7. Post-Surgery

 
 

Adjusting to Recovery
Day Two – 24-48 hours post surgery

 
 

As I was adjusting to becoming a more patient patient, conversations with my caregivers lifted me out of my passive mindset and helped me take charge of myself. There was a lot to talk about on Day #2 following my second surgery. Boston was being buried by a combination of extremely high tides and a blizzard from the northeast. This came to be known as the Bomb Cyclone. Watching the snow swirl in wind-made waves outside my hospital window made my present circumstances (fuzzy-brained and bed-ridden) all the more bizarre. However, I was still able to take note of my current situation and realized with gratitude that both of my arthritic knees were now gone.

My first knee was 14 weeks into recovery; my second knee was only two days. I knew what life was going to be like for the next few months. I had learned that recovery is not a cognitive or virtual exercise. It requires a commitment to physical reality – accepting the fact that exercise is both necessary and painful. My caregiver or I would need to keep careful records of the drugs I took and make an effort to stay ahead of the pain. While I enjoyed cooperating with my physical therapist, there was no denying that the exercises were boring and unpleasant. How could I help myself get through this? I made the following notes in my journal that day regarding the complementary roles of the patient’s role and health care providers.

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I realized with gratitude that now both of my arthritic knees were gone

• The patient is responsible for monitoring their symptoms and communicating their needs
Health care providers respond to patients’ needs and deliver physical care.

• The patient owns their attitudes towards recovery.
Health care providers offer emotional support for the recovery process.

•  The patient recognizes and accepts the physical challenges that lie ahead.
Health care providers teach the patient how to deal with these challenges and benefit from them.

 
 

A word about transitioning home:
I had, much to my surgeon’s amusement, thoroughly enjoyed my three-day stay in the hospital for the first TKR. However, the novelty was gone the second time around, and I was ready to begin rehab in earnest.

Anticipating that my leg and foot would be swollen, I had packed loose clothes for the trip home. I had also learned how to deal with my temporary physical impairment. When my husband came to pick me up, he brought a water bottle to help me stay hydrated. If I had been on top of my game, we would have had some of my favorite music as well. Fortunately the Bomb Cyclone storm had ended, leaving behind large drifts of snow. Turning into our driveway, I saw that a path had been cleared through the snow from car to house. I was home.