Yippee! Monday, January 11th arrived quicker than we planned. All of a sudden, it was here! We arrived at the Celebration (Advent Health) Hospital 10 minutes before 5:00 AM. It was chilly here in balmy Florida but I was told to wear shorts! Brrrrrrrrrrrr. They would not open the front door until exactly five oclock. Brrrrrrrrrrr. Finally, we were allowed in and followed the same route we had tread on October 26th. Less crowded because we were so early. Whoa.....new routine: had to go back down to the registration desk on the first floor to pick up my paperwork. I had but they couldnt use the one on .....had to get the hard copy. Walking on my right knee hurts but that will soon be taken care of....thats why I am here: Total Right knee replacement. Okay....ready to go through the big doors. Cory and I waited.....just briefly....I was called in. Good bye, Cory....I love you.
Exactly the same protocol as before. Wipe my body down with warm, antibacterial cloths, vital signs taken, IV started. I liked this nurse a lot. She did the IV just like I used to. She used my favorite vein and
gave me a little stick of lidocaine at the site. Perfect! My doctor, Dr. Johnston, came in first. I reminded him he said he would remove a cyst that had popped up adjacent to my knee cap. The anesthesiologist came in and I reminded him I didnt want a spinal but lots of drugs. They let in....whew! He helped me attach a note to my right foot to remind the doctor to also remove my cyst....didnt want him just to concentrate on the bad knee or I would have to go Dr. Pimple Popper. Im a thorough person, you know. At 9:15 AM, the OR nurse and nurse anesthetist came to get me. The anesthetist gave me a little joy juice so the last thing I remember in the OR was the anesthesiologist putting the soft oxygen mask over my face......good night everyone!
I woke up okay in the recovery room. My doctor stopped by and said all went well. I was walking bone on bone on the back of my big bones. He took out the cyst and said it was insignificant....he liked my note. He found a bone spur on the end of my femur
that he removed. Said I had been born with it and didnt want it to cause me a future problem. Thank you, Doc. Isnt he pretty on your eyes??
Cory was waiting for me in my private room (thats all they have). So good to see him!! I had different nurses on the day shift....Brody was excellent. The PT staff was the same and they got me up and going right away. On the second day, I did two big laps around the man floor. My PT gal said I did super. I had a horrible night (stayed over only one night). Busy night and low staffing. I tried to maneuver and do some of my own care but I was limited. My bed was broken and wouldnt lift up at the bottom to elevate my legs. You cant put anything under your knee. I told them to take cushions off the couch and put them under the mattress.....nope....they finally switched my bed for another one after I requested to see the nurse manager. I needed help going into the restroom (would have tried myself) but a little light headed. They couldnt use the special canoe....remember that unique urinary
device from before....said the suction was being worked on and didnt want to take it away from someone who needed it.....whaaaaaat? You have to be kidding. Oh, well. During this hellish night, an alarm over my head went off. A device on the ceiling was flashing. Usually you think its your IV but why was this device flashing on the ceiling? I called the nurse....they would be down....right, yeah, right. Now I wondered if it could be a carbon monoxide detector....oh, God....Im going fast....no one down like promised. I waited to see the bright light.....POP ....it went on.... I could see cruel world. Its my time! Wrong! The nurse put on the overheard light....not that heaven light.....it was my IV beeping. The device on the ceiling was a Wifi device. Art could have told me that. Where are you, Art? I was still amongst the living.
