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I really need some positive thoughts / good vibes right now


JLMoran

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OK, I'm 65 days from my cruise, and have gone from feeling increasingly psyched to feeling incredibly stressed out.

About a month ago I tore the meniscus in my left knee. I'm scheduled for arthroscopic surgery to clean out the tear on Tuesday. Relatively low deal, recovery supposed to be only two weeks and fully back to normal. Plenty of time before vacation starts.

And then this morning I found out I'm going to need another surgery, which absolutely cannot be put off between risks of things getting worse and the fact this other operation, even though it's laparoscopic, has a 5 to 8 week average recovery for resuming full activity.

Did I mention I'm nine weeks away from my flight down to FLL? :38_worried: :52_fearful:

The silver lining I keep trying to remind myself of, is that I did have the need for the second surgery happen when I actually still have time to do it and recover, and not the week before I'm scheduled to fly down (or worse, after the cruise started). But today has been nothing but stress, worries, and questions, with more to come, I'm sure.

Main goal of today was to find a surgeon who's in network; decently rated on HealthGrades; affiliated with my local hospital; who can get me the required initial consult ASAP (which has been Monday for everyone I found, so that's what I've booked); and who can hopefully get this scheduled in the next week, two at most. I have to find out at the consult whether this can remotely be timed where I can still get both surgeries: Either have the knee work done as planned on Tuesday and quickly follow with this second surgery (if the surgeon is OK with me having general anesthesia twice in just a week or two, and if the timing works for full recovery); or cancel the knee, get this other surgery done ASAP, and then pray my orthopedist gets another opening in late February / early March so I have enough time to fully heal and be able to fly and do all the walking that will come with this trip. And in the dead time between phone calls, searches, and so on, a million questions plaguing me.

What if I can't get the knee done? How would that affect what I can do on this cruise?

What if I don't recover fast enough? I'm not exactly a spring chicken any more.

What is the financial impact of this going to be? It's not even the end of January and before these two surgeries, I'm already within a couple hundred dollars of satisfying my insurance plan's high family deductible. At least I budgeted the cruise, excursions, packages, etc. and paid it all off ahead of this!

Does Karma have any more surprises planned for me and my family? It's not like the last three freaking years haven't had enough piled on us.

 

I'm trying really hard to stay positive:

  • I'm 100% sure that I'm still going on this cruise, come hell or high water.
  • I'm about 90% sure I can get the scheduling worked out so that everything is done with enough time to fully heal; and that in the end I'll be fine and able to fully enjoy the trip. That other 10% scares and worries me.
  • I'm maybe 75% certain that if I can't get the knee fixed in time, that I could still find a way to do most of what I was looking forward to on this long-overdue and long-awaited getaway. But I won't lie: If I have to miss out on some of the things I've been looking forward to the most, I'll be really disappointed.

But I'm a planner, and nothing stresses me out more than having totally random crap come along and even risk screwing up the plans I've spent months working out. So if you can send some positive thoughts / vibes / etc. over my way to help right this proverbial ship, it would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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Yikes, Joe !  I can't believe this is happening to you !  

Nothing like adding some serious drama to an already stressful situation !

If I were you, I would start wearing a garlic necklace and a big, shiny cross.  You can never be too careful with those vampires lurking about.  With your luck they will find you !

I wish I could offer some good [real] advice but I am not a doctor.  I guess I would say...just stick with your plan and hope that they can get you scheduled soon enough that this will all be behind you quickly.

Let us know what's going on.  

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Joe - As hard as it may be, take care of the things that you can control and let go of the things that you have no control over.  It sounds like you have so much on you already, don't let the "what ifs" weigh you down.  You will still have a wonderful vacation no matter what, and if you do miss a few things due to mobility, then take comfort in knowing that as long as you take care of your health now, there will be another time.  A great vacation is what you make out of the situation that you are in.  Keep us posted.  :12_slight_smile:

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42 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

So if you can send some positive thoughts / vibes / etc. over my way to help right this proverbial ship, it would be really appreciated.

Here's another...this is the first thing I look at in the morning..this phrase...every morning.  A daily reminder that no matter what life throws at us, we still have a choice. 

