Wow, I decided to read through my entire recovery thread.........if it wasn't mine I would have thought how awful it was for that poor person having to go through all that! But after reading every post and page, I realize I shouldn't have read through it just now as it's made me even more afraid for the revision that's coming.
Yes, I am having a revision, and it looks like it's going to be in April. My OS has come up with what he hopes is a pain management plan that will work. It won't be a fun time as it'll involve time in the ICU and a longer than usual hospital stay, but we're hoping to avoid the awful reactions of the past. My knee is no better, still swollen and painful, and, as my OS has said, "It's time to bite the bullet and just do it". I finally agreed as it is past time to put my fears aside and hope for the best outcome possible, and I am fully fed up. Am I scared? Yes, to death, but I'm more scared of having no life for the rest of my life. I've done no rafting, no walking, I can't ride a bike, I've passed on the cruises we want to take, etc, etc.
I don't have a date yet as the April schedule for my OS isn't out, but his scheduler called the other day and told me I'd be on the call list when the April schedule comes out. He isn't doing it sooner as we are in the midst of a bad flu season and he doesn't want me anywhere near the hospital until it's passed. Plus, he said it'd be awful to do my surgery, and then when it's done and I need to go to the ICU, have it full of flu patients and have no bed for me. (he's putting in an epidural during the surgery after I'm out for pain control after the surgery; or the anesthesia doc will actually do it I think, and their protocol is unfortunately that I have to be in ICU while it's in), he'll leave that in as long as possible, then change me to IV pain control for as long as it works. He wants to avoid oral pain meds as long as possible, if not totally.
If I do need to go home on an oral pain med, he will have orders in my chart that when I end up in the ER as I always seem to do, they are to call him. He will then re-admit me back into the hospital for IV pain control. If by some miracle I either don't need to use oral pain meds, or don't have a reaction to them (that'd be a miracle and a first), then we're good.
I don't know how long I'll be in the hospital, as I forgot to ask him and he didn't say, but it looks to be more than a few days. I'll post the surgery date when I know it, and will then have to start all the hassle of the pre-op prep. I really am sick of this knee and all I've had to go through, and am hoping and praying this time works and I get my life back. I've gained a ton of weight due to little activity, I'm bored out of my gourd most of my days, and am anxious to get back to normal and fun activities.
United States
I'll try to get up there for a visit before the surgery. We have gone a couple of times but hubby always has things he wants us to do while there, so there's never time for a visit. I'm going to try to go by myself so we can visit, but I'm not holding my breath........
