Surgery Day!

I am laying on the couch icing my knee for the last time as a pre-op ACL tearer.  In about 20 minutes I am leaving for the hospital.  I am a funny mix of really excited, a little nervous and pretty hungry (I can't eat until after surgery).  We went out to kabobs last night and saw "Prometheus" in IMAX 3D to celebrate my last night of walking for a while.  I was thinking I should have seen it this morning because I wouldn't have an appetite anymore!  Actually it was pretty good.  Visually it was awesome and it was cool to see the origin of "Alien" but they left a lot open for a sequel and the acting was so-so.  I am excited for the U.S. Open of golf this weekend and the NBA Finals tonight as I won't be able to do much else but watch TV and movies.

I'll be posting some pics of the damage and honking brace they gave me to wear.  Hopefully it won't be too gross.  From what I hear it should just be a small incision to remove my patellar tendon and then the two scope holes on either side of my knee.  The worst part is going to be the swelling.  I should be home around 6:30 pm tonight with a new knee!  *Fingers crossed*

One Week to Go!

I had my last pre-op PT yesterday which means one week until I get me new ACL!  I am really excited and anxious to get the procedure done.  I have decided to do the patellar tendon autograft so they will be taking a piece of my tibia and patella connected by a slice of the tendon and then replacing my torn ACL.  Sounds great right?  Actually there is some evidence that it is the strongest form of replacement although the recovery tends to be a little more painful.  Let's just say it is the Mercedes of ACL replacement surgeries.

The only unknown left is whether I did significant damage to my meniscus.  It is hard to tell how badly it is damaged although I can say it feel on par with my meniscus on the right which was only partially torn.  If that is the case then I can start bearing weight and moving my knee right away after surgery.  If I require a removal then I may need microfracture surgery to try to regrow the cartilage and that means no weight bearing for 4 weeks.  Let's cross fingers and hope my doctor can save that thing. 

I will be getting some anesthesia with my surgery but it should only take a couple of hours and then a couple of hours in recovery and I will be sleeping in my own bed (or maybe couch) that night.  The worst part is that I am not allowed to eat the day of surgery and unfortunately I am not scheduled for surgery until 2 pm.  Guess grumpy Chris will be making an appearance!  Hopefully Mahsa won't kill me before surgery.....

Hopefully next post will be all sunshine and daisies, and if not, I have 50 Vicodins to make it that way!

PT

Alright, three weeks in, I can't believe it has been almost a month already.  I have now had two weeks of physical therapy and I am pretty much walking on my own with only a slight limp and some mild pain here and there.  All in all I think I'm almost ready to get some surgery.  I have a doctors appointment next week to schedule the date.  I am aiming for the third week in June, that will be the two month point, although I'll take earlier if he gives it to me.  I am prepared for early July since I know I still have quite a bit of swelling going on in there.  If it is longer than that, who knows, I might just do it myself.

Physical therapy has actually been just OK.  I think I wished it would go a little faster but I am not 20 anymore.  The first week was mostly just stretching my calf and hamstring and trying to get my quads to reactivate.  My left quad looks like someone took a chunk out of it and I have lost about 8 pounds since I can't do much.  The last few visits I have been able to ride the bike and do some squats and leg presses which feels great.  The worst part is getting my knee straight.  To accomplish this, they lay my leg straight on the table and put a hand on both sides of my knee and then just go ahead and use their whole body weight to push it down.  I have learned that in physical therapy when they say "this is probably going to be a little uncomfortable" they really mean "I hope you are wearing adult diapers because you are probably going to poo yourself."  The last time I went she saw that my knee was pretty straight so she rolled up a towel and put it under my heel and did the same thing.  Yowza.

