Gustavo's MACI Surgery Blog

June 26, 2018 I again slept through the night and although my calf is still really painful it is very much bearable. Today is the first day of physical therapy and I am excited to get in and ask about what I can do to relieve the pain of my calf. After breakfast it is time for the CPM again. I am surprised by just how much easier I am able to move around on my crutches. While my wife is feeding our kids I actually set up the CPM on my own and get myself strapped in. Of course my wife is livid that I did so but after calming her down I tell her that I want to be able to push myself, within limits, and to see how much I can do for myself so that she has more time for the kids. I'm as invested in this recovery as anyone and won't do anything to jeopardize it but at the same time I'm very independent and don't like having to be looked after. She understands and only asks that I not push too hard. Six hours later and I unstrap myself, put on my leg brace and put away t...

June 25, 2018 I was finally able to sleep through the night and I woke up feeling pretty great in terms of morale. My calf is still on fire and when I first get up to go pee I double over in pain. I pop two pills immediately and wince my way over to the bathroom. If I've learned one thing so far is that no matter how tough you are this procedure will humble you many times and all you can do is learn to roll with the punches because the pain while severe at times is fleeting. I just keep reminding myself that I almost couldn't walk anymore and that with this procedure I'll be able to keep up with my two kids. I stay focused on that when the pain creeps up and use it. Back to bed and into the CPM. The wife bring me a cup of coffee while watching the news and not fifteen minutes go by when I get these incredible stomach cramps. I know what's about to happen and tell for my wife to unstrap me from the CPM. I hobble back to the bathroom and with extreme difficulty and pa...

June 24, 2018 My knee woke up feeling pretty good in terms of pain but my calf feels like it is about to explode. After taking off the leg brace and inspecting it nothing seems to be swollen but I'm still glad I have my first post-op appointment today. I again managed to make it through the night with no pain meds but popped a couple of more pills before jumping on the CPM. I also decided to turn her up to 60 degrees as the MACI guide says I'm supposed to be at 90 by week 2 and I figure it is probably good to transition in stages. Surprisingly, it feels really good and only slightly more painful than 30 degrees. After six hours, it is time to go see the doctor/surgeon. I can't wait to ask about my calf. He pulls off the dressing and takes a look and says that it looks absolutely great. He explains that the procedure went as well as he could have ever imagined and that the MACI graft went in perfectly. I tell him about my progress and CPM setting and he is really surpr...

June 23, 2018 Well, I feel like this blog is going to start getting monotonous as my routine is almost identical, lol. Today, I'm going to try to share more of my insights regarding how I'm feeling rather than just the procedural. Sleep was also interupted several times last night. I've likely spent 20 hours in bed out of 24 and still am somehow tired. The pain is constant but bearable. Today, I'm going to try to start cutting back on the Oxycodone because I've got this fear of getting addicted. One thing I can't stress enough is just how thankful I am for my amazing wife. She is my constant companion and cheerfully helps with everything from hooking me up the CPM to the ice machine to helping me sit up and bringing me food/water and of course emptying out my pee jar. I do not even want to imagine what it would be like to go through this process without her at my side. Despite taking care of our two babies and me she always walks into our room with a smi...

June 22, 2018 I woke up several times throughout the night because of pain and popped two more pills to manage it slightly. The local definitely work off shortly after having fallen asleep and I can say resoundingly that this is a painful procedure. I tried to let my wife rest and only woke her up in the morning because my pee jar was full. Sidenote, I did not realize that Oxycodone can inhibit your ability to urinate and when I went sleep my bladder was hurting because I had been loaded up with IV fluids and couldn't go pee. It is actually quite disheartening to put your junk into the pee jar and just stare at it for upwards of a minute with no results. I did eventually manage to pee overnight without making a mess or walking my wife so that was a win. I popped two more pills and asked my wife to hook me up to the ice water circulating machine. After 30 minutes it was on to the CPM and six hours of Netflix. Their new show Cobra Kai is pretty bad ass. During my time on CPM I ...

June 21, 2018 As I arrive home I begin to grasp the magnitude of the procedure as I run my hands along my knee and feel at least 20 staples. My wife, parents and siblings all rush to help me out of the car and although I try to assure them that I am fine, my lack of coordination and balance tell a different story. They all manage to help me out of the car and into my room. I'm very glad that the local is still very much in effect or trying to get my leg on the bed would've been really painful. I settle in and pop two Oxycodone. I'm out within a few minutes and only wake up about four hours later when I hear my kids running by my room. The local had started to wear off and I'm becoming increasingly aware of the throbbing wound on my leg. I resist the urge to take any more pain meds and instead ask my wife to please hook me up to the CPM machine. The instructions said to aim for 30 degrees in the first week, so of course being a stubborn man I started at that sett...

June 21, 2018 The alarm goes off at 4 a.m. and I jump to turn it off before it wakes my wife. I make my way to the shower for my second Hibiclens rinse. I'm keenly aware of the fact that this is the last time that I will be able to walk unassisted for several weeks and the thought is rather sobering. When I head back into the room my wife is already awake and gives me a reason smile. She knows that although I'm putting on a brave face I'm terrified at the idea of being wholly reliant on others for any period of time. We drive to the hospital and make our way directly to the 2nd floor for surgery registration. After a short 30 minutes I was whisked away to surgery prep. In no time at all my right leg is shaved and I am ushered to operating room. This is my fifth knee surgery so I'm very familiar with the routine. I see my Doctor momentarily and exchange a few niceties. Then, everything starts to get fuzzy and I am out like a light. I awake in the recovery room ...