Related image

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Joe,

You have over 5,000 friends praying for you to have a speedy recovery -- and to have a stress free countdown to the cruise.  You are like me in the sense, come hell or high water, the cruise is NOT in jeopardy..... But the stress and worry you could do without .....

Take a deep breath, breath slowly .....

We are with you in spirit brother .....

Mark

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You will follow the plan, including buffers for setbacks. You will be okay. To add to your what ifs- what if it isn't as bad as you think? We will all think positive for you.

(just happened to my closest friend- was prepared for this MAJOR surgery- turns out she actually needed a much less intense surgery and is already on her way better)

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29 minutes ago, ellcee said:

(just happened to my closest friend- was prepared for this MAJOR surgery- turns out she actually needed a much less intense surgery and is already on her way better)

@ellcee, very glad to hear your friend had such a positive outcome. In my case the surgery procedure itself is already about as basic and routine as it gets, it just happens to be one of those operations that simply needs a longer time to recover because of incisions into muscles and such. Without going into detail, suffice to say that it's a routine operation that many many men have to undergo at one time or another in their lives. In my case, I've just got the bad luck that this will be time #3, and it's just the general timing of it that had me so wigged out yesterday.

I do feel a fair bit less stressed out today; maybe because I'm simply accepting that I've done all I can for now and did it as quickly as I could, maybe because I've had time to process it all and get a little more of a grip. For sure the feedback from you all is a big help as well, just to hear the reassurances from folks who are friends and not immediate family (there really is a difference :10_wink:).

Yesterday just felt like the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. We had a scare with my wife last month (seems to have been nothing in the end, but we're staying vigilant), then the knee issue, then this. They say bad luck comes in threes, so I'm really hoping this will be the end of it all.

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5 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

@ellcee, very glad to hear your friend had such a positive outcome. In my case the surgery procedure itself is already about as basic and routine as it gets, it just happens to be one of those operations that simply needs a longer time to recover because of incisions into muscles and such. Without going into detail, suffice to say that it's a routine operation that many many men have to undergo at one time or another in their lives. In my case, I've just got the bad luck that this will be time #3, and it's just the general timing of it that had me so wigged out yesterday.

I do feel a fair bit less stressed out today; maybe because I'm simply accepting that I've done all I can for now and did it as quickly as I could, maybe because I've had time to process it all and get a little more of a grip. For sure the feedback from you all is a big help as well, just to hear the reassurances from folks who are friends and not immediate family (there really is a difference :10_wink:).

Yesterday just felt like the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. We had a scare with my wife last month (seems to have been nothing in the end, but we're staying vigilant), then the knee issue, then this. They say bad luck comes in threes, so I'm really hoping this will be the end of it all.

We really need to cruise together ...... the 4 of us ..... you know, for therapy.

Dilly Dilly

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Guest toodle68
18 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

take care of the things that you can control and let go of the things that you have no control over

This, 1000 times, is what I constantly try to live by.. and especially more so this last 12 months, I would have gone crazy if I let all the things I can't control effect me.

Not sure what the 2nd surgery is, but I have had plenty of knee work done and most times I was up and about in 3 weeks. Two years ago I had total knee replacements on both knees at the same time and was on vacation 8 weeks later.  

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1 minute ago, toodle68 said:

Not sure what the 2nd surgery is, but I have had plenty of knee work done and most times I was up and about in 3 weeks. Two years ago I had total knee replacements on both knees at the same time and was on vacation 8 weeks later.  

OK, your nickname is officially "Wolverine" in my book!

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Guest toodle68

Lol.. that works.  It was not really as bad as I thought.. The only major pain was from the anesthesia.  It gives me hiccups and most times, that is minor and I hiccup for 3-4 days.  But this surgery I obviously had more anesthesia than normal and my hiccups became so bad I had trouble breathing. At one point they called some code for patient in distress and they thought I was having a heart attack...  funny in hindsight..

Oh..  passing a football size stool 5 days after surgery.

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8 minutes ago, toodle68 said:

Lol.. that works.  It was not really as bad as I thought.. The only major pain was from the anesthesia.  It gives me hiccups and most times, that is minor and I hiccup for 3-4 days.  But this surgery I obviously had more anesthesia than normal and my hiccups became so bad I had trouble breathing. At one point they called some code for patient in distress and they thought I was having a heart attack...  funny in hindsight..

