Since my previous posting, I have been to a surgical center where I had arthroscopic surgery performed on my knee to repair the two tears in my meniscus. I am now home and well enough to sit at my computer and blog. The knee hurts but, hell, it's hurt for about the last seven weeks. This is an easier hurt to live with because I have a reasonable expectation it will diminish, whereas the previous pains always felt like they were on the verge of going postal on me.
An awful lot of friends called or wrote to wish me well and I (of course) appreciate that. I got the feeling some thought this was a much bigger deal than it was. Waiting for the date and hobbling about to get the necessary pre-surgery physical check-ups was probably harder than what I went through today.
I was dropped off at the surgical center at Noon whereupon I filled out about eight thousand forms including one wherein I acknowledged that they may put a lien on my home if I don't pay the $900 co-pay that I'd already paid. I prepped for surgery at 12:30, which mostly involved tying an inadequate gown in such a way that I didn't moon all of Beverly Hills — admittedly, a long-held desire. Then they put me out and I went under the knife arthroscopic instruments around 1:00.
I don't know when they moved me to Recovery but I woke up from the anesthetic around 3:00 and spent another hour waking up the rest of the way and getting dressed. I was home by 4:30 and like I said, the pain is quite endurable. They tried to give me a prescription for Norco but I have a long history of never taking the pain medications I am given after dental work or other surgery. I never need 'em and the one time I let a doctor convince me to try a Vicodin, the cure was worse than the disease. My mother popped them down like Skittles but my body doesn't like them…or just about any drug. In any case, I'm certainly not in enough pain to warrant taking anything…
…right now, at least. If the Supreme Court rules against Gay Marriage later this week, I may toss back a handful.
I was given a pile of papers that say I'll have to use crutches for a while and with luck, could be back to normal in six weeks. I'm not using the crutches and my surgeon said I'd probably be 98% back to normal by Thursday. That's my knee he's talking about. The rest of me will never be normal and I kinda prefer it that way. Thanks to all for the good thoughts.