ACL Surgery Pre-Op

Had my pre-op today, which consisted of 1) meeting with the surgeon's assistant, Ivory, who happens to be African (the irony) and then 2) getting my knee fitted for the "Robo-brace," (RB) a full-length leg contraption consisting of at least 15 velcro straps and accompanying clips that completely immobilizes any movement of the knee.

After the fitting, my physical therapist, Sara, taught me how to walk on crutches with the RB on which I found to be eerily strange. I mean, it's like preparing to walk injured knowing you're going to break your leg the next day. We then went through an education on isometric exercises for my leg muscles, ones that will help improve strength in my quad post-surgery and minimize atrophy.

So a couple of rules to abide by:

• No eating or drinking day and evening before surgery; right to gorge on my "last supper"
• Bathe with special soap, Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), night before and morning of to 'sterilize' my body
• Bring the Cryo Cuff, a cooler-looking device that pumps cold water through an aircast that reduces swelling of the knee, which will be my best-friend post surgery
• Bring the meds; hello Vicodin or Oxycontin
• Make sure to sign the knee to be operated on; yeah, that would be bad if they went in on the wrong knee

T-4 days till the surgery. Getting anxious for this to be over and get on with with rehab. I'm going to do everything I can to accelerate this process. Enough of not having the freedom to run and play sports.