Post-Op Swelling Hell

I had my 2 week post op over a week ago.  Nurse Rachel was not impressed.  She said I need to make her look good at my next visit by having a visible knee cap.  My knee was swollen to about the size of a cantaloupe.   And boy did it hurt.  Rachel said that my knee should not be that swollen.  And I thought back to my other surgeries and the swelling that I had.  I told Rachel this one felt way better and I realized my last surgery I messed up by taking the wrap off my leg so that I didn't have anything too tight while I slept.  But that left me with severe bruising all up and down my leg.  It was horrible.  At least this time I kept it wrapped and minimal bruising in comparison.

Where did I go wrong?  Elevation.  I probably never in the 2 weeks of recovery kept my knee above my heart properly.  It was usually parallel.  So now I'm tasked with raising it straight up in the air and trying to rub the swelling out of it.  Rachel said to lay up against a wall and tap my heel.  I find the sensation of shaking my leg helpful.

Then I was talking to another doctor friend of mine about my new remedy and he said "make sure to push the swelling toward your foot while doing that."  Huh?  I would think I want it to drain down into my heart not up to my toes.  What good would that do?  Then he realized we were talking about me laying down and said, "Yes, when sitting push toward your foot.  When laying down pull toward your heart."  Now I'm so confused I just rub in circles.

I finally got back to the gym 18 days after surgery and rode a stationary bicycle for 10 minutes.  Yesterday I made it to 14.  Today I finished 20 minutes and nearly made it 5 miles.  But I kept it on an easy setting as Rachel warned me about adding any resistance.   Feeling better by the day and my knee only looks like a citrus instead of a melon.

Healing Hands

Had my third arthroscopic synovectomy on Monday.  The surgeon prepared me that I would be in a lot of pain.  That he was going to cauterize the areas that had been effected by PVNS.  I assumed it was one localized tumor that we were dealing with.  He said he didn't believe so.  He expected to poke more holes than before to access the knee.  I was expecting the worst pain ever.  However, because of all the hype I have been feeling great.  The pressure from the wrap on my leg that I have to keep on for another day has evenly displaced all pain.  It just feels like pressure.  I'm feeling more sore from laying around than I am in my leg.  Only a few shooting pains or throbbings but that isn't unusual with just having PVNS anyways.  I have been getting by on one Oxycontin pill a day.   I've countered it's use by puffing on an Indica THC oil cartridge through a vaping pen.   And a tincture with THC I got from a witch.   She gave me a healing massage with hot stones before the surgery and I traded a few boxes of girl scout cookies for the tincture.  Witches are the best.  Whether they be considered shamans or healers.  They are inherently the best people to put their hands on you when you are looking for healing.  Some find priests or whomever the head of your worship is, that by praying with them and having them put their hands on you before a surgery is what they need to speedily recover.  It's that boost of good energy you pull from another that is where it's at.  I truly believe that.  Also, my surgeon extended his hand in a warm welcome when I saw him and I drew in his warmth to soothe my nerves and I believe that helped me as well.  To be too stressed before surgery is not helpful.

Pre-Op Fun Times

With PVNS you must have 2 things.  A sense of humor and the ability to laugh.  Also I find it easier to simply deny there is anything wrong with me.  Including denying that I'm in pain. 

Last week I went in for my pre-op appointment.  UW Medical is a teaching hospital so you deal with a team for your care.  I have 5 people on my team.  I'm getting to know them pretty well since I see them so often.  My surgeon Chris says "we can be friends but I don't want to see you".   Essentially saying he would rather fix my problem so I don't have to come back.  And we laugh.

One of the nurses.  I always forget her name.  I will refer to her as Rachel.  She speaks slowly and is a careful listener as I know I get extremely chatty when I'm nervous.  She nods and smiles with her huge sunflower eyes.  I told her, "Rachel!  I got a wheelchair.  It was at a thrift store.  I scored it for only $13 when new ones are around $60!"   She responds, "Holly!  I do NOT want you sitting around for long periods of time!",  I smile at her and say, "No Rachel, it's one of those kind that also acts like a walker.  I can put a basket on the seat and get things to eat from the kitchen instead of eating only that I can fit in the pockets of my robe when I'm on crutches.  I got the idea from another PVNS sufferer."  She agrees, "Good idea Holly!"

My next nurse who I will call Rashan because he has a name I really can't remember and in my head it's Zoltar but I know that is from the movie Big and not his real name.   Rashan is in charge of giving me all of the information and directions to be prepared for the day of surgery.  He hands me a big folder full of all the papers he has highlighted as he tells me, "Someone will call you the day before to let you know what time..."  I know all of this already so I'm nodding and finally say, "Rashan!  You are like my terrible travel agent and you are sending me off to a two week horrible vacation."  He laughs and I continue, "If you can go ahead and arrange for the surgery to be in a cabana on the beach and afterwards bring me margaritas every hour."  He looks disturbed and replies, "Well the only problem is that tropical climates breed disease.."  I cut him off, "Rashan!  Don't kill my dream!  Ok, then we do it on a local beach and you will need to bring portable heaters and paint tarps to look like blue sky so you can hang them over my head.  And you should let me try a hammock because that could be good at raising my leg."  He laughs.   We giggle about my parting gifts being 2 bars of soap I take with me to prepare for my surgery next week.