Surgery Day

Woke early having had a good sleep and got everything ready for the off. Not allowed to eat anything before the operation and blood sugar test showed 6.5 so could have done with eating a bit more last night. 

Paid my hotel bill and the taxi arrived at 0725 to transfer me to the clinic. This morning the weather is grey and wet but that is hardly going to bother me today. 

The morning rush hour had hardly started but there were trolley busses going in all directions. The road surfaces are poor and the taxi, although quite a recent model, has now got some suspension issues. At the hospital I went up in the lift to the second floor and walked to the clinic, rented rooms in the hospital adorned with the previous occupants beauty salon logos. I was met by a nurse who showed me to my room.


It is a small private room with separate toilet a TV, towels, shampoo, gel, toothbrush etc.

At around 08:45 Milda the Medical Project Coordinator called in to ask me to complete and sign a service contract form. The surgeon has just popped in to check on me and now the anesthesiologist has been in and confirmed that my blood tests were all ok. He then explained what would happen next and before you could say boo to a goose the nurse was putting the cannula in the back of my hand and giving me the first injection. I was then asked to walk a few metres down to the operating room, beginning to feel a little unstable! Onto the operating table and the very cold spray on my lower back and that is all I remember!

13:00 Now awake and in recovery! Stats all good and regular visits from my jovial nurse. I can now move my right leg and I am looking forward to my lunch. Chicken and ceasar salad. Although I can move my right leg I cannot yet control my foot. The blood pressure monitor has now been taken off and my drip changed.


Just coming up to 14:00 and I am now able to flex my foot although flexing upwards is easier than downwards. The left foot is still more difficult to flex at the moment.

My lunch has not yet arrived but just checked my blood sugar levels and I am at 9.8 so I don't need to eat yet. As an insulin dependent I would normally inject with Lantus first thing in the morning but this was not allowed pre op. When I tested early today I was 6.5 so my sugar levels have gone up during the fasting period.


1432 The surgeon has just been in to check on me and I now have full control over my feet and can bend the operated knee as far as the bandage will allow. Fantastic! Doing my Pilates on the bed to keep me all flexible...

At last my late lunch arrived and I must say I really enjoyed it and I was then able to get a bit of a sleep before the next excitement which was the mobile X-Ray machine to check what they have done and then an antibiotic injection through the cannula. See below for the images.

Now I have full movement of my feet with no more fuzzy feeling. There is a bit of an ache in the knee area but no worse than I am used to.


I have now walked to the loo and back with the frame, It feels good, a bit of a dull ache as to be expected. 

I was blogging on my phone today then after I had woken up fully I enquired about internet wifi access, so yes there is and don’t forget to ask for it to save on your data. So I will post this blog in a little while.. 

For my evening meal I selected one of the local specialities which, being Lithuanian, includes potatoes, but hey I'm in hospital so what can go wrong. Smoked Herring, Onions, tomato and beautifully cooked thick potato wedges, all this topped off with creme fraiche. 






My surgeon, who's name is utterly unpronounceable called in at the end of his shift at around 20:45. He has completed 8 surgical operations here today including my friendly Ukrainian lady who insisted on having both knees done together, apparently she is not so happy now so I made a good choice not to push for that. 

My new knee! How nice it is to be give this data without even having to ask for it!...