So here’s a list of what got fixed:
The tibial screw was in the proper location, but not in the proper place, so to speak, so Dr. Lewis took it out. That’s the area that hurts the most, really. When I stand up and move around, the focal point of the pain is on the left side of my upper shin. That probably means it was a good idea to have it removed.
I also lost out on the 50/50 odds he gave me: there was a tear in the medial meniscus, so he shaved that down to remove the part that had torn loose.
The unexpected part (which is probably what led to all this in the first place) was a “pothole” in the cartilage behind my kneecap. It’s not a big divot, but it’s still cartilage that had gone missing, which means that technically, I have arthritis in my right knee.
Actually, the cartilage hadn’t gone missing. The stuff that used to be in that pothole was in several pieces that were floating freely around my knee, so that’s probably what caused the lump I sometimes felt in the back of my knee. Thus, the final part of the operation was to smooth out the edges of the pothole to prevent further tearing and suck out the cartilage “debris”.
Mom, Dad and I spent about two hours in the recovery room, during which time I felt my knee starting to hurt. Given past experience, I decided it was better to take preemptive action rather than wait until it started hurting really bad, so I took one Vicodin out of the bottle they gave me at 1:30. One. That’s been it. I haven’t taken another since then. It doesn’t mean I’m hardcore—far from it—it just means that while my knee has been sore, it hasn’t been sore enough to be medication-worthy.
Part of that might have to do with spending so much time in the recliner. The three of us drove back to the house and I went straight to the chair. I was supposed to have someone around to monitor me for the next 24 hours and their bedrooms are right down the hall, so it seemed like the most logical place. Plus the bathroom was a lot closer, too.
That turned out to be… not a non-issue, but not a big deal. We brought my crutches to the hospital and I used one of them to get me up the stairs from the garage to the recliner. I used both to get to and from the bathroom the first time, but that was pretty much for balance and keep myself from tipping in either direction. By the end of the evening, the most important purpose they served was stretching one out far enough to reach the television and rotate it so Mom had a better view.
As of today, one day after surgery, I don’t need crutches, I don’t need pain meds, I can ride in the front seat of the car (as long as it’s a short ride and I can move the seat all the way back—if not, having my leg stretched out across the entire back seat is a lot more comfortable)… I’m in good shape.
Tomorrow, I get to take off the bandage that stretches above my knee down to my ankle, remove the dressing and take a shower. I’ll have to put the bandage back on and readjust it at least once a day, but when I get rid of the big lump at the front of the knee, I should be able to wear jeans again. (I got a haircut today and had to wear shorts with warm-up pants over the top so they’d fit.)
Now I need to set up an appointment with Dr. Lewis in three weeks so we can evaluate how my leg is doing, but considering how well I’m feeling right now, the only question in my mind is when I’ll be allowed to exercise again. Not play soccer again, mind you—I don’t plan on that happening until 2012—but exercising will be good for me. Good for the mind, good for the soul, good for the weight that’s been packing itself on more and more during all the time I’ve spent on the sidelines this year.
I guess that’s the story up to this point. I’d like to thank everyone for their best wishes and love and support and all that good stuff. I’d also like to thank Dr. Lewis for his excellent work and hope that after my follow-up appointment in three weeks, I’ll never need to see him again. (No offense, Doc.)
glad it went well!