3 Screws, a Pin and some Wire...

Dick had his follow-up appointment with his surgeon yesterday afternoon. They took Xrays of his patella to see the results of last week's surgery.


Dick's knee, front view


Dick's knee, side view

I think these images are pretty amazing. Considering how small of a bone the patella is, it's amazing that they were able to put the four pieces back together with all of this hardware. As Dick's Sister, Meg said, "Dude, your knee looks like you let a 5 year old with a hammer and some nails loose on it!".

The doctors were very pleased with the results so far. We'll return on Tuesday afternoon for an additional appointment. The surgeon said that it is likely that Dick will need another surgery in about a year to remove the screws, pin and wire from his knee. At that point, all of the hardware will be more painful, and his knee will have fused back together. Of course, we'll cross that bridge when the time comes.

Dick is still on pain killers every 4-6 hours, an anti-inflammatory, an antibiotic and another med to protect his stomach lining from all of these harsh drugs. He's hanging in there pretty well, all things considered. The surgery and the meds have made him tired, and he's pretty much living only on the bed or on the sofa. We did manage to get him out onto one of our balconies to soak in some sun while the weather was nice earlier this week.

So, that's the latest. Thanks again to all who have sent their messages of well-wishes. (and to Tom and MJ who sent North Carolina BBQ!!) We really appreciate all of it.