As bad as that stuff is the actual most startling moment came when I started Russian stim.  If you have never done it, it is similar to regular stim where they hook electrodes up to your muscles to stimulate them.  Normally this is relaxing and feels pretty good but in this case it pules in 5 second waves.  When a wave comes it stimulates my quad and then I am meant to flex the muscle and raise my leg.  It is basically like assisted leg raises.  Now, what made it crazy was that she asked me to tell her when it felt comfortable, just like regular stim so I was waiting and waiting and then I let her know.  She said "okay" and then preceded to turn it up like 5 more notches!  Well, I wasn't having that so I started screaming like a little girl, my leg was jumping off the table, and everyone was looking at me like I was on fire.  The PT just was laughing and saying I would get used to it and after two or three waves she was right.  But then of course I'm looking around and there are two distinct faces I can see amongst the other patients.  One is sheer and utter horror and immediate questions of "do I have to do that?"  The other was a grin which said "oh yeah, I remember how much that sucked the first time."

Today I am starting my third week of therapy and I hope I get some good news next Tuesday about surgery.  Fingers crossed.

The word!

Went to the doctor today and he read my MRI.  Here is what we saw:

So overall not the best news in the world but it seems my meniscus is amazingly ok.  It sounds like I need at least 6 weeks of PT to let the MCL heal before I can get a graft to replace my ACL.  He said if I get an autograft, meaning using some of my own tissue, the replacement is very strong but it is more painful and the healing takes longer.  If I go with an allograft, or dead people tissue, it is weaker and I can't play sports.  I think you know which one I am going to take!

I also found that I can walk yesterday.  It was like taking my first steps all over again (Mahsa even videotaped it!)  although I find if I try to turn or pivot I get stabbing knee pain.  So far I only go straight.  The doctor also gave (sold) me a hinged knee brace which gives me some stabilization but he wants me to keep on the crutches for one more week.  PT starts on Tuesday (5/1) and from what I remember, there will be plenty to write about that.

What to expect when you are not expecting

So the invincible Chris is not so invincible.  It has been 5 days since I tore my ACL and probably my MCL and meniscus.  This is my feeble attempt to document this injury and the rehab and unbore my mind.

Saturday I was playing tennis on the red clay tennis courts where I work.  Let's just say red clay used to be my favorite surface!  I was going to hit a backhand on the run and I lost my footing.  My foot slipped out from under me and my knee buckled.  It was in blinding pain and I heard some cracks and pops and I looked down to see my knee on the ground and my shin laying at a 90 degree angle to the side.  I hopped up really quick and scooted to the back fence and it kind of popped back in.  One of the coaches came over and helped me up to a bench and had me try to straighten my leg which popped it all the way back in.  So I definitely dislocated it at this point and I was still in a little pain.  My buddy and one of the kids helped me into the clubhouse and my friend called the ambulance.

I didn't want the ambulance at first but after it was called and arrived they splinted my leg and did a pretty good job convincing me that I did.  Fortunately I could hear my wife in my head talking me out of it and so I declined the ambulance but got a free splint out of the deal.  My buddy was nice enough to let me lay in his back seat and he drove me to the hospital.

The hospital was a trip!  It was fairly ghetto and my injuries were less than life threatening.  They basically wheeled me into a hallway in front of a medicine cart which I kept having to move out of the way of so nurses could get stuff out.  They all kept giving me these looks like I was such a inconvenience, like I put myself there, but whatever.  They took X-rays which of course told them nothing and gave me some drugs and a referral.

Probably the most ridiculous thing at the hospital were the other patients.  They kind of had us all jammed together in this hallway with two beds.  They pulled the sheet closed for "privacy" but it was a joke.  The first patient we saw was already in a bed when they wheeled me in.  He had cut his hand and there was a lot of blood so I guess he "won" a bed.  They closed the curtain and had this guy who was there with his sick daughter translate to this guy that they were going to cut off his finger.  I was like holy crap, I just heard that.  The next patient was this guy and his two friends.  Not to judge on the spot but he was definitely of the white trash persuasion.  The whole time they were in the hallway they were talking about how he was so lucky he gets to miss a couple weeks of work and wake and bake every day.  Awesome.  There was also this really nice girl from UMD who had sprained an ankle pretty bad.  While she was waiting for an x-ray they wheeled her in front of the other supply cart in the joint injury wing of the hallway with me.  While we were talking they came back and told her that her bones were not broken and that they were going to give her a brace and some crutches.  This crazy nurse come over and was looking at her ankle and then "jokingly" started shaking the girls foot saying "does that hurt?"  I was like, no way.  I'm looking at the girl who was terrified and in pain and nurse is laughing and saying "just kidding."  Surreal for sure,  I asked the girl if she was ok and I think we were all a little stunned as the nurse walked away laughing to get the crutches.  If she had come anywhere near my knee I think Mahsa would have knocked out her teeth.  The last lady I never actually saw but I heard every word of her conversation.  It was obvious that she had a foot infection.  The nurse was telling her that she thought is was a fungal infection and the lady needed to go to a podiatrist and keep her foot dry and try an anti-fungal cream.  All this is gross enough but then the lady mentioned that her tap water has been brown for months.  The nurse was awesome, she goes "uh, that is disgusting, you should call a plumber."  People man, they kill me.

