio AGAIN, and showed some exercises that I already knew! I think physio is designed for people who have never even attempted to do a squat before!! My new physio was no fun either.
My knee was fine and I was not wearing a tubigrip but on the August bank holiday me and my friends went to Leeds Festival and my knee swelled up a treat and so the tubigrip was back on. So when I got back I went to physio again and he gave me even harder exercises. Then as soon as I went back to school after the summer holidays I found that the physio exercises were making my knee swell up so big I couldn't bend it properly. I decided that my normal half hour to an hour of Tae-Bo a night was ok for now and that I would do physio and Pilates a few times a week to focus on the muscles that needed to be strong. My knee wasn't swollen anymore and I wasn't in any pain.
So, yes, I got a date through for the ACL reconstruction, had my pre-op and a second pre-op with the consultant (which by the way was the first time I had actually seen him in clinic!!!) and was booked in for 19th November. I was just about the leave for the hospital but then they called and said the sterilisation equipment was broken and so I couldn't have it done that day. I stayed at home the next day waiting for them to call me with the new date... they didn't, so I called them, and I am now booked in for this Monday, 3rd December.
In a weird way I am quite excited. I still don't entirely know what to expect. From blogs I have read its not painful as such, and you get a brace, which I am excited to see! I think it is removeable and I am planning all my Christmas outfits, only rubbish bit is I can't wear high heels when I'm on crutches... but I may give it a go! Ha! I will be walking with crutches for a month afterwards and my consultant seems to think I will be back at work in 6 weeks, but I work in the Nursery and 52 3 year olds running around and me with a knee I can't bend properly doesn't fill me with confidence, but I guess we will see how I feel and what Mr. Bartlett thinks.
So anyway, that is the story so far,
I will, no doubt be blogging a lot since I'll be at home with my knee up watching day time TV!!!
Laters!
.x.
Maybe I should do a bit of background now...
I am a 24 year old teacher and about a year and a half ago I was in a trampoline lesson (with a coach and everything) and was learning a routine. I twisted and as I did also pulled up my trousers! Classy eh?? As I landed, I landed really really badly and felt like I had broken my leg. I heard a huge snap and was in a lot of pain!! I think I landed just on my left leg and it felt as though my leg had bent backwards! Nice!!! Anyway, I went to the hospital and had an Xray which showed that nothing was broken. They sent me home with a tubigrip, crutches and a physio appointment for the following Wednesday. I went to it and had the LOVELIEST physio ever... Dave and his student. He was yummy! Anyway.... I did my physio and was having a physio session a week for about a month (all this time I was off work - there was no way I was going back to my class of 5 year olds while I was on crutches!). Dave was pleased with my progress but was worried because my knee kept on giving way and it was thanks to him I was referred to the Fracture Clinic... If he hadn't have done that I still don't think I would even have a diagnosis!! So I went to see the doctor at the Fracture clinic who then decided I need an MRI scan.
So, lets recap - I hurt my knee in May, I had an MRI in September - the NHS, not speedy! I had the scan and heard nothing and so I rang the hospital and got myself an appointment with the clinic. The nice doctor I saw this time told me that I had completely torn the ACL and that I had also damaged my cartilage. So I was put on the waiting list for an arthroscopy, and I was put on as urgent. As I waited my knee did get quite bad - it didn't give way so much as I was back to working out everyday - but weirdly every Friday my knee would 'click' out of place and get stuck which was really really painful. Luckily I found that if a child from my class sat on my knee it would click back!! Ha!
After a few months I got a letter from the hospital which asked me to phone a number to tell them I was free and ready for the op, which I did. But apparently they didn't get my message and it was only when I went to see my GP about something else he found the letter saying I had been removed from the waiting list that we found out. He wrote the best "angry doctor" letter ever and a few weeks later the hospital were ringing me! I was booked in to the hospital for July 23rd as a day patient and had my knee arthroscopy. It was fine and I was home about 2 hours after I had come round from the anesthetic.
I went back to clinic 2 weeks after my op to "have my stitches removed" which was interesting because I only had steristrips! And the doctor showed me the pics from the athroscopy and said I had an "empty space" in my knee and that I would need an ACL reconstruction. He also showed me some damage on my bone, which they haven't really told me anything about yet! So I filled out the form for entry onto the waiting list and waited. I was sent back to physio AGAIN, and showed some exercises that I already knew! I think physio is designed for people who have never even attempted to do a squat before!! My new physio was no fun either.
My knee was fine and I was not wearing a tubigrip but on the August bank holiday me and my friends went to Leeds Festival and my knee swelled up a treat and so the tubigrip was back on. So when I got back I went to physio again and he gave me even harder exercises. Then as soon as I went back to school after the summer holidays I found that the physio exercises were making my knee swell up so big I couldn't bend it properly. I decided that my normal half hour to an hour of Tae-Bo a night was ok for now and that I would do physio and Pilates a few times a week to focus on the muscles that needed to be strong. My knee wasn't swollen anymore and I wasn't in any pain.
So, yes, I got a date through for the ACL reconstruction, had my pre-op and a second pre-op with the consultant (which by the way was the first time I had actually seen him in clinic!!!) and was booked in for 19th November. I was just about the leave for the hospital but then they called and said the sterilisation equipment was broken and so I couldn't have it done that day. I stayed at home the next day waiting for them to call me with the new date... they didn't, so I called them, and I am now booked in for this Monday, 3rd December.
In a weird way I am quite excited. I still don't entirely know what to expect. From blogs I have read its not painful as such, and you get a brace, which I am excited to see! I think it is removeable and I am planning all my Christmas outfits, only rubbish bit is I can't wear high heels when I'm on crutches... but I may give it a go! Ha! I will be walking with crutches for a month afterwards and my consultant seems to think I will be back at work in 6 weeks, but I work in the Nursery and 52 3 year olds running around and me with a knee I can't bend properly doesn't fill me with confidence, but I guess we will see how I feel and what Mr. Bartlett thinks.
So anyway, that is the story so far,
I will, no doubt be blogging a lot since I'll be at home with my knee up watching day time TV!!!
Laters!
.x.
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