Post-Op

I had my knee surgery today. It went well. I had a minor freak out yesterday when the medical director called to make sure I knew there was a slight risk to the baby due to the surgery. He didn't identify himself as the medical director on the phone at first, so I actually thought he was the anesthesiologist and that he was maybe not comfortable with my pregnancy. I called my OB again, talked to my mom, and then called the medical director back. The second phone call was when I found out he was the medical director. It all made sense then. He has to cover the surgical center by making sure I know that since I'm pregnant, the regular routine shifts a bit. I had already been praying, and as soon as I found out who he was, I felt comforted because he wasn't directly involved in my surgery and wasn't describing a personal conflict. He was also very nice and assured me that he was very optimistic everything would go fine and all.

We went in early this morning. I didn't have to wait too long. I talked again to the surgeon, and spoke with the anesthesiologist just before the surgery. They checked the baby's heartbeat before the surgery as well. I was very pleased that they didn't downplay my requests. I asked if I would be completed reclined during the surgery, and the anesthesiologist guessed my concern, and immediately asked if I would like a prop under my left side so that I wouldn't be completely flat (for the baby). It was a very appreciated thought. They made sure I had it before I went under.

The surgery itself apparently only took twenty minutes. The surgeon removed the torn part of the meniscus, but said I still have a lot of the meniscus left, so my knee should be fine for a long time. That was good news. They checked the fetal heartbeat again and the heartbeat was the same as before the surgery. That was the best news. After I stopped shivering (I tend to need a lot of heated blankets when I'm coming out of anesthesia), I was able to sit up and eat. When I was ready, they had me walk around to make sure I could walk without crutches. I was pleased to find that my knee hurt less than before the surgery, and no, I wasn't on pain meds. Ironically, even though I was willing to do general anesthesia, I'm trying to go med-free post-op. Since I was up and able to move, they released us and we were able to head home by 11:15.

I'm now taking it easy at home. I have a few things to do for work, but then I plan to just take it easy. I'm so grateful everything went well. My biggest concern was of course my baby boy. When I found out I had to have surgery, I realized that the baby had already been blessed. When I first really tweaked my leg and was unable to put any weight on it, I asked Kyle and my brother Blake to give me a blessing. This was at the time I thought someone would just need to pop the knee back in place. During the blessing, Kyle ended up mostly making promises about the health of the baby. At the time, I remember thinking, "I'm glad to hear about the baby, but what about my knee?!" When I discovered that surgery was necessary to fix the problem and that it is an option during the second and third trimesters, I realized that maybe that is what the blessing was talking about. That the baby would be healthy and carried full-term. That is what I believe anyway. I guess we'll find out eventually.