2024 Life Logs, Day 134: At Home and Feeling Great
Date: Monday, May 13, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 59, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Fast, efficient, and so far, successful. That is my description of my knee replacement surgery at Cape Cod Hospital today. Heather picked me up at 8 am and we were home by 4:30 pm. I was in pre-op by 8:55, in the operating room one hour later, out of the operating room at 12:06 pm, and alert about an hour after that. Heather received texts every step of the way. I had a spinal, not general anesthesia, with some other drug that kept me just enough under that I don’t remember anything. The anesthesiologist said it was a cocktail that has the effect of drinking too many glasses of wine. Thankfully, there are no after-effects. Heather received texts every step of the way. I think it was just before 3 pm when the physical therapist came in to work with me. I was amazed that there was almost no pain when she got me up. She had me walk to the bathroom, made sure I could get down and back up, had me walk up some stairs, and then back to post-op. The magic that allowed this to happen pain-free was a nerve block drug, Exparel, that suppresses pain for three or four days after surgery. I have no pain except a little discomfort when raising my leg to get it up on the sofa and back down. Walking is pain free. I am taking Tylenol for pain and Aspirin as a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. When I begin to get pain on day three or four, I have the option of taking an opioid. It would be wonderful if I do not have to do that. I realize that when this wears off, the pain free party is over. But I am going to enjoy it while it lasts!
Heather is with me tonight and Ollie came over for the evening. He and I watch Kung Fu Panda 3 while we ate dinner. When Jed came over to get Ollie, we all had another piece of strawberry rhubarb pie. I am elated to report that it was a good day from start to finish.
