This week was rough, but I can assure you that I am improving every day.

I remember my surgeon telling me this was a “quick and easy operation.” Maybe it is for him because he does 7 MPFL Reconstructions a week (he told me). The operation is only 2 hours, but recovery is a lot longer and a lot more painful.

Let me just tell you that everything a normal person does will take you three times longer. You will also lose all your independence. Even just moving around is a pain because you leg cannot bend in the locked immobilizer, not to mention that the immobilizer weighs about four pounds. My leg has to be elevated when I sit down and sleep. Sleeping is super uncomfortable! Also, someone has to lift your leg and place it down while you sit down and get up. This also applies when you go to the bathroom.

Pain: The pain was much more tolerable than I thought it would be; it is an aching pain around the entire knee with hot searing pain around the incision sites. I was only on Percocet on Day 0 (operation day) and Day 1 before I switched to Tylenol. I took Tylenol once every 6 hours, but this gradually became once a day by Day 4. Whenever I get up it takes a few steps (with crutches) for the pain around the incisions to subside, and a few minutes for the aching pain to lessen. The pain was at its worst on Days 1 and 2. It plateaued on Day 3–I still feel the same amount of pain.

Appetite: My appetite is slowly coming back. Day 1 was the worse because I was still on Percocet, which makes you vomit. The only thing I ate that day was rice. Rice, rice,  rice! Now I can tolerate vegetables, most meats, dairy products, and carbs. I am still wary of oily foods and restaurant food. You have to watch your diet because you won’t be able to move around too much, so don’t eat too many carbs and fats, but consume lots of fiber, proteins, and vitamins.

I never realized how exhausting healing from surgery would be. Surgery is traumatizing to your body, so your body is doing its best to heal which is probably why I am so tired all the time. Normally I get 7 hours of sleep, and now I get 9-10 a night! You will also feel super bored and unproductive, and that’s fine. Read as many books as you can, or watch some movies. Let yourself rest.

CPM Machine: I started on the CPM (continuous passive motion) machine on Day 5. I was supposed to start on Day 3 but the delivery man couldn’t arrive in time due to the snow. It’s April, and it snowed three inches! And it’s supposed to snow twice more this week!

But I digress. On the first day on the CPM, I unlocked my brace to 30 degrees to use the CPM on 0 degrees extension (the straightening of my leg) and 30 degrees flexion (the bending of my leg). Every day I increase the flexion by 5 degrees. I am also supposed to use the machine for 6 hours a day, so it is like a part time job. A part time job that I hate. I recommend doing an an hour and a half at a time, or else your bottom gets numb.

Post Op Appointment: Yesterday was my first post-op appointment (Day 8), and it went really smoothly! It was also my first time going outside in 7 days, so I was experiencing a bit of culture shock. Dr. Strauss and his assistant removed my brace and all the bandages, cleaned the incisions, and then wrapped my leg back up. They also unlocked my brace to 90 degrees, which was a relief. Moving around is so much easier. Also, I was surprised at how much my leg had atrophied within those 8 days. My calf and the top part of my thigh shrank, and my knee was still swollen. My entire leg looked unproportional.

Dr. Strauss showed me a gnarly video of before the operation: he was playing with and dislocating my kneecap! I’ll post the video below, but keep in mind it’s pretty disgusting. He also showed me pictures inside my knee before and after the operation. He did not email me these photos yet, but I will post them when I get them.

New Accomplishments: Yesterday was also the first time I went upstairs and showered. Going upstairs is quite a challenge; both my parents have to help me. I have to sit on the stairs and scoot my butt up. Showering was by far the most terrifying feat yet. I never realized how lethal the shower ledge was until I almost tripped over it. I was able to unwrap my entire leg and get it wet. It did not sting, though I was very apprehensive about my leg the entire time. I also had to sit in the shower, which was very uncomfortable considering a) my left leg looked like a skinny sardine, b) I still could not bend my leg without lots of pain, and c) the shower floor was extremely slippery. At least I was finally clean, though.

Day 1 to Day 9 (which is today) has been a wild journey so far. Today I started bearing a little weight on my left leg. At first my leg wobbled, but after a few steps my muscle memory started to come back. I start physical therapy on Monday, where I will learn how to gain full use of my left leg again.

Stay tuned for another update in a few weeks.

~~Katie