A lot has happened, and yet at the same time, just really one thing.
On Monday morning, October 5th, I had a Anterior Knee Synovectomy. This is a procedure to remove the synovium (Joint sack) of my knee INCLUDING the PVNS tumor that resided in there. I was originally supposed to have a dual anterior and posterior synovectomy to remove both tumors, since I had two.
Prior to the day of surgery I was warned that when the doctor was in the surgery he may decide to split this up into two surgeries....meaning I would need to rehab completely from the first surgery and then go right back under the knife...meaning I would need to DOUBLE my time off from work and my time on disability.
Much to my dismay I was greeted with this scenario minutes before my surgery when he told me he had looked at my MRIs again and said it would be best to do 2 surgeries. Since I really didn't have the mental capacity to register the whole situation AND I really didn't have a choice, I went with it. He assured me that this choice was for the benefit of myself and that it will be better for me in the long run. Having both tumors removed at once can be tricky, the rehab is a nightmare and surgery is long, especially when dealing with pre-existing scar tissue like I had from the first operation.
I got my surgery gown on, some rad purple hospital booty socks, and was given a hospital made diaper/underwear situation because I was on my period, this makes for fun scenarios later! Got my IV in, which surprisingly wasn't too bad and it all went really fast after that. I noticed the nurse administering the injection, I felt relaxed but not crazy out of it. I remember being wheeled into the procedure room. I remember two huge circle lights with a blue tint, it looked like alien spaceships. I was wheeled next to another bed and asked if there were two surgeries happening at the same time (it was just the perating table i was going to be moved to) and all the nurses laughed at me. I said, darn those budget cuts....Looking back at that I'm pretty sure that "relaxed" feeling was turning into something a little stronger and a little more awesomer. They put the oxygen mask on and told me to breathe deeply, I laughed and asked if I was suppose to count backwards from ten and then woman laughed at me again and said, "If you want", the last thing I remember is asking them to take a picture of my knee while it was open....Yeah, I asked that. Before I even remember getting a response I was out. (They DID NOT take a picture, for the record.....bummer)
I woke up the same way I woke up after my first surgery in 2013...Like a baby being born and then having your baby leg chopped off at the knee.
I was crying....so hard.....so hard that the blood pressure bursts could be felt in my knee, making it hurt even worse, making me scream even louder. I begged for the nerve block and it was granted to me after the dillaudid drip was doing nothing. I don't remember seeing anything during this time because I was clinching down and squeezing my eyes shut from the pain.
"You are going to feel some cold gel.....okay now small pinch....there ya go..."
I suddenly felt the nerve block creeping on and it was AMAZING. They basically inject fuild in your groin to "Turn off" the nerves in your leg.
After I calmed down and had the pain leave my body, I passed out. I remember being rolled to my room. It had a nice view, I'd have nurses open the window at night so I could look at the lights, it looked like tron out there.
The picture at the top of this post is of me that my boyfriend took shortly after I was moved into the room. Here is how my leg looked.....can't really tell, but the incision was huge. The calf sock is a compressor to help eliminate the occurrence of blood clots.
Day 1 went by fast, I hardly remember it actually. There was a little snafu with the IV in my hand. The machine was beeping a lot and the nurse assessed that the vein had collapsed on itself, making the pain med machine shut off. They were able to, after some digging in the arm stick me again and I was able to receive the medicine and fluid in the vein again.
Since I had fluid pumping in me constantly I had to use the bathroom about every 2 hours. This proved difficult for two reasons. 1. I couldn't walk to the bathroom...at this point I could barely move let alone walk. SO I had to become a bed pan PRO. It's harder then it looks, trust me. 2. I was on ma lady time...YUP sorry folks it's getting real up in here. What better time for Aunt Flow to come visit?! AMIRIGHT?
There is nothing more humiliatingly embarrassing then having a grown woman and man take care of your woman cave of wonders especially when that cave of wonders is a blood bath, literally...They could have shot promos for Scream Queens up in there. So...things got awkward a couple times, to say the least.
ANYWAYS
Day 2 came quickly. At this point I had only really slept 1-2 hours at a time. There was a cap on my IV pain medication intake and I was pretty much maxing out. Even with the nerve block, I could feel the pain creep on in the distance. My experience with the nerve block back in 2013 was complete, the whole leg was shot off AND it lasted about 4 days. This time, I still had feeling from the shin down and mid thigh up, it seamed as though it was a little weak. some time in the late morning I started getting a pain in my calf on the leg of the surgery. The doctors we concerned so they wheeled me down to get an ultra sound. while en route I noticed and increase in pain, like a HUGE increase in pain. it seemed as though the nerve block was actually wearing off. This quickly turned into a nightmare.
