The big day is over. The surgery has been done and the knees are mending. My patient is recooperating on the couch. Now comes the hard part, the part where I have to worry.
Is she moving her knees enough? Is she moving her knees too much? Is the pain under control? Does she have a fever? Is there too much blood?
I was amazed at how quickly she learned to adapt to walking with crutches. She has learned to get up and down from the couch. She has learned to get in and out of bed. So many things you take for granted when you are able to move around on your own that get so much more difficult when your knees are "taken away".
For Kayla I think the worst part of the whole ordeal was putting the IV in her hand. She was upset and worried about that and shed a few tears through it. Then when she went into the operating room a few more tears, but the nurses were great and helped her out. All the nurses at the hospital were really kind and attentive and I think that helped her anxiety as well.
If she continues to improve like she has been it will take no time at all before she is back to normal. Youth is on her side...as well as determination and just plain stubbornness. When she first got up yesterday it hurt a lot so the nurses told her she might have to spend the night if she couldn't walk. That was all the push she needed...the stubborn girl said she wanted to try it again and she walked. There was no way she wanted to spend the night and if she could do something to prevent it she would!
The healing has begun and the journey is all down-hill from here...with good knees!
February 5, 2010