A list of what every knee patient needs to know and have before going into surgery for an ACL reconstruction...
Laugh if you want now because later you’ll be wishing you had considered this exhaustive laundry list of items you should think about before you go into knee surgery, especially if it’s for your ACL reconstruction like moi. I spent a while with some of the people on Bob’s Knee Board compiling the list of items that one should consider before having ACL surgery. To begin, it is advisable to be accompanied by people/friends/family if you can for the first three days or so until all the numbness wears off your newfound state of pain, as it may apply. Regardless of whether you are fortunate to have the company, here is the list, along with comments. Happy hunting!
1) Hospitality: Consider staying with someone for the first 3 or so days. It will make a big difference. Even if you think you can get around, the “inconvenience factor” when you are still woozy, numb and nauseous from the anasthesia can make a big difference.
2) Garbage Disposal: If living in a walkup apartment, take down all garbage before you leave the premises!!! Actually, if living in any premises, take out your garbage!
3) Invest money in a backpack. When on crutches it will be your third hand. When off the crutches it is a fabulous piece of equipment to evenly distribute weight of items you need to carry.
4) Prepared Food: If not staying with someone else who can care for you and for the time when you will be weaned off that personal care—make sure you have plenty of frozen or prepared food ready for you to eat!
5) Menus: Speaking of food, if you are planning on ordering in frequently, get plenty of menus from local venues and make sure you have sufficient cash on hand in your apartment!
6) Cooling Device: Cryo-cuff/ice machine/coolgel or ace frozen icepack or frozen mixed vegetables. After dealing with this more regularly I’d say that the electric ice machine is just OK and the cryocuff is better, but you might just do as well with frozen veggies. However, you’ll need 3 or so of these since you’ll forget to replace one in the freezer, etc. I’d also say that the convenience factor with the cuff is very nice for the first few days (I had the DonJoy IceMan which I felt couldn’t be held tightly as could the manual cryocuff or the blue ace ice packages.) I was told to put on the ice for only 20 minutes at a time but it’s hard to tell what is right at the moment.
7) Work Materials: Take all needed items from work/office home so you’ll have access to your materials. You will not go back to work for at least 3 days. For me, I’m in surgery Thursday but feel I might be able to go into the office for a while Monday. The real challenge is not having your leg elevated or being horizontal for a period of at least 8 straight hours. That can feel like an eternity after your knee and leg start to throb due to gravity…
8) Clothing: Bring or have prepared sufficient laundry. I would highly advise getting a pair of “snappy pants” which are also known as tearaway pants such as the basketball players wear during warmups. You can pull the pants apart at the sides as they are held together by snaps. They are utterly INDISPENSIBLE when it comes to ease of putting on and taking off your knee brace if you want a pair of pants that will hide the brace. Also is of great help in changing the bandage, ice, etc. Also a good second is “zippy pants” that will zip on the sides about 1/5 the way up the side of the leg. Same advantages although not as easy to access the whole leg at one shot.
9) Entertainment Unit: Buy the big screen TV. LOL. OK, maybe not essential, but make sure you have a TV or some entertainment device around that has a remote. During some periods you will want to have some brain drain to pass the time.
10) Exercise Gear: Buy/rent exercise bike or other equipment—not really necessary. You can improvise and your PT will tell you what you can do. I am told that access to a swimming pool may come very much in handy down the road. For the first few days your exercises will be mostly simple ones and even afterwards you don’t require anything elaborate.
11) Toiletries: Ensure sufficient toiletries/pharmacy items. If you are staying by yourself, would it be a travesty if you ran out of toilet paper, lol. Make sure you have tylenol or acetominaphen so that you can wean yourself off of the hard drugs sooner rather than later. I am told that they are addictive and also can cause nausea, which they do. Get saran wrap for your leg as you will need to cover your bandage or at least the place where you have had your sutures placed for when you want to shower.
12) Telephone: Buy extra phone for bedside and cordless is priority. Just do it. Having it by your side is so much easier than having to worry about dealing with ones of the corded variety. Make sure to bring your cell phone accessories for your trip, charger and sync cable if applicable.
13) Portable Multimedia: I-Pod? (I have a laptop and loads of MP3s as needed!) It’s nice to have portable entertainment devices to keep near you wherever you may go (or stay for longer periods of time!)
14) Universal remote (optional) Nice to have all your electronic devices controlled by just one unit. Even better when you are laid up. Good but not necessary.
15) Materials: A good collection of books and movies.
16) Pharmaceuticals: Fill prescriptions you may need no later than the day before surgery. At the hospital you’ll get more prescriptions for the “good stuff” (I received “hydrocodone” which I took 4 and stopped promptly) and potentially celebrex.
17) Cash on Hand: Lots of small bills as reiterated above (A GREAT IDEA!!!)
18) Reclining Device: Massaging unit or comfy chair. I found that the CPM machine (constant motion which bends your knee) vibrates and provides massaging. But given the amount of time in a chair or on your back, comfy is good!
19) Water Bottle: Screwtop unbreakable bottle. Need water for survival and best to have a bottle nearby that won’t break, spill or cause a mess easily.
20) Bathroom Necessities: Rubber mats for bathroom and shower. Saran wrap or plastic to wrap the bandaged areas for the first 10-14 days after surgery to protect your sutures and stitched areas from getting wet.
21) Emergency Numbers: Numbers of car services and emergency numbers
22) Insulated Containers: Coolers, thermoses for stockpiling drinks
23) Crutch Carryon: Bag with handle/clip to attach to crutches—this may be more convenient and easier to use than the backpack.
24) Keys: Copies of keys for nearby friends/neighbors
25) Extensions: Extension cords/surge for all appliances nearby
26) Snacks: Not just Snickers but other little munchies, hopefully not too caloric.
27) Straps and Bandages: Velcro strap to hold down ice packs or veggies, ace bandages do the trick well too although may take a little longer to roll.
28) Some people recommend a walker as opposed to crutches. I am able to walk around gingerly after 2 days but this varies according to your doctor.
29) Wireless Router: If using a laptop, you can use a corded connection but really nice to have a wireless router to use so that you can play with the laptop wherever you may be around the house.
30) Fill in the blank. Currently not provided and thought that 30 was a nice, rounded number with which to end the list!
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