It was when I was waiting for the ultrasound that I noticed my arm was sore. under the IV site there was a hard tender lump.
The nurses quickly realized that they would need to give me another IV site. Here's where things got fun...
After the ultra sound I was cleared for any blood clots, everything looked good. I was rolled back upstairs and they took my previous needle out. By this point my quad muscle is starting to spasm. My main nurse could not find a vein......she couldn't even find something she would be comfortable even trying for. The head nurse was brought in....SHE couldn't even find a vein. I even sat with hot blankets on my arms to induce them to plump up...nothing. I sat with 6 nurses gather all around my squeezing and smacking and tapping and pricking me. The following are some failed attempts, I had been stuck about 10 times by now, all with no luck...and everytime they would "fish for the vein" it would eventually hit a nerve and my body would without me trying clench up and the muscles in my knee clenched sown on the wound and I would yell and cry from the pain it was causing.
By now it's been almost an hour with no pain medicine and the nerve block slowly and steadily wearing off. I was given a Norco and was awaiting my last hope...the CCU nurse. They told me, if anybody can do this it will be her. I waited about an hour for this nurse so they had to give me a Percocet because of the wait, since the norco pretty much did nothing. She heated up my arm and dove in, at first I was able to handle it, but then it started sounding like I had turrets. FUCK......OWWWWWW.....SHITTT....FUUUUCK.... I was screaming, crying (balling) I was a baby again. just like before, everytime she went too deep it would jolt my body into a frenzy where the epicenter was by knee. My quad was spasming more. It felt like someone poured pop rocks onto the meat of my thigh and it sizzled, popped and burned. she finally gave up....Look at how alive I look in this photo #nofilter:
Day 3 was just keeping pain under control. They upped my Percocet from 5 mg to 10 mg of Oxy. It was a huge help. unfortunately since I was so sedated in the morning still, I was unable to perform much physical therapy other then putting my leg close to the edge of the bed.
Day 4 a lot happened...
My first physical therapy session I WALKED....with a walker, but still. I took about 20 slow steps out into the hall and back with no problems, it was slow, but it was steady. It felt great.
It was then that I got the go ahead to GO TO THE BATHROOM. The nurses still had to stand by while I was in transit (5 steps), and I wasn't allowed to get up without help, but it was a ginormous relief for me, I felt more human.
They then gave me some good news, if I can ace using stairs with my arm crutches, they would be able to discharge me. And you know what? I totally did.
last PT was at 2:00pm so I was expecting to be released around 3 or so. just a heads up if you are in this situation...go ahead and add about 3 hours. in my case it was 4 HOURS after this. shit takes a long time.
This is me in my civilian clothes waiting to get on up outta there. Notice the tasteful bruising on my arm pit and hand.
I then got to sit in an hour traffic to get home which was torture. Thanks LA. The mix of nausea with the cramped claustrophobic feeling of my small ass car was not a good mashup.
Which brings me to Days 5 - Now
Here is what I have been taking daily.
Percocet (every 4 hours) - downgraded to half a pill/4hours during the day
Aspirin (blood thinner)
Stool softener (for poops)
Arthocin (herbal anti-inflammitory) - not prescribed - started day 7
Frankincense Oil (herbal anti-inflammitory) - not prescribed - started day 9
Senna pills (for poops) - not prescribed
mineral oil (for poops) - not prescribed
prune juice (for poops) - not prescribed
Spoiler alert, Opiates constipate you....like BADLY....like it took 6 days after my surgery to even make a poop. For someone who is usually regular it was rough, like having a freaking BABY in my stomach... A food and drug baby. It was pretty much the worst.
Here is a little progress picture, not much going on here, I just have a lot of time on my hands for this level of production. ENJOY.
I am getting around on crutches only still and I am a long way from walking without aid, but I am staying optimistic. My wonderful dream man boyfriend takes care of EVERYTHING, he has been amazeballs and I am truly lucky to have him. If anyone is going through or about to go through this procedure...get yoself a buddy for the first couple of days back home, it will be the best decision ever, I assure you. You never know that you can really take for granted just being able to reach across a coffee table for a remote, so I once for like 3 hours just sat on my couch until I mustered up the strength to do anything about it.
I had my first at home PT today I got some basic exercises and strength training moves so I'm glad I have something to work on. If I can get better in a timely manner and have my next surgery before Jan1st, it will basically be free because I hit my max OOP! TOOT TOOT.
I've got a long journey ahead but I am here to get better, I am here to heal and persevere, and garsh darnnit that's what I'm gonna do!!
With love and pain meds,
Rebecca
