Post-Surgical Experiences

Greetings, all!

Let's talk about post-operative care. In my life, I've had the following surgeries and procedures:

• Appendectomy

• Partial uvulectomy 

• Left quad repair

• Left quad repair again (!)

• Right meniscus repair

• Left inguinal hernia repair

• Cardiac ablation

My layman's advice to those recuperating from any kind of medical work is as follows:

1. If whatever was done is something that could be affected by external contact, then gently (but firmly) tell people that you need your physical space. My left knee was basically rebuilt twice, and the second time was needed because one of my children decided that with Daddy lying asleep in bed with his leg in a support brace, it was time to play pro wrestler and dive right onto me. They hit my knee, and it was just a few days after surgery. Most sutures popped. Hello, left quad surgery #2.

2. Make sure you are fully able to safely travel as your recovery progresses. With my left knee still recovering from the 2nd surgery and physical therapy not yet fully effective, I was called to attend a family function despite the presence of snow and ice on the ground. I made my way out of my home and stepped onto my front steps, but my weak left leg slipped on the ice. I couldn't regain my balance, and then... RIIIIIP... there went my right meniscus tendon.

3. Fully understand the extent of your injuries and the corrective work that was done. After my hernia surgery, I was trying to get up and walk just hours later despite the pain because I believed it was the only way to maintain my midsection's ability to let me sit up and stay up. However, once the surgeon realized what I was doing, he told me that I was previously badly ripped up inside, more than he initially believed, and that I needed to sit down or risk having the surgical work come apart.

4. If your issue concerns your abdomen, then I believe you should take care to avoid impacts to the area. Remember the above hernia repair? Well, I travel the ultra-crowded NYC subways, and no sooner had I returned to most of my normal activities than someone accidentally jammed right into me during rush hour. Should I have waited for the crowds to lessen? Yes, although it takes hours for that to happen. I should have waited, but who waits during rush hour? Nobody. You just want your commute over with. If I were smarter about the situation, I would have worn some padding as a just-in-case, but no.

5. Follow the advice of your healthcare professionals!

That's it for my list of recommendations, folks. Thanks for visiting!

-TechRider