fuck

fuck

Well, today was certainly interesting. I don't think I have time to write much, so I'll just sum it up.

I had an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon, and I was expecting another lecture because my leg isn't straight yet. But I guess we're beyond the point of lectures, since he said the aggressive physical therapy just isn't working. He said it's time to do another surgery. The surgery wouldn't involve any cutting - while under general anesthesia, they would put a "nerve block" in one of the main nerves in my leg (to numb it) and then the doctor would bend and straighten my knee for me. Then the nerve block would stay in my leg for a couple days and I'd be hooked up to a machine that bends and straightens my leg for me. I'd have to be in the hospital for a couple of days. The biggest risk of this procedure is that the machine might break my leg. I don't have to have this procedure done if I don't want to, but he told me the alternative is that I wouldn't ever gain much more range of motion in my knee.

Then my dad asked if we could have an MRI done just to make sure there's nothing else going on. The doctor said that he was able to bend and straighten my leg all the way during my last surgery, so he didn't think there's anything mechanical that's blocking my motion. He also didn't think the MRI images would turn out well because of all the metal in my knee. But we decided we might as well try it before having the procedure done. Luckily it was a slow day at the hospital, and I was able to get in right away for the MRI. After that, my dad and I remembered that we'd forgotten to have something signed at the orthopedic clinic, so we stopped back up there. My doctor just happened to be available and had already looked at my MRI, so he took us into his office to show us the images. Wow, it's a good thing I had the MRI done. My ACL is torn, just as we had suspected, but as it turns out I also have a tear in my meniscus. No wonder I can't get my leg straight. My doctor apologized for all the lectures about working hard during physical therapy. With the extent of the damage in my knee, it's really surprising that I have the range of motion that I do - and it's just because I've been working so hard.

So I'll be having surgery next week to fix the meniscus, and the ACL surgery will probably be in another six months. When they do the meniscus surgery, I think they'll also be doing the procedure I described above. While it really sucks to have another setback, at least I know that it wasn't my fault that I can't straighten my leg. And I'm hoping that my recovery after this surgery will go much quicker, since it should be a lot easier to straighten my leg.

Welp, so much for all the plans I had next week. So much for taking a class over winter break, and so much for graduating in May.

Whatever, I'll worry about all that stuff when the time comes. I'm getting ready to go down to Illinois to spend Christmas with the extended family. Hopefully I'll be asleep by the time we pass the five crosses alongside the interstate.

I hope everyone has a nice Christmas!