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Day of MACI surgery

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 a few hours later groggy and slightly confused. Surprisingly, the pain is pretty much numbed by the combination of a morphine drip and local anaesthetic. As I slowly start to regain consciousness I become keenly aware of my knee. Although it is not really causing much pain, it is throbbing and I can feel every pulse distinctly.

My doctor makes his way back and explains that the procedure went perfectly and that he was confident that my knee would be in much better shape than ever. He gave me the option of spending the night or going home. With no hesitation I request to go home and my paperwork is squared away very quickly. I am back in my own bed less than five hours after having been admitted.


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