Surgery
Yep. (Warning, what follows is a bit graphic)
Last week, I sent an email to my orthopedist, 'fessing up that I had aspirated fluid that was accumulating outside my knee. Did it by what is called needle aspiration (syringe and needle), following good aseptic technique each time. Not once, or twice, but three times. But, doing this is essentially playing russian roulette, risking infection each time. And the problem wasn't going away. In fact, when I was on my bike, it got worse (presumably due to pedaling). So, we chatted back and forth by email, and he let me know that the only way to fix this permanently at this point is surgery. Not on the inside of my knee, folk. On the outside.
What has happened is that a pocket developed, probably due to a shearing force when I hit the ground that tore away the tissue layer that holds the skin to the underlying tissues. There is an area below my knee that feels "rope-like". This is more than likely the tissue that sheared away. A "pseudomembrane" has formed in its place that is holding the fluid in that area, since the body likes to fill in voids with fluid. The surgeon will go in and open up this pocket, clean up the mess I made (like that rope-like stuff), check on the side of my knee for damage (its been getting progressively more sore since I started bicycling again), repair anything that needs it, and essentially attempt to "tack down" the underside of the skin to the tissue below with absorbable sutures, to keep the pocket from re-forming. If that last item can't be done, then I will be stuck with a drain in my leg for a few weeks (not a fun prospect). Needless to say, I am voting for the suturing.
This surgery will keep me out of commission EMS-wise, for a few weeks. Two weeks of VERY LIGHT duty (Think nothing to supervisory only), followed by a few weeks of ramping up to normal activity. I need to give the tissues a chance to really adhere to each other. Day job-wise, it means I am probably going to be working at home for a week or two, after a few days off for healing and pain control.
I went in and saw the orthopedic surgeon last Friday. Got all the pre-op stuff out of the way already. So, when is all this happening? Next Tuesday, July 21st.
Last week, I sent an email to my orthopedist, 'fessing up that I had aspirated fluid that was accumulating outside my knee. Did it by what is called needle aspiration (syringe and needle), following good aseptic technique each time. Not once, or twice, but three times. But, doing this is essentially playing russian roulette, risking infection each time. And the problem wasn't going away. In fact, when I was on my bike, it got worse (presumably due to pedaling). So, we chatted back and forth by email, and he let me know that the only way to fix this permanently at this point is surgery. Not on the inside of my knee, folk. On the outside.
What has happened is that a pocket developed, probably due to a shearing force when I hit the ground that tore away the tissue layer that holds the skin to the underlying tissues. There is an area below my knee that feels "rope-like". This is more than likely the tissue that sheared away. A "pseudomembrane" has formed in its place that is holding the fluid in that area, since the body likes to fill in voids with fluid. The surgeon will go in and open up this pocket, clean up the mess I made (like that rope-like stuff), check on the side of my knee for damage (its been getting progressively more sore since I started bicycling again), repair anything that needs it, and essentially attempt to "tack down" the underside of the skin to the tissue below with absorbable sutures, to keep the pocket from re-forming. If that last item can't be done, then I will be stuck with a drain in my leg for a few weeks (not a fun prospect). Needless to say, I am voting for the suturing.
This surgery will keep me out of commission EMS-wise, for a few weeks. Two weeks of VERY LIGHT duty (Think nothing to supervisory only), followed by a few weeks of ramping up to normal activity. I need to give the tissues a chance to really adhere to each other. Day job-wise, it means I am probably going to be working at home for a week or two, after a few days off for healing and pain control.
I went in and saw the orthopedic surgeon last Friday. Got all the pre-op stuff out of the way already. So, when is all this happening? Next Tuesday, July 21st.
Labels: Bicycling, Injury, Misc Rants
1 Comments:
Ouch....no matter how they say modern medicine has advanced, it still sounds like this will probably hurt quite a bit. I'm so sorry you have to go through this!!!!
We'll be thinking of you!
Love,
Auntie
Post a Comment
<< Home