6. My first week post surgery

Being home is the best feeling but it also brings along with it the feeling like you should be doing something. I don't know but those cobwebs that have been there for months suddenly are necessary to be removed or the world will crash.
I was given instruction by the hospital physio i was to have minimal activation of my quads for the first 2 weeks after surgery. What exactly does that mean how does one tell the quads to not activate...ohhh right that means only doing the activities that are absolutely necessary for 2 weeks. So it was explained as movement from the bed to lounge to toilet privilidges only. OMG this is going to be a long 2 weeks.
As it turns out when you take a regime of pain medication there is very little you want to do apart from go from bed to lounge to toilet, As someone who is only used to panadol going to taking targin, endone, celebrex, gabapentin, aspirin and regular panadol knocked me for 6. I didn't like the way it made me feel, I felt sick, I couldn't string a sentence together, I couldn't read a book as I couldn't concentrate. I still had pain but only on movement, so sitting on the lounge with my leg up I was great and then I was asleep... again. I weaned myself pretty quickly (i think) off these and at day 6 I was only taking regular panadol and nurofen with an endone to go to bed. I felt so much better.

What did suprise me this week was the size and distribution of bruises over my leg. Now when i say leg i had knee surgery so i expected a bruised knee. As i had the brace I had taken little notice of the rest of the leg but there was massive swelling over the whole front of the knee and massive bruising mainly over the inner knee. There was also a bruise on my foot, ankle, a bruise on my inner calf and the back of my knee coupled with a large swollen foot.

Behind my knee

Swollen ankle with a touch of bruise...

I did a dressing change to the wounds at day 10, just to make sure they all looked OK and they did.
Showering was going great i was using the plastic chair in the shower if i needed to wash my hair- very important! My husband was very clever at the stickytape wrap on the top of the garbage bag over my leg and brace to keep it dry. You do realise though you lose alot of dignity when you need someone to help you get ready to shower, you have to be willing to let your saggy bits and post baby pouches to hang free without embarrassment. I did quickly realise a slip mat was needed, no near miss but when you shower after children there is soap everywhere left behind. I do like to follow the rules and i was told to leave the brace on at all times, I took it off to wipe my leg over with soap and washer as i couldn't leave 1 leg unwashed for 6 weeks. I didn't do this in the shower though and i maintained one hand grasped contact to the vanity at all times, i promise.
I didn't sleep well in the first week mainly because when you wanted to go on your side you had to physically lift the leg and position the pillow in between your legs. The pillow for comfort and pressure care as the brace put alot of pressure on the underleg. I also gained a sore lumbar back i think just the awkwardness of crutches and different sleeping positions, I did a bit of bed hopping to see if there was a more comfy bed in the house but the back pain settled after a couple of days.
Stairs havent been an issue i have been using one hand on the railing and one crutch with other arm.
I have little to no bend in my knee and i'm unable to straighten so does requires a pillow for support underneath at all times. It is early days and I'm hoping as the swelling recedes the movement will improve.

Wounds at day 10

Week 2 is better than week one but this is a slow process and the bruises get darker!

Liss xx