Adapting to it all, POD3

Having been home a short time now, I think I’m getting the hang of how things need to go....

I figured out which crutches/walker/mobility apparatus to keep on which floor for stairs and being mobile around the house. I’m avoiding doing the stairs too frequently because frankly it’s exhausting. I’m afraid to go down them on crutches because I still feel pretty weak, so I slide down on my butt. The kids find this quite amusing!  I can carry some things in my mouth while my hands are occupied with crutches, and other things I need to ask for help when transporting them from one room to another. 

I organized my notes and pictures and rehab papers in the binder I got when I was discharged from the hospital. I’ll keep this with me for PT and doctor appointments so I can keep track of everything. This binder concept has an inside back-story among anyone who works at Pennsy but I have to say I was excited to get it and have a place for all of the papers I have related to my knee (pre-op, insurance, tissue donation info, research I did, PT plan, etc)


Charlie has done 2 loads of laundry already and is being a huge help walking the dogs. I’m not sure how long his willing helpfulness will last, but I’m really grateful for how mature and caring he has been so far.


I found my workout gloves and am using them to keep my palms blister-free from the crutches. They are already bruised and sore but the gloves are helping for sure. My kids think I’m trying to look “tough” but I’m really just trying to prevent shredded palms. Because without my arms/hands, I’m not sure how I’ll get around!


The dogs are afraid of everything about me...my brace, my crutches, the CPM machine. I think my husband and kids are similarly afraid of it all. It’s hard for them (and me too) to have me not functioning at 100%. All of the preparation in the world can’t make the reality of it REAL until it’s upon you.

A complicating factor to having all of the extra crap in the house, aside from the fact that the clutter is driving me nuts, is that it creates all kinds of hazards for my blind husband who can’t see what is going on and  where. Fun times!

My mom has been here helping in the most amazing ways, and I really can’t imagine the last 2 days without her help. 

Last thought at the beginning of post-op day 3 (POD3)...I'm amazed how much different each day seems to be.
 *I wished I was dead the night I had the surgery, I was so miserable...and woke up the next morning (POD1) and felt exponentially better than the night before but still felt like crap.
*I woke up yesterday (POD2) in so much pain and so swollen, I prayed that it was the worst of the pain because I couldn’t imagine waking up like that again. I gave in to taking the max pain medication I could during the day, even though I was trying to limit the narcotic use, and by nighttime I was down to half the dose at longer intervals. 
*I slept well overnight for 3 hour chunks of time, was able to elevate my leg all night, and woke up on POD3 (today) in minimal pain. 

I delineate all of this mostly to show how quickly the worst of it passes. I’m not saying I won’t feel terrible pain again, that I’m pain free, or that I won’t have bad days from here on out, but each day is an improvement of some kind. For anyone who is reading this as a resource for surgery of this kind, the old adage “this too shall pass” rings true. 

That is all for now. Thanks for reading!

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