Just after Thanksgiving an MRI revealed a mass behind my right knee. This was not news that I was prepared to hear when I finally scheduled an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon at the urging of my friends. A torn meniscus perhaps, or maybe just arthritis, but not a tumor.
The good news—Dr. Sorrell was 99.99% certain it was benign. The bad news—to get to it, he would need to make a jagged 6 inch incision behind my knee. Recovery would take about six weeks. So how soon did I need to schedule surgery? After all, I had things to do and places to go.
Destin for New Years…
…and New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.
So I scheduled surgery for Thursday, January 13 (at least it wasn’t Friday the 13th).
When Dr. Sorrell came to see me in pre-op, he said that he had been studying my MRI and thought it was worth trying an arthroscopic procedure before opening up the back of my leg. If it didn’t work, they would flip me over and proceed as originally planned. I agreed.
What a great feeling to wake up hearing one nurse tell another that I had had an arthroscopic procedure. The difference in recovery will be huge!! Instead of the mark of Zorro on the back of my leg, I have three holes in the center of my knee and one on the side.
My friends have been wonderful. Glenda sat with LBeau during surgery, took my prescriptions to be filled and stayed until supper time. She came back the next day to keep me company while LBeau went to work and helped me remove the dressing on Saturday. She’s also become my designated driver. Yesterday we visited one of my job sites, and today she’s taking me for my first physical therapy appointment.
We’ve had delicious meals every night, furnished by my Bible study friends and my P.E.O. sisters. When they see me walking around (I’ve been weight bearing since the first day), they probably wonder why I need such service, but believe me, it would be difficult getting to the grocery store and being on my feet long enough to prepare dinner.
So I am exceedingly blessed. And one more thing. You can’t begin to know how much it means to tell someone you’re praying for them, until it’s you they’re praying for. Thanks everyone!!
