I chose to have surgery with Dr. Andrew Wolff out of Washington Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. During my first appointment we decided surgery was the best option given my type of tear and goal to get back to full function. He was very thorough and despite my panicked email that I was making the right decision, assured me that surgery was inevitable and would be best for my return to competing at a high level.
My surgery itself was a bit of an ordeal but ended up working out very well. I had to be in DC at 8:45 AM so we had left the house around 4am. We were almost to the surgery center and got a call that there was no power due to a downed tree and they would call when I should come in for the surgery. We were so close so we went in anyway, hung out in the waiting room all morning (I was so hungry!) and then finally went out to go for a walk in a local park when they said they would call around 2pm. I was just excited that I was cleared to drink some Gatorade!
The doctor actually called a while later and let us know my surgery had been rescheduled to 4pm at a different surgery center. The patient before me had a bit more going on than expected so my surgery started around 6pm. I had a wonderful pre and post op nurse. Here is a very unflattering pre surgery picture:
After the surgery, Dr. Wolff spoke with Brian and let me know that the tear was larger than what the arthrogram had indicated, so surgery had been the right decision. There was also a bony growth (CAM impingement) on my femoral head that was likely pinching the cartilage and causing the tear, and needed to be shaved down. I very slowly got down some animal crackers and ginger ale (in between naps). I finally got to try getting around on the crutches, immediately almost puked and had to wait again. We finally got to leave around 9pm. Poor Brian drove the 4hrs home, with me not being very entertaining, and we got home at 1am.
I have a couple machines that I spent quite a bit of time in. The first is a Continuous Passive Motion machine that lifts and lowers my leg at whatever degree of flexion it is set at (started around 30deg and instructions to go up to 70deg). That one is 3 hrs a day for 3 weeks.
The second is a compression/cooling machine that reduces inflammation and decreases the chance of getting a blood clot. The non operative leg piece wasn't working but my Zoot Sports compression sock was an excellent substitute. In fact, I've been going through all my Zoot gear despite not working out, since it's sooooo comfy.
I can't believe how much he was able to do in just two small incisions! Modern medicine is pretty awesome. I am definitely feeling better already than I expected I would, and I am sure a huge part of that was picking the right surgeon.
Brian was very helpful, but also very encouraging of me getting up and around and learning to do things on my own. I really think that my moving about a bit right away helped in my recovery. I was very careful, and moved slowly, and still spent a lot of time down, but it was great to at least be hobbling around. A couple days after the surgery I was getting a bit bored and sick of Netflix, so we met a couple friends at the brewery nearby. I just had some of their homemade soda, but it was nice to be out of the house. Our friend John, who just broke his knee, met us out and the bartender referred to us as Scratch and Dent.
John getting unsolicited advice that he shouldn't wear his knee brace...
Scratch and Dent out and about
June bug has been an excellent nurse and does not like to be far from me when I have to be in the CPM machine or am just taking a breather.
However, she is not as understanding when it comes to fetch. She is at least getting better at her drop accuracy. But if she thinks the ball is within my reach, and I disagree, she gets very frustrated.
The weekend after my surgery, I had my 28th birthday. I was kind of bummed that we couldn't do much, but Brian made me a cool pop up card and we got coffee and took the pups to the park to run around. I can at least use the throwing stick to toss balls for June. He also arranged for some friends to meet us at a pottery painting studio for some non-mobile fun, followed by Ritas and then a nice dinner out for the two of us. All in all, a really fun day, even on crutches.
Surprisingly, some of the hard things to do are: sitting for long periods, and putting on my sneakers... This is as far as I got one day before Brian intervened.
He also bedazzled my crutches with bike bar tape since the grips were all sticky.
I have started physical therapy at Atlantic PT with Lucas. He has been great and was very optimistic. At my first appointment (about 1 week post op), he said my range of motion and weight bearing capability at this stage was really great. In the first few weeks the main goal is to wean off the crutches by bearing as much weight as is comfortable and walk as normally as possible. 2 weeks post op I am down to one crutch due to a slight limp, but doing well and as soon as I master one exercise they make it harder, which I love!
Up to 70 deg of flexion in the CPM machine! I drink my Beet Performer in it for all of it's anti inflammatory an antioxidant benefits.
Crutches on the beach were more difficult than anticipated...
Our friends visited with their little ones, it was tough to not be able to run around and play with them but we enjoyed brushing the pups and reading books together.
At my two week post op appointment I got my stitches out and got some instructions for easing back into biking and swimming. The top row is the tear and the third row down is the repair.
Two weeks post op and I was able to pull 2000yds in the pool and get on my bike in the easiest gear for 20 min. Definitely less than what I was used to, but it's a start to getting back. Feels great to be able to do what I can.
I had expected a much different type of wrist band the weekend of June 28th, but I am confident I will be back at it and more motivated than ever.
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