Zombie Walking

Today's post-op visit was unremarkable. I basically drove a hour and twenty minutes, to have my stitches removed. Which I could have performed at home, oops! Maybe I shouldn't say that? My appointment was at 1340, yes I use military time, I've been doing that for ten years and see no reason to stop, for those of you wondering, if you just add twelve to whatever time it is, say 1 o'clock, you get 1300. Anyway, I borrowed my sisters SUV, due to not being able to fit in mine wearing the ROM brace. A big bulky exoskeleton, that extends from hip to ankle, combine that with a Ted stocking and crutches and that's what I call a party!
The parking lot at Vanderbilt Bone and Joint Clinic is all uphill, not very smart considering most patients coming there are crippled. The three handicapped spots were taken, so the only thing left for Loo, was the top of the hill were patients are loaded and unloaded. Before you go all bluehair on me, I went alone, sister is still recovering from sinus surgery and I was on crutches, so there!
I made it inside without incident and waited 40 minutes to be called back. It wasn't a bad wait, I found an empty couch to sit and prop my leg in and started my observations.
Waiting rooms aren't the best places for medical personnel. A people watcher by nature, I analyze the reasons for peoples injuries. Like, she was probably doing a herkey and tore her menisci or his midlife crisis motorcycle was just a bit to heavy for him to hold up. I look at all the braces and grimaces each person has and for just a moment I wonder why I'm here, until that pain rips through my knee.
I don't have an incredible story about how I injured my knee. It remains a mystery as to what caused the problems but let me just say lifting 300 plus pound patients 24 hours a day couldn't have helped.
Back to the visit, I was lead to a room about a quarter of a mile from the waiting room. Huffing and puffing I made it to my chair with cyanotic lips. Where I deblinged and waited for the stitch removal. Five minutes later, six stitches gone, steri strips placed and Dr Looney was twisting my knee around.
Everything looked great, still swelling from the lateral release, bruising minimal. I am off the crutches and out of the brace and stocking until the next surgery anyway. I do have to wear a knee-o-tracker, which is a small brace that wraps around the patella (kneecap)to keep it tracking correctly. Since that was a problem before and the reason for the lateral release. I now walk like a Zombie, arms outstretched and legs wildly taking whatever path they choose. Not as controlled as a mummy, its worse after I have been sitting awhile and my knee has gotten stiff. As my pal, Chuck says Zombies Don't Run, that is true in my case. Hopefully, physical therapy will strengthen up my leg before June.
I have another appointment to see Dr Looney in three weeks to discuss the ACI procedure and do pre-op stuff.
I have lists of questions to ask, two of which are how many people do I need to change my bedpan and how good are the pain meds? If any of you have been through this, I welcome comments and any questions.