Surgery has been completed, and Lea’s new knee installed, although the surgery took about two hours longer than projected. The surgeon, Dr Cittadine, said that Lea’s bone was unexpectedly soft, and that he had to progress very slowly in order to avoid making any disastrous mistakes. He said that at one point he could actually depress the bone with his thumb, which should not be possible. The seriousness of her illness in Hartford, and the length of treatment, is likely the cause of the bone condition.

Fitting the knee to the leg was more difficult than expected due to the severe angle her leg has had at the knee, which has let the muscles on one side shorten up. Those will now have to be lengthened through therapy and exercise to remove sideways stress on the joint, and she will still have to overcome the after effects of the drop foot she got in Hartford. The consequences of that malady is that the calf muscle shortened up, and because she hasn’t been able to straighten her knee, she hasn’t been able to stretch those muscles.

Dr Cittadine feels that Lea will be able to recover use of her leg in due course, but that her physical therapy is going to be longer than usual because of her extenuating circumstances. He is also going to recommend to Dr Miller that she be given an increased course of vitamins and calcium to strengthen her bone.

She was transferred to her room at about 2:45 PM, and was very drowsy, but chatty.  She is oxygenating just fine, so she doesn’t need oxygen. Her color is starting to return, and she is being quite conversational. Her first need was something to drink, and then she wanted to see the menu to order dinner. I am optimistic that she will be just fine.