Oh..  passing a football size stool 5 days after surgery.

Um --- yeah ...... thank you for painting quite a picture ..... now if I could only "unsee" it in my brain.

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So an update on the situation. I saw the general surgeon today, and I got the best possible outcome in my book.

First off, he said he's comfortable with having me get my planned knee surgery tomorrow. Since the other issue isn't causing any major pain or giving other signs that the timing is more critical, we're doing that second surgery on Monday, Feb 12. Basically giving my knee the time to heal and get the sutures out, as well as give me a little extra time to be ready for a second round of general anesthesia.

Second, recovery time with laparoscopic version of this procedure is definitely on the shorter end of that range I'd seen, and he said 4 weeks should actually be plenty good to be well enough to navigate a cruise ship, go swimming, etc.. There's some small chance that he'll find after starting the laparoscopic work that he can't do it that way and will have to switch to regular open incision surgery, but even if it came to that he said it shouldn't add more than a week to the recovery time. With this second surgery on the 12th, I'll have just over six weeks until our flight to FLL. That'll be enough time to heal up rock solidly and board that plane with no worries about comfort, and board the ship three days later without worries about getting around.

So I am definitely feeling very relieved right now. I have to be at the surgical center for the knee arthroscopy tomorrow morning at 8:30, and I'll probably be zonked out the rest of the day. But soon as I'm feeling up to sitting at a computer again (or at least using my phone for prolonged periods without wondering the meds will make me do :3_grin:), I'll let everyone know how it all went.

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Joe, if it's any consultation, I had my knee scoped on a Friday, recuperated the remainder of Friday, Saturday and Sunday (No pain medication beside Advil, so I could drive myself) and went to work on Monday with my brace and crutches, by the end of Monday I wasn't using the crutches. I'm just saying with new medical procedures recovery is a lot less than it used to be.

Have faith and good luck with the procedure tomorrow.

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57 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

Joe, if it's any consultation, I had my knee scoped on a Friday, recuperated the remainder of Friday, Saturday and Sunday (No pain medication beside Advil, so I could drive myself) and went to work on Monday with my brace and crutches, by the end of Monday I wasn't using the crutches. I'm just saying with new medical procedures recovery is a lot less than it used to be.

Have faith and good luck with the procedure tomorrow.

Thanks, @tiny260! A couple others I've spoken to elsewhere said pretty much the same thing -- pain is generally done and gone by day 3 post-op. So that means I'll be in perfect shape to take a lap around the local mall by Saturday. ?

I've actually had it indicated to me by my surgeon that I won't even have a brace, just a thick bandage, and at least theoretically won't need crutches (but I'm bringing the ones from my last major surgery anyway). Her exact words were, "You can walk on it with full weight as you're able to tolerate it." And it does seem the surgical center is expecting me to get up and move around a bit before discharge. So fingers crossed!

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Joe, i have had both my knees scoped.  Both were medial meniscus tears.  The first one I ran my Navy physical fitness test 2.5 weeks after! (Full disclosure i was 25).  10 years later i had my other one done.  No physical fitness test to pass but recovery was just as fast.  Never took one narcotic pain pill, just ibuprofen.  It takes 30-45 minutes so the anesthesia is minimal also.  You will do great.  Good Luck!

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Joe,

Have you thought about renting a scooter for on board use, if the knee isn't 100%? Here's some info:

Scootaround (formerly CareVacations)
Phone: 888-441-7575
Local: 204-982-0657

Fax: 204-478-1172
E-mail: [email protected]
They will deliver the scooter to your cabin and retrieve it when the ship gets back into port. I saw a lot of these on the Serenade last year. 
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!:27_sunglasses:
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Already home from the same-day surgical center. Was told by my orthopedist when I woke up that I not only had a tear in the rear part of the medial meniscus, I also had a tear in the front as well as some torn cartilage. All has been repaired, and I walked from my gurney bed to the bathroom before leaving. On orders to walk a little every hour; given how much water I’m drinking right now to help clear the anesthesia and also soothe my throat (little sore after intubation), that won’t be a problem! ??

