Knee surgery was more complicated than expected…as it turns out I had a “bucket handle” tear in my meniscus, which also needed to be fixed (or it would probably cause arthritis later). The surgery ended up taking until almost 4pm, instead of being done at noon.
The good news is that the meniscus will heal better in conjunction with the ACL replacement than it would alone (due to the …ew…blood that’s floating around, helping it to heal). And it probably would have needed surgery eventually anyway, so i guess it’s just as well.
That being said, I’m a lot more “banged up” than I expected — my knee is really swollen and hurts like the dickens. Thank heavens for codeine. I’m a little freaked out by the whole thing, as the leg brace that I have to wear is probably a few pounds and is making it *really* difficult to do things (like stand up :-( as it throws my balance off. Recovery time is longer with the meniscus repair too, so I don’t really know yet how long I’ll be out of commission.
The codeine has made me a little loopy too… I don’t remember a lot of what happened (which is probably good), but I’m also not good for much.
Lots of worries here… but I’m trying not to panic. I *will* get better…just not sure how quickly.
Realm of the Lint Queen 
Well, since I’ve recently had surgery and can appreciate how long it can take to recover (not yet, fully) — if there’s ANYTHING I can do to help out, just yell. Run errands during the day, whatever.
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Thanks, I really appreciate that. I am trying to take it easy, and fortunately mom works only about 2 miles from where I live so she can bring me vittles, etc.
I just hate the *powerless* feeling, you know?
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I do know!!! For me it was particularly weird to look perfectly fine, but not be able to push a heavy door open by myself, for example. Awkward asking for help in a situation like that.
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you sound as rattled as i’ve ever heard you :(
hang in there g.!
here’s hoping it gets at least a little better soon…
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Yep, you got that one right. Rattled it is. It is getting better (at least on the pure pain scale side), but I’m still feeling pretty useless. I know I’ll come through it ok, but in the meantime I’m just trying not to freak out.
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Thanks — that is reassuring… I can only bend my knee to about 140 degrees at the moment and that’s making me wiggy. And i *don’t* like stitches. Ick.
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Good luck and let me know if there is anything you need.
No need to freak, this too shall pass.
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Joints take a very long time to heal. Be patient, then more patient, then forget about it. After a while, a lot of it can come back. Do not overstress and re-injure. Just don’t. You’ll be fine.
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