Since my last post I have been able to cut back on Tylenol. I only take it as needed which is a huge positive. The swelling has improved at night and I have been able to get comfortable almost immediately. Progress is progress no matter how small--baby steps! However I still cannot stand for very long. My foot turns purple/blue and my knee has pooling issues as well. Pooling is normal post-op but it is always a problem for me (even when the situation doesn't involve surgery). My primary actually told me that it may be related to my Neurocardiogenic Syncope (Dysautonomia) so there really is not much I can do about it. It's a neurological signal issue and has to do with autonomic functions. The autonomic nervous system controls the body's functions that you don't think about consciously--heart rate, blood pressure, etc. For me and my pooling/Dysautonomia (Neurocardiogenic Syncope) deals mainly with blood pressure...but there could be other factors. As long as my foot has a pulse (it always does) there is nothing to worry about. I am hoping that I can start standing up more because I start back at school on the 18th and I will be on crutches and upright a lot more.
Tuesday is my 2 week post-op appointment for my ankle and 3.5 week post-op appointment for my knee. As I mentioned in my previous post, my stitches come out and I will be casted. I am eager to get my stitches out while completely dreading it. I hate stitches. It is an uncomfortable feeling. It makes me feel sick. However, I just want them out.
Tomorrow marks 3 weeks post-op for my right knee! I have very little pain. It is uncomfortable at times. I am locked in extension unless I am lying in bed or stationary. Otherwise the brace can be unlocked--ranging from 0 to 60 degrees. The most I have bent my knee is 30 degrees and it is very uncomfortable. The swelling in my knee has gone down dramatically. It is still inflamed but nothing dramatic. The steri-strips are still on because during ankle surgery my surgeon changed the steri-strips and noticed that the TTT Osteotomy incision was not completely closed. I should be able to remove them now without any problems but due to nerve pain it doesn't feel good. One at a time!
For those who care (you all should)...the Boston Bruins extinguished the [Calgary] Flames in their game last night-winning 9-0. Beasts of the East! Go B's!
Key Terms:
Autonomic Nervous System- controls functions you don't consciously think about--blood pressure, heart rate, etc.
Autonomic Dysfunction = Dysautonomia
Dysautonomia is a term used to describe any disorder or malfunction of the autonomic nervous system.
-My Dysautonomia [syndrome] is Neurocardiogenic Syncope
*Many EDS patients have Dysautonomia...most of the time POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachychardia Syndrome)
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