Home again, home again, jiggety-jig

Yea, I’m glad to be home again!  Yesterday I had my knee surgery in Heber and I had to stay overnight in the hospital.

Cool things about surgery:

• Getting my knee shaved and writing “YES'” on it with a magic marker
• Coming out of anesthesia is like some weird trippy TV flashback sequence
• The cool machine that has a nylon and velcro wrap around my knee and pumps ice water through baffles every 30 minutes to keep the swelling down
• Saltine crackers and pineapple juice with my pain meds
• Pain meds
• Knowing that your knee won’t be permanently messed up

Not so-cool things about surgery:

• Getting my knee shaved
• Hospital gowns
• The operating room was freezing!
• My foot was numb for hours
• The oxygen monitor that started beeping every time I went to sleep
• Staying overnight in a hospital bed

Everyone at the little Heber hospital was really nice.  The surgeon was Dr. Vernon Cooley who is in practice in Park City with Rosenberg and who helped fix Tiger Wood’s knee.  I felt like I was in very competent hands.

Parley’s canyon was all snowy this morning, so I asked Arden to pick me up (he has a bigger car with good snow tires).  He had to turn around because of an accident blocking the road, but he was able to come back and pick me up before they kicked me out of my room.  He made a great little “nest” in the back seat, with a foam cushion against the backdoor seat, and some sleeping bags behind the passenger seat for me to put my leg on with plenty of blankets and pillows; very comfy.  I was very glad that Melinda didn’t have to drive in the snow. 

So I now have to have a straight, locked brace and I can’t put any weight on it for four weeks (ouch).  I suppose I’ll get lots of practice being patient.