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Post-Op Week 1

 

Directions 

1. Take pain medicine as needed
2. Use crutches to partially weight-bear on my operated knee for the next 2 weeks
3. Keep leg straight in brace for 3 weeks
4. Ice and elevate

Post-Op Day 1

My surgery was at 6am, so I consider the rest of the day to be the first day after surgery. The doctor said the surgery went well. However, he was concerned about my cartilage. A chunk of it had broken off, and some of my bone is exposed. This is an early sign of arthritis. I wasn't too shocked considering my cartilage was severely cracked after my first patellar dislocation 9 years ago. 

They gave me a nerve block, so I didn't experience much pain. My leg felt numb though, and I was okay with that! They gave me some hard core pain meds and an antibiotic. I wasn't religious about taking the pain medication because I wasn't in that much pain (which I will later regret). I slept a lot that day having been on anesthesia. I also iced and elevated my knee pretty much all day. 

This just shows you how little I knew about the recovery going into surgery: I didn't realize I would be on crutches for at least 2 weeks until just a few days before my surgery. I was expecting to be able to walk right after...silly me! I didn't move much from that spot shown in the picture on the first day except to go to the bathroom. 

Because I was on crutches, my husband had to do practically everything for me. Our sweet family and church family also brought us meals. Praise God for my husband, relatives, and brothers and sisters in Christ! 
Note: If you have a MPFL reconstruction, you will need someone with you while you are still on crutches. 

Post-Op Day 2

Throughout the day I took my pain medicine as needed. I spent the night on my recliner couch because it was easier to get in and out of. Once again, I didn't move much from the couch except to go to the bathroom. That was all I could really handle. My brain felt really fuzzy too. I couldn't concentrate much on anything, so I watched a lot of TV.

This is the night I won't forget because this is the night my pain went from a 4.5 to a 9.5. The onset of the pain was almost instantaneous too. My nerve block had officially worn off. Without even moving, I was in a ton of pain. I really needed to go to the bathroom, so my husband tried to help lift my leg for me to help me get off the couch...as he tried to help me, I cried like a baby because I was in so much pain. I think that was the worse pain I had ever experienced in my life. I quickly tried to get back in my position on the couch; I was still crying/screaming. My husband called the orthopedic's emergency line, and we got some guidance. We put more ice on my knee and I took a muscle relaxer, which finally helped my pain subside. 

Wow. I don't wish that on anyone. This is why I said I regretted not regularly taking my pain medication. I later learned the advice: "Stay ahead of the pain;" a.k.a schedule your pain medicine; don't wait for the pain to come. 

I still struggled to sleep in my bed, so I slept in my recliner. Praise God for giving us the ability to purchase those! 

Post-Op Days 3-6

Most of my time was still spent on the couch unless I was going to the bathroom, eating, or showering. I slept on the couch and spent my days on the couch. I iced my knee and took my pain medication religiously! A family member of mine was nice enough to bring me his Don-joy iceman machine. This was a life saver for me! You can ice your knee for hours using the machine. 

I found that I had some pretty severe stomach issues due to the pain medicine. There were actually days during this time that my stomach would hurt more than my knee. Each day would switch as to which body part would hurt more. During these days my knee would still hurt even while being stationary on the couch. 

Post-Op Appointment

The doctor removed my dressings and checked my incisions. She said everything looked good. She gave me recovery directions moving forward, which I will share in a separate blog post. 

Post-Op Day 7

I had to go pack my belongings from my job that I was leaving. This day was planned well before my surgery, so it needed to be done. I was afraid of not being able to handle getting in the car and staying at my job for several hours. Thankfully, my husband and another family member came to help me. I was just there to direct them. This was the first time I had been in a car since my surgery. 

I actually think this day helped jumpstart my lower pain levels. The days following, I didn't have pain anymore while sitting! What an improvement! Praise The Lord! 

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