u/misanthropic-penguin

So yeah this is the latest thing my squirrels in the trees barking about.

I am 4 years and 10 months Sober at this point and this is not the first major Ortho experience I have had. However the last one which involved fusing 4 joints in my mid foot due to a complete blow out of ligaments (which definitely did have alcohol as a root cause) I augmented all of the pain killers and such afterwards with whisky.

Yup there I was 2 days after major orthopedic surgery in my truck on hydrocodone headed for the liquor store for a bottle. (and I thought I was in control)

Honestly looking back it's a series of miracles I survived that surgery. My time to report to the hospital wasn't until 1:30 PM and I was told clear liquids only after midnight the day of the procedure. Well whisky _is clear_ therefor I had half a fifth that morning.

Any way this time around I am sober. I am not interesting in having a drink, nor do I think it will be an issue when I recover. I am in close contact with my sponsor, my God and my program.

Why, then, do I have the squirrels on my head screaming out their fear alarms? Because I am an alcoholic. Pure and simple. I have a daily reprieve form a terminal progressive illness that will kill me if I let it.

So that's why I am here today. To share my fear and let it go. Hopefully It will do some one else out there as much good as it does for me to sit down and type it out.

So my surgery is scheduled for Nov 19. I am trying to prep as much as I can for the weeks following the surgery. Forgive me if I ramble a bit and don't be afraid to tell me I need to check out gadgets, or whatnot.

This isn't my first go-round with major ortho modification just the first joint replacement. I had a primary fusion of 4 joints in the Lisfranc process of my left foot about 10 years ago and a laminectomy/discectomy at L5-S1 about 30 years ago or so. I have done one revision on the foot and a rotator cuff back about 18 years back. I am a 55 year old male for reference. No big accident in my past just a blue collar Navy vet who is good at banging himself up.

The knee is a legacy from my time in the service and is being done through VA community Care.

Even though I have been through some tough recoveries before I am still trying to make sure I am prepped as possible for this one.

For adaptive needs and physical care I think I am pretty solid
Once I get home and to my bed room I will pretty much be there for a while. My house is multi level and I won't be doing stairs to get down to the main floor where the kitchen and entrance are. My wife is on board to make sure I am set up on a daily and ongoing basis and I plan to take my drugs as directed to keep ahead of pain and be a good a patient as I can be.

I am most worried about getting bored. I am upgrading the TV in our bedroom and have some projects planned that I can keep my hands busy with but I am as ADHD as a squirrel on crack and don't do very well staying put. I am considering a game console but I haven't the foggiest of which one or what games.

I figure the first week should be changing ice bottles in my knee cooler, eating what I can and sleeping my pills off. (that is pretty much how it went with the foot)

After that Ya'll may being seeing me here quite a bit trying to keep my brain busy.

Any way that's me joining the club