Scar Tissue and 10

Dr. Tex, my surgeon, and Evan, my physical therapist, are both on the same page when it comes to the scar tissue in my knee: the scar tissue needs to go. Under each incision, there were portals where Dr. Tex used his arthroscopic tools to place my new ACL. These portals will turn to scar tissue, and if that tissue isn't softened, it will limit my mobility in the long-term. Dr. Tex told me to massage my incisions to soften the tissue.

Evan has a more rigorous approach. I should have learned by now that for each of my post-op physical therapy appointments, a good five minutes is dedicated to knocking out this scar tissue. Normally, I don't pay close attention to the intention of what he is doing when he works on my knee. I know in general he might be working on my extension or flexion, but I finally figured out the scar tissue thing, and I need to start preparing better for it.

Evan and I started on a conversation last Friday about pain. He brought it up as my right leg squirmed and squeamed as he "massaged" my scar tissue. Here, the term "massage" means use a tool and grate on the incisions. In addition to hurting the muscles, it is a royal bitch on the outer layer of flesh. This is not fun.

"I am a pretty good judge of how much pain someone is in," he said as my right foot approached his forehead in an effort to distract myself from the pain. "I can tell when someone is drug seeking. They come in sitting with a straight face and tell me their pain is a level ten. When I ask them what's going on, instead of telling me about their injury, they tell me of their history of pain meds."

Over the weekend, I was thinking about what a ten level of pain might be. Everyone associates childbirth, third degree burns and kidney stones with level ten pain. I thought of the hospital scene in Gone with the Wind where the solider needs his leg amputated. I was traumatized by this scene when I saw on television when I was a kid. I had to leave the room, but I could still hear him screaming. I know that was the reality of war in that time. On the pain scale, I bet getting a leg removed by hatchet without anesthesia would be a ten on the pain scale. I can think of little that would be worse.

While the my scar tissue "massage" is extremely uncomfortable, I can reasonably tolerate it. Maybe it is a four or five on the pain scale, but it is only for a few minutes, and not worth needing a higher level of drug. Now that I know this is on the agenda every day since my incisions sealed up, I should take a large dose of ibuprofen before I go to PT. I don't need oxycodone, but a little over-the-counter stuff should help a bit.