Freedom. At least at home.
Today was my first real post-op visit. The eighth day. It looks like things are coming along really well. The wounds have healed very nicely and the swelling seems to have subsided as well.
My doctor also went over the pictures of the surgery with me. I hope you are not too squeamish but here they are. Before and After.
First the ACL. The picture on the top reveals that I have no ACL. It is a bit hard for me to make out or describe where or what the torn ACL is doing. I am pretty sure the doctor pointed something out.
I suppose you need to see the after picture right below it to really see the difference. How did I even get around without that thick strong-looking piece of tissue!
Well evidently, I did not get around too well. I have ended up with a tear in my lateral meniscus. While this could have happened when I ruptured my ACL, it is also possible that the buckling episodes I have had over the past couple of years have had something to do with it. Anyway, without further ado, I give you the before and after lateral meniscus. You can see the tear in the miniscus where the instrument is.
Meniscus damage is forever. All that can be done is to prevent it from tearing further. For this the area around the tear is trimmed. The V-shaped border in the picture below is prone to much less tear. Apparently, fixing up meniscuses (menisci?) is a common and simple (compared to reconstructing the ACL) arthroscopic procedure. People with torn menisci (meniscuses) experience their knees locking up. A little trim takes care of it.
The doctor then had a few pleasant surprises for me. First, he said I could take the brace off at home and only wear it when I leave home. I was over the moon with delight. I was hoping for a small break with my sleep and this was a huge relief. Second, he said I could drive if I wanted to. He first checked that I had an automatic transmission. So I guess it is a small blessing that my problem is with my left knee. He then said he'd see me in six weeks and wished me good luck with my physiotherapy.
That's it! That's as far as the surgery went.
My doctor also went over the pictures of the surgery with me. I hope you are not too squeamish but here they are. Before and After.
First the ACL. The picture on the top reveals that I have no ACL. It is a bit hard for me to make out or describe where or what the torn ACL is doing. I am pretty sure the doctor pointed something out.
I suppose you need to see the after picture right below it to really see the difference. How did I even get around without that thick strong-looking piece of tissue!
Well evidently, I did not get around too well. I have ended up with a tear in my lateral meniscus. While this could have happened when I ruptured my ACL, it is also possible that the buckling episodes I have had over the past couple of years have had something to do with it. Anyway, without further ado, I give you the before and after lateral meniscus. You can see the tear in the miniscus where the instrument is.
Meniscus damage is forever. All that can be done is to prevent it from tearing further. For this the area around the tear is trimmed. The V-shaped border in the picture below is prone to much less tear. Apparently, fixing up meniscuses (menisci?) is a common and simple (compared to reconstructing the ACL) arthroscopic procedure. People with torn menisci (meniscuses) experience their knees locking up. A little trim takes care of it.
The doctor then had a few pleasant surprises for me. First, he said I could take the brace off at home and only wear it when I leave home. I was over the moon with delight. I was hoping for a small break with my sleep and this was a huge relief. Second, he said I could drive if I wanted to. He first checked that I had an automatic transmission. So I guess it is a small blessing that my problem is with my left knee. He then said he'd see me in six weeks and wished me good luck with my physiotherapy.
That's it! That's as far as the surgery went.
posted by writin.gs at
11:35 AM
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