Getting a New Knee After Africa Trip

Good to know. I've always kind of assumed that you had a similar skeptical view on the news media.

After surgery they are supposed to give me an implant card that will have my patient info and identify the implant. I have something similar for my coronary stents but have never needed it.

That really is a good question. You made me curious, so I looked it up. According to the FL department of health, heart disease was number one last year, killing 49,208 residents. Cancer was right behind at 45,723. It's weird, though, that COVID-19 shows in the chart I referenced earlier. But in the charts that rank deaths by cause, I can't find it as SARS, COVID, or Coronavirus. I think it's in the infectious diseases category listed as "other." The numbers look about right anyway.

For sure! No long trips in my near future.

 

Well, something like that. But when a surgeon tells me that if a decapitated person showed up in the ER and tested positive for COVID, the hospital would list COVID as the cause of death so they could get more money from the government, I know he's exaggerating. But I also know he's serious, so I take the numbers with a grain of salt. It is significant, but no one really knows the real numbers.

 

One more thing to do before my knee replacement. So far, I got the all clear from my cardiologist and from my primary care doc. Also went through the hospital pre-op testing. Today was the mandatory class for orthobedic surgery patients. (One of the fastest hour and a half periods I've ever experienced. The teacher was GREAT.) Sunday is the COVID test. Wednesday will be show time.

The PT who did the class had my wife and me to himself. We were the only ones in class. So it was custom for us. He remembered her from when she got her knee done last November.

I learned some neat stuff about the doctor. First, he doesn't rush you out the door. If my operation is early enough, I'll be up on my feet by the end of the day. Next day is more PT. He uses a foley catheter which doesn't sound fun, but at least you're out when they put it in. You can't go home till that's out. He also uses a femoral block that's in a bag that keeps the knee numb until two days after surgery. You have to stay in the hospital till that's out. That gives me a couple days to start healing before the pain sets in.

By the way, this PT is very familiar with the term mentioned earlier in this thread about "physical terrorist." He said it's a great description.


Oh, one more thing. I started wondering about the chilling machine they use in the hospital for "icing" the knee. We figured they were crazy money, but maybe we could rent one so my wife wouldn't need to keep bringing ice packs and I wouldn't have to keep getting them in the right position. Turns out, they aren't that expensive at all. Now I wish we'd had one for her knee. I chose this one because of the timer and the size of the pad. I tested it and it's great.

 

Well, it turns out that I don't need the COVID test after all. When they scheduled the test, they didn't know that I was vaccinated. Vaccinated people are exempt. So, now it's just a matter of waiting and doing the rehab exercises now, so I know the routing when I get back home with my new bionic knee.

 

I double-checked with the hospital this afternoon. No delays anticipated. All medical files and reports in order. Less than an hour later they sent me the QR code for checking in.

When I got home from Africa, the knee only hurt when it locked or on other rare, random occasions. Now it hurts most of the time. (But not like it will in a few days. LOL!) I'm surprised at how quickly it's degrading once it reared its ugly head. I'm ready to get this thing over with.

Tomorrow is a stay at home day. I want to mow the yard, wash & wax Mildred's car, and maybe do a little sidewalk pressure washing. Things I won't get to do for a while again.

 

I alsso have several floaters. Sometime it looks like a bird or bug is headed toward me from the upper right. But the Dr. isn't concerned yet. Just watching.

This hospital actually does that while you're getting ready and before they dope you up. On my wife, they wrote "this one" (or something close to that) on the bad knee and "NO!" on the good knee.

 

Just keep me out of reach of people who could be vaccinated but aren't and are now choking the hospitals. They just canceled the operation the day after they assured me that they were a go for all this week. Worked my butt off to get two months ahead so I could do this. Tomorrow I get to go back to work and see what I can find to do.