Okay, so measuring pain within the chronology of this journey so far, it goes something like this:

Prior to the fall: 0/10

Falling off the ladder and impacting the ground in whatever gross and biomechanically unnatural way I did, and the following 20-30 minutes: 9/10*

That evening in the ER, resting on a stretcher but leg not yet immobilized: 4-5/10

In a leg brace for the following 3 nights/3 days: 2/10**

0-24 hrs post-surgery: 6/10

Last night and today (day 2 post-op): 8/10

*I could say 10/10 but I am sure there are worse levels of pain/worse injuries than this

**except for the one time I got slightly bumped on the exposed area where my kneecap normally is… that was exceptionally, exquisitely painful

Those days between the fall and surgery were fascinating. Almost zero pain. I slept reasonably well and my spirits were up. Sure, there was zero stability and to take off the knee brace to shower (essentially on one leg) was absolutely terrifying, but with the brace, almost all facets of life were manageable.

But post-op, in a nutshell, it’s been rough. When I woke up between doses of painkillers last night, it felt like the fall all over again. My kneecap was throbbing and the knee was on fire. I was hot and couldn’t get comfortable. I slept sitting up for three hours.

What’s been really unusual and troublesome, has been the occasional reflex action of my quadriceps, which want to flex once in a while – even a few times while sleeping. The flex tugs my kneecap up and the jolt of pain takes my breath away.

The injured area is still heavily wrapped and braced. I release the brace while I’m in bed sometimes, which is a relief for my skin, but not really for my knee. The wrap underneath the brace is so substantial that I can’t even feel an ice pack through it. But I am still diligently icing the area anyway, doing what I can to hopefully limit the swelling – there’s just no relief there.

The drugs are quite effective. I am taking Tramadol every 4-5 hours. The last hour gets progressively more uncomfortable as it wears off, but while it’s working it’s great. The Gabapentin (a nerve blocker) and Celecoxib (anti-inflammatory and pain killer) are also quite helpful, taking much of the pain away from the kneecap specifically. But not unexpectedly, the medicines make me drowsy, which will make it interesting to attempt to return to work later this week.

I’m aggregating all the material I’ve collected and stories I’ve read (I left a message for my surgeon yesterday, but no call back yet with after-care instructions or follow-up), and realize that the first 2 weeks is all about rest and pain management. On the side, I also want to move around a bit and use some of the weights I have at home to keep my upper body going. I did some bent-over rows, biceps, and one-sided shoulder presses today, for example. There weren’t any issues staying off the bad leg, and it seems reasonable to keep that up a few times each week.

I think the pain should substantially subside after 2 weeks. Between 2-3 weeks is the official follow-up with my surgeon, where I expect he’ll look at the knee and decide how it’s doing and what comes next. If I get the go-ahead, that’s when very early stage rehab can start. A new kind of pain, from what I’ve read. Good times!