Thank you, tissue donor!

The day after my ACL surgery was a lost day. I was in and out of sleep, groggy, confused, in pain and afraid to move lest I hurt myself further. A row of drugs that would rival a shelf at CVS Pharmacy sat next to me with a time schedule that I was supposed to adhere to strictly. I was determined to stay on top of the pain.

During one of my awake moments that day, I reviewed the paperwork sent home with me.  That's when I spotted the information on the tissue graft. I had used a tendon from a deceased donor  to repair my ACL.  I now had the opportunity to thank the family of the deceased. It would not be direct contact. Rather, I would send a note to the tissue donation company and they would forward it to the family.

I suddenly realized I was given a gift out of someone else's misfortune. I plan on drafting that note in a few days when the fog of surgery has subsided.

GOT CADAVER TISSUE?

A while back, my dog Jester took me down on a walk.  He saw a cat and decided to tear after it, not realizing he was attached to me by a leash. He pulled hard and got away, leaving me in a writhing heap on the ground.  I knew it was bad, but I didn't realize how bad until I visited my orthopedic surgeon. I had torn the ACL and meniscus of my left knee. I would require surgery.

"Do you want to use cadaver tissue or your own for the repair?" he asked.
"Huh?" I responded. I felt a little dizzy and even a bit nauseous.
I would've thought by now they had come up with bionic ligaments. But no. I was either using my own hamstring or tissue from a cadaver- someone who had donated his or her body to science.

"I gotta Google this," I said. I really needed more information before making a decision.

There are pros and cons to both sides. Risk of rejection of foreign tissue. Risk of infection, risk of this, risk of that.  Ultimately, I decided to use cadaver tissue because the recovery is shorter.  I was all about getting back on my feet as soon as possible.

So far, so good after two days post surgery. I can only hope that my donor was strong, healthy and athletic. For sure, the donor was generous enough to share a body part with me. For that I am grateful.