Yippee! I am due to have my staples removed today. I mean those metal-like external stitches used to close up the outermost layer of skin. The incision has been healing nicely, and not quite so long as the one on the left knee. The county Home Care folk have a nurse looking after this and also provide a Physical Therapist to make sure I get going on the tasks of flexing and stretching the knee and recovering a proper walk.
This time around I had to stay overnight after the operation (instead of coming home the same day as I did previously). My health insurer had authorized a stay of up to three days but I was surely glad to be discharged the next day and to be heading off for Painted Post. Each location has its own procedures and this time I had to attend for a pre-surgical screening whereas the out-patient surgery location accepted my local doctor's screening. I still had to go to the local doctor however so the second workup was more complicated and involved travelling up to Rochester for the screening. This, plus the overnight stay, puts an extra load on one's carer.
The inpatient stay seemed more automated; for example, there was less choice about anesthesia. This time it was a spinal block as well as the regional block and an IV infusion to control consciousness. I have a recall of being briefly aware of some hammering and drilling at one point in the procedure (as if to someone else, far away). Cathedrization was non-optional so there was the business of removal and getting the 'water works' going. I suppose one could categorize these as the downsides.
The upsides included special care via pneumatic cuffs on the feet to ensure circulation in the lower limbs, immediate use of ice therapy to manage swelling, more physical therapy and occupational therapy attention, more people with whom to interact, and quite good meals. Also, on the plus side, I got to bring home the ice treatment machine. Apart from the time component, there is much less pressure on one's carer. Being in hospital for an extra day means that day is spent with lots of support.
All in all, what one loses on the swings, one picks up on the merry-go-rounds, as the saying goes.
Having trod this path (forgive the metaphor, if you can) once before, I find I tend to be impatient with progress and maybe a little more irritable on this account. To be fair, however, my impression is that recovery is a little faster this time around. The surgeon reported that the operation was less complex for this knee. I am certainly experiencing a lot less bruising of the lower leg, so he must have had to do less work on getting everything aligned properly.
So here I am, using my walking stick still but able to walk about unaided for short distances and looking forward to the sutures going. I can sit long enough to peck away at this blog and email so expect to hear a little more from me.
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