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14 hours ago, rjac said:

Joe,

Have you thought about renting a scooter for on board use, if the knee isn't 100%? Here's some info:

Scootaround (formerly CareVacations)
Phone: 888-441-7575
Local: 204-982-0657

They will deliver the scooter to your cabin and retrieve it when the ship gets back into port. I saw a lot of these on the Serenade last year. 
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!:27_sunglasses:

@rjac, thanks for the recommendation! Since I got the knee done today, I’m pretty sure I’ll be totally fine by sail away.  I had actually looked at this service when we originally booked a year and a half ago, thinking I’d need it to get around. Since then, I had managed to stop needing my walking cane and do enough daily walking that I felt confident I wouldn’t actually need them. Going to keep that optimism now, after my earlier worry and pessimism. Need to turn the frowns upside down! :3_grin:

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2 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

@rjac, thanks for the recommendation! Since I got the knee done today, I’m pretty sure I’ll be totally fine by sail away.  I had actually looked at this service when we originally booked a year and a half ago, thinking I’d need it to get around. Since then, I had managed to stop needing my walking cane and do enough daily walking that I felt confident I wouldn’t actually need them. Going to keep that optimism now, after my earlier worry and pessimism. Need to turn the frowns upside down! :3_grin:

You're very welcome Joe. Keep up the good work, positive attitude and enjoy your cruise!:27_sunglasses:

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@toodle68, did you give me a blood transfusion when I wasn’t looking? Seems I may have picked up some of your “wolverine” powers. Haven’t had a pain pill since 10 PM yesterday, doing totally fine and walking around the house without issues. Just stood for about 10 minutes straight while brewing some coffee, no problemo.

Not exactly feeling like I could hop on the exercise bike yet, but that might not be far off! ?

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22 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

@toodle68, did you give me a blood transfusion when I wasn’t looking? Seems I may have picked up some of your “wolverine” powers. Haven’t had a pain pill since 10 PM yesterday, doing totally fine and walking around the house without issues. Just stood for about 10 minutes straight while brewing some coffee, no problemo.

Not exactly feeling like I could hop on the exercise bike yet, but that might not be far off! ?

Awesome news Joe!

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Guest toodle68
3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

@toodle68, did you give me a blood transfusion when I wasn’t looking? Seems I may have picked up some of your “wolverine” powers. Haven’t had a pain pill since 10 PM yesterday, doing totally fine and walking around the house without issues. Just stood for about 10 minutes straight while brewing some coffee, no problemo.

Not exactly feeling like I could hop on the exercise bike yet, but that might not be far off! ?

That is awesome..   I stopped with the pain pills after a few days, but did start using them again after I got home from rehab to sleep. I think I used them for another 7 days.

The approach these days for such ops is to get people back on their feet same day. For the total knee replacement, they actually get you out of bed a couple of hours after pre-op.

You wont even feel like you have had surgery in a week..

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10 minutes ago, rjac said:

Hey, Joe.....how you doing? On that exercise bike yet? How about stairs, able to handle those OK?:27_sunglasses:

Making progress. Did the stairs today, just once and really slowly since the “good” leg is the one with a fused heel, ankle, and shin. But managed it OK and so far no pain meds except for bedtime. No bike yet, the knee isn’t quite ready to have nearly full weight bearing down on it yet. Standing up still hurts / pops slightly if I bear down with that leg too hard or too fast.

But seeing as I’m 3 days post op, it’s good progress!

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1 hour ago, Sweety said:

How are you?

Doing pretty well. Over the last two days I've progressed to taking the stairs the "normal" way, both up and down; still pretty slow going down, but the knee has no problem holding my full weight now while bending. Still being careful not to overdo it, and tomorrow will be the big test -- driving!

The knee itself still looks fine, apart from some yellow bruising that wasn't there a couple of days ago and only showed up yesterday. I guess the area needed some time for the inflammation to down before the bruises could show. Going to see about sleeping in my own bed tonight instead of our recliner, maybe even without pain meds since that driving effort will be in the morning, to get the kids to school.

Second surgery is one week from tomorrow, so I'm definitely glad at the rapid pace I'm healing up from this surgery.

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