Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
A leg to stand on
My wonderful friend Donna had a new knee installed yesterday. I say “installed” because when you are wheeled into the operating room it looks like a very clean mechanic’s shop. I know this from having had my knees replaced some years back. I remember being in awe of all the equipment and asking, “Is all of this for me?”. Yes, because I had both knees done at the same time so there was twice as much stuff as usual in the room where it happened.
So, my friend just called me and we talked for 45 minutes. She’s up in a chair and she’ll be making a trek to the bathroom soon. First things first. She talks fast on a good day and today she was revved up and chatting non-stop. I smiled to myself, thinking that pain medicine is a beautiful thing. She’s probably going home today, 24 hours after having her leg sawed and drilled and hammered on.
I remember being told that I could watch an actual surgery of a knee replacement. Being a nurse, I have seen blood and guts up close. But when the scalpel began opening the skin above the knee cap I said “Oh Hell no!” and turned off the computer. It was bad enough that the procedure was clearly explained to me using words like “remove the damaged knee” and “surgical saw” and “we’ll use a surgical hammer to place the new knee into the bones”.
I know why they tell you this stuff. It’s so you remember that you’ve had a kind of brutal procedure done to your leg, that it’s going to hurt, and that it’s wise to control the pain after surgery so you have a fighting chance of following your Physical Therapist’s instructions. When people say they’re not going to take a narcotic for pain I don’t judge. I just advise them to be sure and manage that pain so PT can do their job and so they themselves can do the exercises without crying. Following PT’s plan of care is the key to a good recovery.
My friend is going to have her other knee done in three months or so. I’m glad I had both of mine done at the same time because I’m not sure I am stalwart enough to have one done and then repeat the process in a few months.
I will never regret having knee replacement surgery. My birth knees were pretty much trashed when I made the decision. My right knee was so distorted that my foot pointed to the right in a way that it’s not supposed to. Anyway, after the initial agony I have never looked back. Those surgeries were life giving. Since May of 2014 I have not had to worry about painful walking or anything else that requires a bended knee. The only aggravation is going through any metal detector, setting off the alarm, and being wanded or patted down on the other side.
I once spent two weeks in New Mexico staying with my good friend Sheila who bravely also had both knees done at the same time. As her caregiver I was on call 24/7 if she needed anything. We had a wonderful time – well I might have had more fun than she did – but I knew pretty much what she was going through and could anticipate what she might need. Sheila is a Southern Belle from Mississippi and she honest to God never curses – no matter what. One of my goals was to have her utter a swear word or two when she had to use her new knees in any way. Bless her heart, as they say in the South, she stayed true to her ladylike upbringing and I was disappointed.
That’s my knee saga for today. I hope to hang on to my metal knees until I don’t kneed them (get it?) any more.