A Life of Granite in New Hampshire

Knee Surgery (2019) For Quadricep Tendon Tear: WORST Part Was Having Staples Taken Off.

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by Anura Guruge


Click to ENLARGE.

Before & After

 


I had my quadriceps tendon repair surgery,
at ‘
Frisbie Memorial Hospital‘ —
performed by Dr. Charles Blitzer
of ‘Seacoast Orthopedics
on Thursday, March 7, 2019.

Staples taken out Day #14.

Pain is still negligible!


As I have carefully documented I lucked out, big time. Surgery was miraculous in that I was PAIN-FREE. I was amazed and still in awe.

Pain was negligible throughout — just with Aleve & Tylenol — and I was able to even stop taking those on Day #8. I, however, continued to use the DonJoy cold therapy ice unit — mainly because I have become addicted to it. Some get hooked on opioids after surgery, I got hooked on ice therapy. Surgeon, with a smile, said it was “OK” to be addicted to my ice unit. He said it could have been worse. [I am using it right now. What can I say. SMILE.]

I kind of had a gut feel that having my 16 staples out was NOT going to be a walk-in-the-park. As I am always quick to point out, I am not totally stupid, just partially. That the surgeon smiled and said that it wasn’t going to hurt was an added clue.

No beating around the bush. It hurt. I did NOT scream, BUT I went pale! But, to be fair, they didn’t all hurt. Just about 4 of the 16.

I could FEEL FLESH being ripped off! I said that.

Well, when I looked at the picture I took — above — I was bloody right.

You can see my brown flesh on a few staples. As I said, they didn’t all hurt. Just about 4 and those were the ones that, as you can see, have flesh attached.

OK, now.

Oh, I cheated. I will confess. Knowing that I would have pain, I took took Aleves beforehand.

Before taking the staples the nurse asked me my pain level. I felt guilty. I didn’t want to say ‘0’. That seemed wrong. So, I lied. I said ‘1’. She was thrilled. Her words were: “That is what we like to hear”.

After the staples were taken off, and she applied some oil (containing shellfish extract) pain was negligible again.

I did not use my ice therapy, at all, at all, all day yesterday. The ONLY day I haven’t used it since surgery.

So, that is the sad story so far.

Still in a LOCKED full-length brace and on crutches. Will be as such for another month!


Related Posts:
Search ‘knee’ & ‘quadriceps‘.


by Anura Guruge

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