Nine weeks post op
1yr. 1 day post op
I was up at 0430 and headed for the hospital where I waited for a few hours to be taken back to the holding room for the start of the IV fluids by the nurse there. Later the anesthesiologist came in and placed an interthecal cath into my right groin where an analgesic would be pumped into my leg for the next three days to keep it numb. He also injected something down that tube to take me to la la land so I didn't remember being wheeled into surgery where I would lay for the next 2 1/2 hours while the upper portion of my leg would be separated from the lower portion and a metal knee inserted. I came out of surgery with another IV of Dilaudid dripping into my right arm and then the fun began. A certain amount of that Dilaudid was constantly dripping to keep me out of pain but along with the automatic delivery, I had a "request" button I kept close by to punch so I could get an extra dose. That extra dose was used when I got an urge to have a cigarette. I pushed that button and drifted off to la la land; the land where a cigarette is never needed. I quit. Yep, it's been a year and a day that I smoked that last cigarette. I convince the husband that while we were waiting to be called back to that holding room, it would be alright if we slipped out that door closest to us which was really a long haul down a long hall and out into frigid air to enjoy that last smoke.
Can I express here how pleased I am that I don't have to stand in frigid air or hot steamy weather anymore to "enjoy" a smoke? The only time I really enjoyed smoking with all the prohibitions placed on them was when I was home and that ended too when we decided to smoke outdoors. The fun was quickly becoming a hassle. I find now that I don't hesitate on going to a movie. I don't smoke so I don't have to sit there fiending for a cigarette. I can sit through the whole movie and not miss a scene. How neat is that? There are so many things I can do now and not have to worry about fitting a smoke into the activity. No matter where I went, when I was a smoker, I would always survey the area for the allowed place for the smokers. I don't even want to address the odor but I do want to mention that I think the "quitters" like me notice the odor more then people who have never smoked. I think that's why we get the remarks about us being the worst critics of smokers.
Smoker? I have a nice patio table with swivel deep cushioned chairs for you . A remote control lies on the table beside that clean ash tray that operates the 20 inch TV that hangs on the wall . You will be in the shade in the hot summer but I can't promise you warmth in the winter. You will be welcomed with your cigarettes and there will be no critical attitude to you from me. I still think smokers are treated unfairly compared to those who imbibe alcoholic beverages. Smokers are the number one persecuted group with propaganda heavily displayed through the media. I don't advocate smoking but I feel that if it isn't illegal and the government makes most of the money off it by the high taxes applied to a pack of cigarettes, a hypocrisy exists on the matter of smokers.
The next few months of my life were rehabing that knee which was painful and fustrating and took a lot of time. Most of my day was spent stretching and flexing and building the muscles back to support the knee. Swelling and pain and more swelling and pain was to be my future. Three months out and I should be mostly out of pain but I wasn't . The pain in my heel I attributed to the stretched muscles in my leg from the knee surgery. I patiently waited for that to heal. Another 4 months and I take myself to a podiatrist. A bone spur was found digging into the Achilles Tendon. I've written about this; March 19th I will have another surgery to rid myself of that spur, more rehab and hopefully there is an end in sight to a painful right leg. I'm more then ready to resume a painfree life without Aleve or ibuprofen used daily. I'm going to trash out my liver if I keep this pace up of ingesting anti-inflammatories for the pain.
That was my life one year and one day ago. I'm grateful I am 1yr and 1 day away from that total knee. Now for the bone spur.
You're such an engaging writer!
ReplyDeleteThe knee looks pretty good, sorry you've got to go under again, what a drag.
And congrats on the quitting! I'm thinking about it. I've smoked for, like, ever, but I'm not the fiendish type, my addiction is much more motivated by the pleasure of the habit than the nic addiction, so I have no trouble going for hours without one, my old job didn't really allow for alot of smoking, so I guess that has me trained to wait it out.
But I really otta quit on principle, here in Canada, and I think you're the same, the government both subsidizes the the tabacco industry and taxes you painfully on the other end, all the while spitting out the same prosecutorial propaganda. Its quite obnoxious!
And I missed smoking every day of the 7 years I quit. I'd request the smoking section to better enjoy the aroma.
ReplyDeletePowder Girl..I was never a smoker like you. I was seriously addicted and two hrs after that last puff and I would be agitated and needing a fix. I would be thinking about one way before two hours though.
ReplyDeleteBuffalo...It stinks..and I mean it stinks. See? I don't understand why but I can smell smoke from a long distance away when someone is outside smoking and around the corner from my view! Funny thing, in my car with someone smoking I ask them to crack the window a bit and the odor doesn't bother me at all.