Done With Surgery!

Well, surgery on my knee is done and over with and it went well! I am so happy as I am ready to start rehabbing my knee and get it back to normal!

I had the surgery done Friday arthroscopically. The surgeon and anethesiologist gave me the choice of going under or getting a block from the waist down. I chose the block, so I was actually awake for the surgery and got to watch it on the monitor. I didn't think I would like it as I can't even watch blood getting drawn. But because it was on a monitor and I never looked down at my actual knee, it was pretty cool.

When the surgeon first went in and saw the inside of my knee on the monitor, he said and I quote, "You really SHREDDED your meniscus!" Shredded wasn't the word I wanted to hear. I knew it was a large tear based on the doctor reading the MRI, but it was ripped up even more than the MRI depicted. I saw it myself... the meniscus was pretty torn up... kind of looked like a snow globe inside my knee. Can you belive it all started from a salsa move! The doctor cut the torn part away on both tears.... I had a small and large tear on different sides of the knee. And then before I knew it, the surgery was over. It only took about an hour. I spent several hours in recovery as the block wore off. And by afternoon, I was able to head home, albeit on crutches, but I was glad the procedure went so well and it was outpatient surgery. I was pretty woozy and sleepy yesterday from the anesthesia and pain medicine. I only had a little bit of pain yesterday and today, it hasn't been bad at all. I can only walk using crutches right now and have to stay in bed mostly.

But I've already started leg exercises today per doctor's orders and will see a physical therapist this week. After about 6 weeks of rehab, the doctor tells me my knee will be back to the way it was before the injury. All in all, not too bad. I had a great surgeon and everything went smoothly. I'm planning on my recovery being the same so I can dance again next season, I hope. I won't be back at work Monday, but I'm hoping I will feel up to it by Tuesday. See you soon.