The surgical procedure they did to me yesterday is called “microfracture”. I couldn’t remember the name when I wrote that last blog entry. From what I’ve seen online, recovery should take longer than what we had originally hoped, which was just some cartilage work. For example, from MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:
Physical therapy begins in the recovery room immediately after surgery. The patient is connected to a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine that gently flexes and extends the leg for 6 to 8 hours per day for several weeks, often during sleep. The exercises are increased over time until the patient regains full range of motion. Such exercises are believed to speed up cartilage regeneration.
The patient will be told to keep their weight off the affected joint for 6 to 8 weeks. Crutches will be needed.
For whatever reason, though, my doctor hasn’t prescribed CPM for me. I asked his assistant if I’d need a CPM machine and she said that the he doesn’t normally use CPM for this sort of procedure, which seems a little strange given that (a) I had CPM last time when it was a less invasive procedure and (b) everything I’ve read online says CPM goes with microfracture.
Also, my surgeon said I’ll be on crutches about 4 weeks, not “6 to 8”. So I guess we’ll just have to see!
Meanwhile, I’m home resting again today. After I give myself a “spit bath” (I can’t shower yet) and put on some clean clothes, I’m going to recline on the couch, elevate the knee with the ice, and then…well, I’m not sure. There aren’t many things I can do prone on the couch. Maybe I’ll watch more TV, like yesterday. Or maybe I’ll play some Civilization IV on my laptop. Or maybe I’ll catch up on some reading.
Speaking of Civilization IV (“civiv” as they call it), I got that game a week ago or so, using a Target gift card that Polycom gave me. I’ve finished two games so far. The first game was the tutorial and I got an OK score. The second game – my first “real” game – I won, but my score ranked me as having approximately the same leadership skills as Dan Quayle. No kidding! When you finish the game and get your final score, they show you a scale which consists of famous civilization builders from history to compare yourself to. At the top of the list is Julius Caesar. At the bottom is Dan Quayle. Now I’m on my 3rd game, which is a simulation of what might have happened if civilization arose on Earth before the last ice age. I’m only a couple dozen turns into it, but I suspect what’s going to happen is that several nations will grow up, and then ice sheets will come down from the north and crush everything except what’s at the equator. We’ll see!