2 Weeks Post-Op

Today marks 2 weeks post-op from my RPAO and left knee surgery. In terms of post-operative pain I am doing great. I take 2 extra strength Tylenol a day and a baby aspirin to prevent blood clots. I am still taking 1200mg of Neurontin for my CRPS/RSD (soon to increase). I am no longer taking Celebrex but I take Valium when needed--which hasn't been necessary in a couple of days. My steri-strips have all fallen off (both knee and hip) and my incisions look very neat.

Piriformis Syndrome is still kicking my butt. I have to adjust my sitting positions often to avoid putting too much pressure on the piriformis muscle. I have found that lying on a heating pad helps a lot! Also, from past experience sitting on a tennis ball has provided relief.

Unfortunately my pre-syncope issues (pre-fainting) have come back. I mentioned in a previous post that I have Dysautonomia--a secondary condition to EDS. With that comes hypotension problems (low blood pressure). I have Orthostatic Hypotension and Neurocardiogenic Syncope (neurally mediated hypotension). A dramatic change in temperature is one known trigger for me--which was the case today. After my shower--the temp change from hot to cold triggered a drop in blood pressure and heart rate. I immediately felt like I was going to blackout. I have never actually fainted from one of these episodes because I am fortunate to get warning signs. Some people with hypotension/syncope problems have no warning signs and just faint.

Tomorrow I have my first PT session with Cam. I definitely need to work on quad strength--again! Both quads have diminished dramatically. This is particularly disturbing for my right leg as my kneecap has started to shift and track incorrectly. My mom ordered a new stabilizing brace to help prevent subluxations. I will be having an EMG in a couple of weeks to see if there is any neurological problem causing my dramatic atrophy issues.

Both shoulders are still subluxating so I am very limited with crutching. This also has a dramatic impact on my quad muscles because I am unable to use them as much! Weight-bearing does a lot more for quad strength than quad squeezes.

I have my pre-op and post-op appointments set! My dad and I will head to Boston on May 1st. I have my pre-op appointment on May 2nd with my shoulder surgeon. I am also hoping to get a better idea of what the plan is for my right shoulder (which recently started subluxating). On May 5th I have my post-op appointments with my hip surgeons. I will need to talk to surgeon about my right knee and see what we can do to prevent any dislocations. May 6th is my left open shoulder reconstructive surgery. It is an inpatient procedure--most likely 1-2 nights depending on pain control.

I had my first outing on Saturday. I went to Victoria's Secret with my mom to use my $10 off card they sent me for my birthday. I also went to Big Cheese to have lunch with my mom and Shane!

My birthday is in less than 1 week! The big 2-1