Luck O' The Irish?

Today was an insanely busy day!

We started out in Admitting, where I met with a nurse! She went over my medical history and checked my vitals to make sure I am healthy for surgery. After going over my medical history I met with an Anesthesiologist. Because my history with anesthesia is complicated it was an important meeting. We discussed whether or not it made sense to have an epidural with this surgery because of the complication I experienced last time. I am also more susceptible to a postdural puncture because of EDS. The other option would be a PCA pump with narcotic medication. Seeing as I don't do well with any type of pain medication I opted to go ahead with the epidural. At least there is a solution if another complication were to arise.

After Admitting we went to the Orthopedic Department for a post-op appointment (left knee) with my knee surgeon and a pre-op appointment (RPAO) with my PAO surgeon.

Post-op Appointment:
It has been decided that I will have another surgery on my left knee on Tuesday. This will be done while I am already under anesthesia for my RPAO. I had a MRI today and that will help determine what will be fixed. As of right now it looks like my knee surgeon will clean up scar tissue that could be tightening the graft (cadaver tendon) and restricting motion. He may also elongate the graft if he feels that would be beneficial. It's possible that the graft could rupture during the lengthening process. If that's the case (fingers crossed it's NOT) I would need to have the MPFL reconstruction repeated--most likely during my shoulder surgery in May.

*Never a dull moment!

Pre-op Appointment:
My appointment with my PAO surgeon was very straightforward. Because this is my 2nd PAO I already know most of what will be done and what to expect during recovery. It's a 4-6 hour procedure (+ time for added knee surgery). I will be in the hospital for about 7 days (barring any complications). As mentioned above, I opted to have the epidural as pain management. The recovery will be spent in a wheelchair until the bones have fused enough to weight-bear. The screws can be removed once I reach 6 months post-op.

I had an appointment with the pain clinic today to discuss my RSD and how to go about treating it. The doctor I met was great! He was very nice and you could tell he really cared and wanted to help me. We discussed my EDS symptoms, RSD symptoms, and a lot of family and medical history. He also spoke with his colleague (who happens to be the leading pediatric RSD specialist in the country) and they agreed on a treatment plan. I will increase my Neurontin dosage before surgery. The pain team will visit me while I am in the hospital and they will discuss options with me during my stay and provide a more comprehensive plan for discharge. My physical therapist (at Children's) will also review the different types of exercises I should focus on and discuss desensitization with me. My pain doctor will also be in contact with my "team" (including Cam and Dr. Shiple) to make sure that everyone understands the plan. Overall it was a very productive and beneficial consult.

I was unable to donate today due to timing conflicts and because it is so close to surgery I will not be able to donate again.

HAPPY Lá Fhéile Pádraig--HAPPY Saint Patrick's Day!