You guys...

You guys! Guess what I got to do yesterday. (most of you probably already know since I sent out a mass text)

Sit in on a knee surgery! Yeah! I know! I thought I would be in another room up top with a glass window but I was right there. All they said was "don't touch anything blue (sterile) and stay out of the way.

Jasper, the patient is a 6 foot 10 inch basketball player from the Netherlands. He was famous on the floor we were on for being so tall. They put on a bed extender and the doctors and nurses were taking pictures with his crutches since the crutches were taller than the people. They were so professional.

A couple weeks he blew out his knee. Tore his ACL in half, damaged his meniscus and tore his LCL and MCL. Some of the other trainers have had the opportunity to sit in on other surgeries so it was my turn. I had to skip a class (don't worry mom, I'm doing well in it and my professor said it was fine to be gone that day.)

Just in case

So... the charge nurse in the OR that day brought me down to the women's locker room where she swiped her card and got me scrubs, booties, a hairnet thingy, and mask in a nice little package from a vending machine.

I didn't get a picture with my hat and mask on.

You guys... it was so cool.

They put Jasper under, covered him up, and then brought me in. I watched them cut him open, pull out strings of hamstring (for his graft... they made a new ACL out of his hamstrings) and do all sorts of fun stuff. I was so proud of myself for not feeling sick.

And then it happened. They stuck in the camera and I started thinking about what they were actually doing and the room had a funky smell, too. I started feeling a little light headed, so I sat down in the chair they had for me. Now I was really hot and really cold at the same time. Crap! I was seeing stars and felt like I needed to puke.

I got up and headed for the door. The charge nurse asked how I was doing... "I think I just need to step out for a minute." She grabbed my arm and dang that woman is strong! I think she has kids because she had what Jake likes to call "mom hands".  She brought me into an empty OR and I sat down and took deep breathes and yadda yadda. I felt like such a wuss. The only other times I have passed out was when I was giving blood and that was because I may have added another 5 pounds to my weight for the requirement to give blood. I told her I was ready to go back in and she said "actually, you're still pretty pale and your lips don't have any color." Great. After a few more minutes I went back in and did just fine. I watched them drill and shove and poke and twist and shave down his meniscus and then it was done.

But it was so cool! We left at 10am and I finally walked into the door of our apartment around 8:30 that night. Long day, but so worth it.