Pre-Surgery Testing

Went in to the Hospital for Joint Disease (HJD) today for pre-surgery bloodwork. A nurse took my blood pressure and drew two tubes of blood. I spoke with two different doctors. The second was an anesthesiologist. She asked me if I preferred to have general anesthesia or a spinal block. I asked her questions she says everyone asks.



"If I opt for the general, is there any chance I will be awake and able to feel the surgery but unable to move or speak?" (She said no. But come on -- don't tell me it never happens. I've read the headlines of magazines like Redbook, Ladies Home Journal and Reader's Digest!)

"Is the spinal block the same as what women in labor have?" (Yes. Apparently the needle for women giving birth is bigger for some reason.)

What about the femoral block? Good question. That's just for post-surgery pain. It's not clear to me if they administer that after the surgery but that's what it sounded like.

At the end I had a funny discussion about the "no eating or drinking after midnight the night before surgery." The nurse added "not even gum." Good thing she told me that because I chew a lot of gum! I told her as much and she said that she's addicted to gum and showed me the piece in her mouth (too much information). We ended up comparing our favorite gum flavors! I gave her a piece of Orbitz mint mojito and she gave me some of her Trident tropical twist. Funny.

So, that's it. Next I'll get the CPM (continuous passive motion) machine and surgical brace fitted and then surgery on Tuesday.

I'm also going to talk to my physical therapist about getting her to work out with me in the gym or I have to see someone else. She only does massage and accupressure work. She gives me exercises to do at home but I want to do stuff at the gym with someone. I'm afraid that if it is just up to me that I won't do enough and that it will affect my long-term outcome.

March 11 -- Forever known as "The Day I Tore My ACL"

I had a bad spill on the slopes. I was taking a jump in a terrain park on Bear Mountain. I landed unevenly, caught an edge, lost my balance, went off the ledge of the backside of the jump. Crashed hard on my feet. My skis didn’t release. I had to be taken down the mountain on a sled! Spent a few hours at the ER at Dartmouth. I have a torn ACL and a fracture on my tibia where that ligament attaches.

This photo shows bruising from the fracture.


Luckily our friends Wayne & Monique were able to take care of me last night as Brett had left VT on Saturday to take a flight out of NY to Beijing. I was suppposed to drive back to the city last night with them. Instead we spent the night at the hospital and pharmacy. I’ll either go back to the city with a friend from Dartmouth on Wednesday or wait for Brett to come get me on the weekend. Brett gets back to NY on Thursday.



In terms of pain, last night was bad. At first I didn’t think I’d be able to get out of the back seat of the car without passing out from the pain. Wayne had to carry me from the car to the door. I thought I could scoot up the stairs backwards, but was overwhelmed by nausea from the pain after moving up just one step. Wayne ultimately carried me the rest of the way up the stairs and into the bedroom on the first floor. (Thank GOD for Wayne and Monique! And thank God Wayne works out with weights and could carry me.)



I’m glad to report that today is much, much better. I’m propped up at the kitchen table typing emails, making phone calls, and doing fine. My leg is elevated and in a brace. Now I’m trying to decide if I should bother to follow up with an orthopedic person out here this week (Rutland, VT is supposed to have a good orthopedic group that treats professional skiers) or just wait to follow up in NY next week. According to the ER attending I’ll probably have to have surgery. So much for spring skiing this year.