Non addiction

Ok so things are starting to settle a little bit.... my knee is getting to where it isn't constantly hurting except when I do my exercises or to much activity. I am glad about that because even though I am really careful not to take more pain pills than I should I am paranoid about becoming addicted. It is bad enough I will verify how many I have taken in how long of a time...for instance.... about a week before my surgery I was having a pain day and was going to take a vicodin.... it was the last one in the bottle so when I took it I checked the date on the bottle that I had filled the pills... it was a bottle of 30 and I had filled it in late Oct. So in 3 months I took 30 pills (when Icould've taken 1-2 pills every 4-6 hours as needed) On fri I took my last pill from the bottle of percocet given to me for post-op. I had 50 pills that I took over 15 days. I now have another bottle of 50. I take on average 2-3 a day now. After my operation I was taking 2 pills every 4 hours like clockwork because I was hurting so much. I don't really know why I am sharing this.... but it seemd right! I guess I should say things overall seem to be improving. THe exercises (especially the bending ones) hurt tons but thats normal. I got my stitches out on Fri. I have 3 incisions.... I call them the small medium and large marks, because one had 1 stitch, one had 2 stitches and the third spot had 3 stitches. Maybe later I will post pictures... with the stitches and currently. I also had asked for a phot printout of the xray with my screws in from post-op but forgot to get it before leaving the dr office.... so I will have to get that later too!

It's kinda weird to think that I have the achilles tendon from a cadaver in my knee but I am thankful that the person whose body it was taken from was willing to be a donor, or for their family member making that choice! I have always felt that I would like my organs to be donated but I never imagined I would be a donor recipient. I guess it's a little different since it's not really an organ... but it was still a blessing to me! The other option for the surgery is they take a part of your own hamstring muscle to use for the graft... but that increases the pain and recovery so its ok with me that they didn't. Another thing I am thankful for is being able to take a plastic bag free shower now! Once the stitches came out I was able to get my leg wet again! Yippee!! I still have to wear the large and most annoying brace for walking and sleeping but I also got permission to not wear it for showering as long as I am super careful not to put my full weight on my leg or to slip (i know what you are thinking...that's not a safe bet for me... but I am being extra extra extra careful not to) SO um yeah! Showering is nice! The next step I am looking forward to is not needing to wear the brace to bed, and to not have to keep it locked straight for ambulation. I have to do that for about 2 more weeks. I guess after 4 weeks than I don't have as much of a risk of my knee slipping which could potentially tear the graft. But I don't know if at that time I still have to wear the brace but am allowed to unlock it.... or if I'm done with it all together. But now that I am more active again (just in a walking around since... not a lot though because it still hurts) I am having problems with the brace slipping down my leg though. It waas kinda happening before but not as much. But if I tighten the straps to keep it up than it reduces circulation and my foot and ankle swell.... if I leave it barely loose it slips once I am moving around which than puts my knee at risk again! I can't stand it! I had asked my doctor how to keep it up and he said that's a commmon complaint and the best suggestion is to tighten the strap around the calf... but it doesn't work!!!!! UGH... I think that tomorrow I am going to call the company where I got the brace from and ask them if they have any suggestions, or to see if I come in there if there is maybe something they can do to adjust it so it maybe fits a little better and won't slip as much...we shall see! Anyway I think I should be off to bed now!