So I get home, I'm spending a lot of time on the couch icing with my knee up.  I had my first doctor appointment with Dr. Farrell and he is an interesting cat.  Very matter-of-fact and nice enough although he sorta kicked Mahsa out before he took about a cup of fluid out of knee with a horse needle.  It was probably for the best as those things make Mahsa a little queasy.  He basically said 100% ACL tear and probably my meniscus too.  My next appointment is tomorrow (Friday) so I should know much more then.  I had my MRI yesterday and I can see the pictures but of course I have no idea what they mean.  I think though I found my torn ACL.  Stay tuned!

So Cheese Ball Died

Yeah, my tank theory did not hold water.  We got him a 10 gallon tank stocked with neon pink plants and heater.  He seemed happy enough at first and even seemed peaceful the next morning when I found him stuck to the filter.  I am going to believe that it was just his time.  Unfortunately that left us with a giant empty tank and a void in out hearts so we went to Petsmart and filled it with two black mollies (one of them suspiciously fat), two white mollies, two swordtails and two and a half snails.  Quite the little ecosystem.

Ok, so never name your fish until they have survived at least a week.  Almost immediately both white mollies and a snail died.  Although after some research, I think the snail was still alive but whatever.  Then one of the black mollies died a few days later.  I was starting to Google panic search and quickly realized mollies like slightly salty water.  Whoops (thanks mentioning that one Petsmart).  So I fixed that and now its been three weeks and the survivors seem much happier.  In fact my suspiciously fat molly gave birth to about 40 babies.  We actually didn't notice for a while because the fry were so small and black, but then I watched one of the swordtails spit something out of his mouth and then watched it swim away and figured it out.  We debated about letting nature take its course but then Mahsa saw another one get eaten and the look on her face convinced me to try to save some.  Plus, I thought that if I can save some I can recoup some of my losses (take that Petsmart).  I made a home for them out of the fish net by bending it and setting it in the water so that only the bottom of the net was immersed.  Initially I was able to save three (although one was half eaten) and now only one remains but he is doing well and apparently he will get some brothers and sisters soon since these things store love juice and usually have 3 or 4 batches even after the male is separated (or dies).

That black speck in the middle is a fish.

This should be the last fish post for a while.  I just wanted to document this for memory's sake since there is still a good chance that my fish tank may soon be a terrarium. 

Finally, here is Hercules practicing eating chicken wings.

The Life and Times of Cheese Ball

Well, I don't think Cheese Ball is going to make it.  He is spending an awful large portion of his day chillin at the bottom of his vase and he is starting to turn brown, which is not really a natural color for a goldfish.  I think maybe he would be doing better in a tank vs. a flower vase and floating in something other than tap water.  But alas, those things cost money and as anyone who has won a fish at the fair knows, these things don't exactly live forever.  RIP Joe, my first fish, who lived for like five years.  I think he was helped by living near the microwave.  So before it's too late, here is Cheese Ball looking stoked to be a Rivera.

I had my first semi-long run training for Seattle.  I found a great trail by my house which goes over 20 miles from end to end so I have found my beach trail replacement.  Not even being sarcastic, I passed at least 5 parks along the trail.  This is what I love about this place so far.  AND, every person I passed said hello.  Actually, that sounds a little creepy but it was really cool.  I also am learning how to sweat which is new to me.  Maybe that is why the bus is a little smellier here.  Here is the route I ran this weekend:

Not that you can read it but everything looks cooler from space.

