Out the other side
Woke up in recovery several hours later and all seemed to go smoothly so back up on the ward by 2pm and in time for lunch. Fair play Circle Health Droitwich, I’m not normally one for eating much after an anaesthetic but the food was actually appetising.
I’d had a GA, spinal anaesthetic and, I think, a local anaesthetic too before I came out of surgery so not in any pain - couldn’t feel much at all - which was a pleasant surprise; just a general sense of ‘at what point is reality going to hit and I feel what has actually gone on?’
I chilled out in my room listening to music as the post-op haze gradually lifted, interspersed with regular obs so all pretty smooth sailing.
I saw my surgeon again later on for an update and everything went okay in theatre. The op plan changed slightly from HTO and part 1 ACL to just doing the HTO as he reckoned what was left of my most recent ACL graft, although stretched out, could still do a job now the joint has been realigned so we will effectively ‘suck it and see’ when it comes to whether or not that aspect needs to be redone. Having had chance to really look around the knee under anaesthetic, he now thinks a large proportion of the issues probably stem from the hypermobility so I’m in a locked brace (10°) to try to make the most of the scar tissue/healing process to make the joint stiffer. Protected weight bearing (ie no weight really through the operated leg) for six weeks as my bone quality isn’t great either so we need to give it the best chance to heal well.
I am seriously beginning to wonder if I’m just a really dodgy model: I am a Friday’s child after all and, as all those growing up in areas known for car manufacturing will know, you never want to buy the Friday car….
Drama Queen
Of course, it wouldn’t be a ‘me’ post if there wasn’t some twist in the tail and that arrived, almost on cue, next day…
…I didn’t sleep particularly well over night - well, I didn’t sleep at all until just after 6am, I can remember the news bulletin on my phone, but must have eventually dropped off for 40 minutes or so, only to be woken by the door opening, light streaming in and the hoovers starting up to get the ward ready for the next influx of patients.
I wasn’t overly bothered as I never seem to sleep the night after surgery so it wasn’t unexpected.
I was a little bit hazy but nothing I wouldn’t have expected after a) surgery and b) no sleep, so it didn’t bother me unduly when the physio came in to get me moving about on the crutches and check I’d be safe for discharge later that day. The only strange thing, with the benefit of hindsight, was that when I put my glasses on, the world was still blurry. I figured they were just dirty and did try to clean them but everything was still a bit hazy even then.
Anyway, having been shown how to protected weight bear, we hopped off for a walk along the corridor, past the nurses’ station, then along the next corridor to the stairs to practice going up and down. Had the odd wobble along the way but nothing I wouldn’t expect having not used crutches for ages. When I got to the top of the stairs I felt a tiny bit woozy/vertigo, but thought that was probably just after effects of anaesthetic and my mind making me concentrate as I knew this was the tricky bit.
I successfully navigated the stairs down but felt pretty out of breath so, when I spotted a chair on the landing, I asked if I could have a sit down for a few minutes before attempting to go back up. The physio grabbed the chair for me and helped me sit down but I couldn’t get my breath back properly and then my ears started ringing. I wanted to put my head between my knees but that always guarantees I faint, which I didn’t want to do. I could hear the physio telling me I was going to be okay and then the last thing I remember is her calling up the stairs for help.
The next thing I was aware of was voices around me, no idea what they were saying - it was all just sound, and then gradually realising that I must have passed out as there were people holding me in the chair and I had an oxygen mask on. I’ve fainted plenty of times before but I really did feel ill when I came round this time - I didn’t want the oxygen mask anywhere near me as I felt sick and there was no way I was attempting to get up - which left the nursing team with a bit of a quandary: how to get this 40something woman with a ‘broken leg’ back up stairs to the ward when she couldn’t move herself.
I was still pretty out of it so the next run of time is all a bit blurry but I remember someone saying something about a ski mat, then people trying to help me down out of the chair on to a mat, being strapped in and then four or five people (I’m guessing) trying to pull me up the stairs wrapped up like a chrysalis, dragging me along the corridors and then figuring out how to lift me back up onto the bed.
Bad enough dealing with someone who’s a dead weight and in and out of consciousness, I’m sure, let alone one where you’re also trying to protect a leg that has just had surgery and make sure that isn’t damaged too.
They did an amazing job though and I’m definitely grateful for their help!
Turns out my BP and heart rate and dropped through the floor, which caused the faint, probably caused by my body’s reaction to opiate-based pain killers. Once we took those off the medication list, my BP and heart rate gradually came back up over the course of the next few hours. I managed to get some sleep and, with a bit of prompting from the HCAs to focus on remembering to breathe (sounds daft, doesn’t it?!) when they were doing my obs, I gradually felt better and better, to the point I was cleared to go home later that evening (even if they didn’t let me crutch downstairs, it was very much a wheelchair or nothing scenario - can’t say I blame them!)
What larks, eh? Flippin' glad I'd got to the bottom of the stairs and was already sitting down before 'leaving the room.'
So now I’m home, resting up and ready for the next phase. Bring it on. I’m ready to do this. Just let me have a nap first!
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