Listening to the Voices in My Head

7+ months total knee replacement post op, and 2 months after the car accident where my knees impacted on the dashboard. The swelling is just about gone, and pivoting or walking sideways, the left knee doesn't make me come to a screeching halt, gasping in pain.

I would say I'm back to where I was 6 months post op. Only taking the anti-inflammatory in the morning, and occasional OTC strength paracetamol/ibuprofen if needed (aka I over did it). Still have the prescription strength, but just going to shelve those.

Now, I just have to make sure that just because I feel better, that I don't over do it. I would rather take a bit of care now, and not have another setback.

I find it so shocking at how people in the U.S. are given pain management medication for just a few weeks, 4 if they're lucky. Why won't the doctors prescribe the kind that can't be used to get stoned? No withdrawal when I stopped taking them after 3 months.

Went back to the doc for reassessment. The tissue has filled up to skin level. It's a bit over-granulated, so change of dressing. No more waterproof ones, we have to let the wound 'dry' without scabbing over. Now, it has reached skin level, and it needs to 'skin over'. The doc wants me to have flexibility, not a stiff hard scar that could tear itself or skin around it when stretched.

I go back on Monday.

Had to go back early because of the dressing springing a 'leak' from people poking, patting or pushing on it. (It's that cosmic rule, if any part of your body is hurt or injured, it becomes a magnet for being touched or poked)

It was 'fixed' on Tuesday, but had to go back today. Fun part! Dressing removed, wound cleaned of 'uses' solugel/intrasite gel, waited for Dr H to come take a peek. It's still healing, but there was a bit more granulation than the doctors liked. *sigh* Wound debrided, rinsed with sterile saline, gel daubed back into it, waterproof dressing reapplied.

Ok, wound is still about the size of an almond, but only 2mm deep now. I am getting a bit rashy under the dressing, but I get that with all bandaging. Skin is a bit sensitive to the adhesive. Don't care, told the nurse, I would rather deal with a bit of itch, than another dressing leakage. Anyhow, I can't reach there to scratch. :D Go back in another week for another dressing change and assessment.

I'm just waiting for the day we can 'allow' it to scab over and use a regular bandaid on it.

I just got off the phone with Wing. First thing out of him mouth was "Please don't be mad at me."

Like that augurs well?

What, says I.

He informs me he tries a few 'gentle aikido moves', and the sheer pain of it brought tears to his eyes, and almost dropped him to the floor.

Ok, Friends of Wing.. have the f**k at him!