1 Week Post Op

Day 1:  My leg is locked out at 0 degrees with a brace that extends from my hip flexor to my ankle. Underneath is a dressing over the incision and an ace bandage wrapped around my entire leg.  I have a cryo cuff under my brace and over my bandages.  This cuff plugs into a cooler filled with ice and circulates cool water throughout the cuff.  The cryotherapy helps a lot with the pain and swelling.  I was pretty much hooked up to the ice machine 24/7 during the first 3 days after surgery.  I have pain anytime I move but it's managed with the Percocet.  I can't move my leg on my own so I either have to pick it up myself or have someone lift it for me.

Day 2 and 3:  These days were pretty much the same as the first day except my pain was worse.  It maxed out at a 7 if I wasn't quick enough with the pain medication. I needed 2 Percocets every 6 hours around the clock.  Moving is still difficult and I only get up to use the bathroom.  Showering still seems like too difficult a task.

Day 4:  I felt a little better today.  The pain is better and I'm down to taking 1 Percocet at a time. I took my first shower which was extremely difficult.  Moving is a challenge and I needed help to get set up in the shower.  I wrapped a plastic bag around my leg since I haven't removed any dressings yet.  After the shower I felt light headed and weak and had to lay down for awhile.

Day 5: Pain is a little better today.  My rehab protocol directed me to begin using the constant passive motion (CPM) machine today.  I am supposed to use this 8-10 hours a day.  To use it I place my leg on the machine and use the hand controller to set the desired degree of flexion.  According to my protocol I am supposed to bend 0 to 30 degrees for the first 2 weeks.  During my first attempt I realized 30 degrees was too much so I started at 10.  I immediately needed a percocet as I started the motion.

Day 6:  Today was my first day at physical therapy and my first day outside.  I did not do any exercises at PT.  My therapist just took a look at the incision and bended my knee a little.  My knee pain was excruciating when he bent it but subsided after he stopped moving it.  I will start exercises tomorrow.  My plan is to increase the CPM 5 degrees a day until I get up to 30.

Day 7:  This is my best day so far.  I did not need any Percocet during the day even in the CPM.  Instead I take a Naproxen in the morning which is a strong anti-inflammatory.  At PT I am working to reactivate my quad muscles.  After knee surgery the quad muscles stop working as a defensive mechanism.  When the quad contracts it moves the kneecap.  The brain shuts down the quads to protect the kneecap from moving so it will not produce pain.  It is a medical enigma as to why this happens but the first step after major knee surgery is to regain quad control.  I was not able to contract my quad yet but it was only the first day of trying.  Today was also the first day I removed the dressing and took a shower.  It was good to let the water run over the incision.  Once again the shower was exhausting and upped my pain level.  Sleeping has been difficult.  I am a side sleeper but I can only sleep on my back because it is too painful to try to lay on my side or move my leg.  I need Percocet to fall asleep.  Usually I wake up in the middle of the night and my knee is painfully throbbing.  The throbbing is due to the swelling which is significant.  My knee is twice the size of my other knee.