Day 3 - Home Health Care... and on to Day 5

The big excitement on Day 3 was the initial visit of the Home Health Care agency that is going to be doing my PT.  A nurse came to do a medical evaluation and get the paperwork done.  She had a "ride-along" with her - a man who is going to be working for the company.  They both said my knee looked really good. At that time, I really hadn't started bruising much.  They said that the fact that there wasn't much bruising was a testament to how gentle the doc and his team were with me.  Well, now I'm bruising, so I guess Bessie just took awhile to get up to speed on that.

The nurse indicated that my PT will start on Monday.  On Tuesday, another nurse will come to change my dressing.

The Case Manager at the hospital sent me home with a Rx for Percocet (which is what they had been giving me in the hosp) in spite of the fact that I'd told multiple people that I preferred Vicodin.  The home care nurse said I could switch if I wanted to, and she recommended Vicodin too because it has fewer negative effects, like constipation.  So, after she left, I put the Perc in the drawer.  On Day 3 and Day 4, I mostly took pain meds every 2-3 hours.

The pain has changed a lot since Day 1.  On Days 3 and 4 it would sort of come in waves.  Sometimes a dull achy feeling that was deep.  I felt like I wanted to wrap it in a warm moist blanket and massage it (or get into a hot tub!).  Sometimes the pain was just along my incision and was more sharp - sort of a tingling, stinging pain.  In all cases, a dose of Vicodin would knock it down quickly.

As of Day 5, I really haven't had much pain at all today.  I didn't take any pain meds during the night last night, and didn't take any until noon today.  So I went almost 12 hours with nothing.  What I feel today is more a stiffness.  I am feeling my best when I am walking around.  When I sit still for very long, I get stuff.  I try to walk the house every 45 min or so.  If I'm sitting in front of the TV for very long, sometimes I just stand up for a few minutes.

This is a new lifestyle.  I sit here at the computer and type.  I read a book.  I watch TV.  I do my exercises.  That's it.  I did take a shower today with Hub's help.  That was big.  It felt good to take my TED hose off.

Well, it's back to the TV for me....

:)Amy