Places to Chat
I'm having surgery
Chatterbox: Chirp at Cricket
I'm having surgery
I'm having surgery tomorrow. A week ago, as I was getting out of the car, I twisted my knee, and it hurt a lot, and I couldn't put any weight on it. We went to the emergency room the next morning, and they said that I had fractured my tibia. Yesterday, we went to see the orthopedic surgeon, and she said that it was the equivalent to an ACL tear, but since my bones are still growing, the ligament was stronger than the bone. Instead of snapping the ligament, it broke off the piece of bone it was attached to. I have to have surgery to reattach it.
I've never broken a bone before, and I'm really nervous and scared about surgery. Does anyone have any advice for me? I just don't know what to do.
I had knee surgery last summer, @Crookshanks. I was nervous and scared too, but the doctors and nurses are experts in these types of surgeries and they were so nice and really reassured me that everything would be ok. The hardest part is after the surgery. My advice is to pick out some movies to enjoy because you might be too tired to read for a day or two, and make your family bring your favorite snacks and blankets and things! Most importantly, when the doctors tell you it's time to do physical therapy and exercise your knee, do everything they tell you, even if it seems hard or boring. It will pay off, and you'll be feeling better soon!
Good luck!
-Admin
submitted by Crookshanks
(March 9, 2018 - 1:14 am)
(March 9, 2018 - 1:14 am)
Oof that sucks. I've never had surgery before but my advice would be to not build it up in your head too much - the more scared you get, the harder it's probably going to be. Trust that you'll be in the care of medical experts who've been doing this for years and that they'll do everything they can to make sure it's smooth and painless. Hope you recover soon :)
(March 9, 2018 - 11:39 am)
(March 9, 2018 - 12:49 pm)
Thanks, Admins and hotairballoon. I'm feeling a little bit better about it this morning, but I'm still nervous. It's just weird for me to be this nervous, because I'm usually very logical, and logically I know that since I'll be asleep, I won't even feel anything, but I'm just worried about it.
Captcha says vyyy. I agree, why did this have to happen?
(March 9, 2018 - 1:17 pm)
Ooh, that's not fun. *understatement* I've had some surgeries and the best advice I can offer is not to obsess over it. I assume you'll be under general anesthesia? If so, it'll be over before you know it. And when you get shots, just breathe. Good luck, and I hope you get better quick.
(March 9, 2018 - 3:10 pm)
I hope it’s going well- today’s the day, right?
(March 9, 2018 - 7:11 pm)
Ooooh... I've never had surgery, but I've had a few dislocations and sprains, and seeing as even those were very far from nice, I can only imagine what a broken bone AND surgery would feel like... But I have had a shot before that I knew was going to be a very painful one, and it was so strong that it had to be taken in two seperate shots, 6 months apart. The first time, I was freaking out and I built it up so much in my head that I was literally shaking, I repeat, shaking, when the doctor was preparing the needle. When I got the shot over with, I won't deny it was quite painful, and tears were shed, but it was so much better than I made myself expect and by the end of the day I couldn't feel it anymore. The second time, knowing exactly what was coming and therefore not overestimating it, I didn't cry at all and just gave a kind of shaky laugh. I am by no means suggesting that Hepititis A+B shots are anything like surgery, and I do feel really bad for you, and I will also stop sounding all pompous right about now. And if I wanted to say all of this like 100 times shorter, essentially just what everyone else said.
(March 10, 2018 - 9:46 pm)
My experience is that surgery and other procedures are not as bad as you might worry they will be in advance. I may be nevous beforehand, but once it gets going, I'm fine. So I've learned to relax and trust the doctor, nurses, and dentist. They are experienced at keeping you as comfortable as possible. And procedures are so much better than they were years ago! Let us know how you're doing when you get a chance.
(March 10, 2018 - 9:55 pm)
Hey there! How'd it go? I hope you're having a smooth recovery! :)
(March 11, 2018 - 10:26 am)
Aww, thanks for all the support, you guys! It really means a lot to me.
The surgery actually went really well! The surgeon was nice, they gave me anesthesia, and we got really good news. Apparently, instead of snapping off the whole piece of bone, only the middle piece broke. It's still attached around the edges. It's hard to explain, but it means that the surgeon didn't have to put any screws in. She just made sure that the bone was lying flat, and it'll heal on its own. She said that she hadn't ever seen something like this happen before.
Also, because it's still partly attached, I can start putting weight on it, which I'm really happy about! I need to be extra careful not to bend it, though.
All good news. And it shows that things we worry about may not be as bad as anticipated, which reminds me of something a wise friend said to me once: Most of the things we worry about don't happen.
Admin
(March 11, 2018 - 11:33 am)
Yaaay! Glad it went well!
(March 11, 2018 - 12:16 pm)
Hooray for Crookshanks!! I'm glad everything went well. :) Wishing you a speedy recovery!
~Starseeker
(March 11, 2018 - 3:17 pm)
Wonderful, Crookshanks! I'm really happy you're okay... Hope you're fully healed soon! Oh, and while ice dulls pain, it actually can slow healing, so, whatever, just advice. Anyway. Feel better!
(March 11, 2018 - 4:48 pm)
Good to know! Good luck, and the speediest of recoveries to you!
(March 11, 2018 - 5:42 pm)
So glad it went well. Take care!
(March 11, 2018 - 9:04 pm)
I'm a bit late for the advice part, but I hope you are doing much better and continue to feel better. My thoughts are with you. <3
(March 13, 2018 - 9:41 pm)