Cereal

Since moving to Silver Spring, my greatest expense has not been the heating bill (my first instinct), parking, or water.  Surprisingly, it has been cereal!  As you can clearly see below, at points in time we have so much that we remove the bags from the boxes just to get them all to fit on the refrigerator. 

 

Now, anyone who knows us, will know who the cereal fiend is in the relationship, but it's fair to say that I am not immune to the call of a good bowl every once in a while, or a 2fer on my favorite versions.  The fact is, it is not the actual cereal that calls to us, as much as it is the idea that finally we have a place to put it.  Our very own cereal shrine to adorn with as much cereal as physics allows.

In many ways, I am thankful that it is cereal that we hoard as opposed to cars or shoes or dvds (wait..... never mind that last one, that's another post).  Cereal is never gonna break the bank and I never have to worry about regularity.  I know once kids enter the equation I'll be lucky if I ever even see the cereal.  Come to think of it, I see now why old people like bran and shredded wheat, it is probably all they could keep for themselves.  So for now, don't be surprised to see the perpetual empty bowl (or bowls) resting in the Rivera sink.

With that, here is Camden singing Rhianna (he's not really upside down).

Sure Enough.....

So the lady in front of me on the bus today was amazing.

The roads in Montgomery and PG counties are out of control.  I don't think they have done work on them since the Reagan administration and I swear that in some parts I have seen hell in the bottom of a couple of the potholes.  Needless to say, bus seats are not the best shock absorbers and sleeping on the bus is out of the question.

Or so I thought.

This lady sits down in front of me and leans her head on the window and falls asleep.  Now I'm  interested.  I know whats coming.  Just after the Taco Bell, but right before the Don Pollo, there is the grand daddy pothole.  Like god stuck a finger in the ground just to watch people texting and driving hit their faces on their steering wheels.

Now this lady, to make matters worse, is slowly sliding down the window until her head is resting on the aluminum edge window sill.  I can't believe she is even asleep first of all, with all of the crazies that I see getting off and on everyday, and second, I have to imagine that she is not new to the area and this probably isn't her first trip on the merry-go-round. 

Ok, here is comes........ BAM.  Seriously, I heard her head smack the side of the bus.  I'm thinking brain damage.  She sits up and decides to lean her forehead on the metal bar in front of her and go back to sleep.  Amazing.

These are the type of people I feel sorry for.  This lady could have made a killing with a circus back in the day, traveling the world, screaming fans paying nickels and dimes for a peak at the incredible unbreakable melon.  Instead, she is relegated to some crappy double shift somewhere that makes her so tired that bouncing her face off Plexiglas is better than staying awake for 15 more minutes.

My Anniversary Day

Today is my wife and my's first anniversary.  I should definitely say how much I love her and how much she inspires me to start writing down some of my thoughts.  I guess my first post should just describe a little about where I am in my life.

In December I packed up all my stuff and stuck it to the pioneers by moving back east.  All those years playing Oregon trail made me realize all the pain and hardship they went through and how in two days I reversed all of their hard work.  Take it pioneers.  I now live in Silver Spring, MD which was almost Mall of America II but I guess that it didn't pan out.  I started as a postdoctoral researcher at UMD and so far so good.

Our apartment is new and beautiful and I love being married in our own place.  Most importantly, our place has shuffle board which if I ever make friends, will be awesome.

I have a fish named Cheese Ball and he lives in a vase because he will probably die soon and I wanted him to prove his worth before spending $10 on a fish bowl.  Don't worry, it is a big vase.  We got him for Persian New Year which is my new favorite holiday because it is two days before our anniversary, so I will never forget!

I am an uncle to Camden and my sister takes a lot of pictures and videos of him for me to post later.  It's nice since I am so far away.  Hah, my typing skills just made me type "fart".

I ride the bus to work every day and every day I see something jaw dropping.  The bus is a sick sociological experiment to me.  A bunch of people from different ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds packed into a sardine can and hoping that a set of headphones will keep the drunk guy in the corner from talking to you while avoiding the seats with pee on them.  I love it.

So that is my life.  Bus Work Bus Home.  Sounds mundane, but thanks to the ridiculousness of others (and my own), my life is never boring.