It’s done

My knee surgery has been scheduled for later next month. It’s a little earlier than I had planned, but my doctor will be gone to conferences out-of-state throughout April. If all goes well, I will be back on my feet in about three weeks.

As much as I’d like this to be an easy recovery, the doctor did advise me that the procedure could become more complicated if the cartilage in my knee is severely damaged. I have to be prepared for a longer recovery that would entail putting no weight whatsoever on my left leg for eight weeks. The first time the doctor told me this, I looked at him like he was nuts because I’m not really built to be able to easily get around on one limb. What about showering or going to the bathroom? How am I supposed to do that without putting any weight on my left leg? And don’t get me started on how I’m supposed to get home from the hospital and up the Kilimanjaro-like stairs that lead our main floor.

The good thing is I’m a planner and can imagine a lot of things I could and possibly will need while I’m laid up. I have a month to get things in order and will probably try to figure out how to get around with just the one leg and the crutches before I actually have to get around with just the one leg and the crutches. When I first injured my knee back in December, the thing I found out about using crutches is that it really helps if you have a clean house and are not trying to navigate around bits of junk on the floor. It also helps if you’re not twice the size of the average human, but there’s really not much I can do about that now.

When I first learned I needed this surgery, I had hoped I could put it off until I lost enough weight so Nathan could carry me everywhere and I wouldn’t have to worry about putting weight on either of my legs. I’m not kidding. Up the stairs, down the stairs. Into the tub, out of the tub. He was going to be my mule. The more I thought about it though, the more I wanted to do this sooner rather than later. Waiting six months or a year could mean postponing or interrupting grad school and I’ll be damned if I’m spending another holiday on crutches. Been there, done that. This year I want to be out there and fa la la la la-ing with the rest of the happy people.

So as much as this surgery and its aftermath is going to suck, I have a great support system with Nathan. I keep telling him this is going to be rough because I won’t be able to do anything at all. No laundry, no grocery shopping, no cooking and no toddler wrangling. He keeps waving his hand at me. “Ill be fine,” he says. He’s even gone a step further and procured me a loaner laptop with wireless capabilities so I can stay in touch with the internet and complain about how my ass keeps falling asleep.

Good times ahead.  Good times.