Abs' Knee

As I think I mentioned before, Abs has had a on off problem with her left knee. Late last year it swelled up like a balloon but no bite marks or any accident that she could think of. I was ready to take her to the doctors (don't want to rush these things) but then it went down and she was fine.

Sometime in February, it started giving her gip again, no swelling but it was cracking like a gun shot if she suddenly changed position and (according to her) hurt like hell. Started strapping it up and took her to the doctor who wasn't sure but gave us a referral letter for an Orthopaedic Surgeon who did public work but he told us we'd probably have to wait a few months for an appointment and to get physio in the meantime. Rang the surgeon and got an appointment for about three days later! Saw him - strange chap, not the best people skills but whatever. He then referred us to the nearest Private hospital for xrays and an MRI - major freak out because they are normally BIG money.

Anyway, got that appointment for about a week later and found that we'd get most of it back through Medicare so that was cool. What wasn't cool was when the receptionist attempted to get us to take an appointment at 6:30 in the morning! Didn't know me obviously!

She had the xrays and MRI - anyone who knows her, can you imagine her having to lie completely still for 25 minutes? How she managed it I have no idea. A few days later we go back to the surgeon who says the results aren't totally clear but whilst it doesn't look like a tear to the cartilege under the kneecap, there is something not quite right and he wants to do an Arthroscopy! For all those, like me, who had no idea what that was, simply put he would stick a probe in either side of the kneecap and rummage around, if he found anything abnormal he'd put a scraper/file thing down the probe and fix the problem - piece of cake!!!! Then he tells us he can fit us in the following Monday (this was the Wednesday). Abs went into meltdown. We were expecting a few weeks to get used to the idea but on the other hand it gave her (and us) less time to stress about it.

She was due to go in at 12:30 so I was tempted to send her to school for the morning but decided I'd let her off ;) Got her there, filled some paperwork, then the receptionist asked if I was coming back for her later! No actually I thought I'd leave her there for a month! Bloody silly question. I said I was intending to stay but she said it would be 3-4 hours. We had a letter from the anaesthetist saying anaesthesia time would be 56 minutes to an hour (bit precise!) so Abs freaked a bit. Anyway went in with her, got gowned up, both looked like prawns. The nurse asked if she wanted a needle or just a mask so she went with the mask. Stuck it on her face and complained it smelt funny! Made me laugh anyway. She went to sleep with her eyelids open which gave me a funny moment - didn't look good and I left.

Funny moment. Was having lunch in the car at a place called Point Danger. Brilliant lookout area over the ocean, up pretty high, with paths leading down to a surfer beach. You can often see dolphins and in season, whales and it's stunning. Man parks alongside, we both have our windows down, a woman comes and parks the other side of him. Trouble is when she comes to leave, she puts the car in drive instead of reverse and promptly drives up the curb and onto the very very steep grass bit! Me and man both say very loudly OMG STOP!!!!!! long way down but very fast I would imagine! She then found reverse, graunched underside of car and bumper over the curb and disappeared down the road very quickly - probably off to change her clothes!


Right, where was I? Oh that's right, Abs under general anaesthetic........ Got back to the Day Hospital and was amazed that they had her walking out to me. Obviously they want them moving asap but that seemed a bit fast. Didn't help that the lift was out of order so she had to walk (hobble) down a winding staircase.

Anyway it turns out that the cartilege wasn't torn but it was frayed so he had sanded it down and got it neat and flat again. Touch wood that's the end of the problem. Just a few weeks more physio, a few more weeks getting back to strength again and she'll be right.