So above is what my situation looked like. They attached the brace over top of all the dressings. The tube coming out of the bottom is actually an ice machine. The tube attaches to a simple box that looks like a Coleman Cooler, and it pumps 50 degree water to a pad that surrounds my knee to keep the swelling down. It's really cool, actually. The slipper is because all that cold water keeps my foot cold, also.
The first night was a bit rough. Because my throat was still hurting, I was drinking a LOT of liquids. All of it had to come out sometime, though, so I woke up about every 4 hours to pee. I used that as a chance to take pain pills as well. That kept everything pretty manageable.
For anyone going through this, make sure you have someone you can really depend on by your side on that first night. My fiance took care of EVERYTHING for me, and I honestly don't think I could've survived that experience without her. Between refilling the ice machine, helping me get to the bathroom, making sure I was comfortable, and keeping me pumped full of pain meds, I think she got a total of about 8 minutes of sleep that night. I'd really like to thank her!
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