Since a colleague has undergone knee surgery recently and others have come to my attention, it seems a good time to throw out some advice.

First, get at least two ice packs and two full bags of ice from any of the stores. The pain medications they give you are will keep the pain away on the day of the surgery. The pain prescriptions they give you are great for after you have passed the major pain “wall” but will not touch the pain that you will get the next morning after the surgery when the heavy meds from the surgery itself wear off. The ice is the only thing that will help during that time that you hit the “wall”. They tell you that you should have the ice on for only 15 minutes and then do without for 15 minutes. Forget that and just leave it on all the time. As long as you are not developing frostbite then you are better off (or at least I was).

Second, get a bucket and a small ice chest to set beside you so you can dump out the meltwater from the ice packs and refill them with ice without depending on someone else who may be busy or not near. When you need more ice for the pain, you don’t want to wait around for someone else to get it for you. Don’t let your ice run low either. Have someone get more as soon as you start into the second bag of ice. If you have an ice machine at home, I’ll tell you now it will not keep up with your needs. You will need a constant supply of ice so get the bags of ice from the store and keep stocked.

The pain pills didn’t help me much when I kept to the schedule that was prescribed. Instead of every 4 to 6 hours, I was better off at every 3 hours. It was more effective to keep the pain from rising than it was to try to tamp it back down after the pills had worn off.

Ask your doctor for the paperwork for a handicapped placard for your car. They have them for “Permanent” (blue) and for “Temporary” (red) disabilities. If your situation is only for the duration of the surgery then the “Temporary” one will come in handy during your recovery period. They are only 3 dollars and change and you get them at the same place you register your car tags.

Consider a walker instead of crutches to keep the weight off your leg. It is more stable and more comfortable than the crutches.

That’s it for now.