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Diary from day of op

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jeanwales
jeanwales

I thought some people might be interested in a day by day diary from the day I had the op. I know I found post op information helpful. I had the op done in Bangor North Wales.

i came into the hospital the day before and all the blood tests were done and the anesthetist came to see me and explained the alternatives  - I opted to go for the spinal injection after he explained it to me. Also the surgeon briefly called in to make sure I was ok.

i also found out I was first on the list which pleased me and I went down at 8.45 and I was taken to have my spinal injection and then into theatre. I could not see anything as a cloth was between me and where they worked on the hip. I took my iPod in and played loud music which really helped. I could hardly hear what people were saying and the only thing I really heard was when they used a saw I presume, sounded like an electric drill and also the hammer which shook through my body. I had a hiccup where my blood pressure dropped and I lost a fair bit of blood and was vomiting but came out of it ok. 20 mins in recovery then back to the ward.

i had no pain at that time and the hardest thing was emptying my bladder. Another low blood pressure scare when I first arrived but then I settled. I ate a small amount at tea time then they tried to put me on the commode after that and the blood pressure dropped and I fainted so they got me back to bed. Settled for the night but some pain as the injection wore off so used the pump button a bit.

just woke up waiting for breakfast then they aim to get me moving later. More on that T the end of today.

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  • jeanwales
    jeanwales

    Posted

    Another day of ups and downs, story of my life in here!

    a restless night with my leg feeling very heavy and full of cramp.

    in the morning I was a lot better and when physio came we started using the two crutches. I was a bit wobbly to start with but got better as I went along. I did a fair bit of walking up and down the corridor during the day and seemed to cope. The surgeon came round and decided that he would keep me in over the weekend due to the fact I was still getting night pain and also would be on my own at home.

  • marey
    marey jeanwales

    Posted

    hope you're sleeping ok jean...how lovely to hear of your visitors....and of your progress. how are things now? can the visitors stay around?

    thinking of you. love marey x 

    • jeanwales
      jeanwales marey

      Posted

      Visiting is very strict, just for an hour. It is a locked ward due to infection they are very strict.

      sleep is still a struggle, nothing better than your own bed.

    • marey
      marey jeanwales

      Posted

      tricky jean...understandable you'd like your own bed...set against the need to keep an eye on you...and the benefit to you of help. will the visitors be still around and able to visit when you go home?
    • jeanwales
      jeanwales marey

      Posted

      They go back today sad

      i wiill be on my own for a week before hubby out of respite but will give me chance to find my own pace 

    • marey
      marey jeanwales

      Posted

      oh sorry they go back but what a boost for you!

      How is your hubby? 

      Really positive attitude about having time and space for your self. Enjoy!

    • jeanwales
      jeanwales marey

      Posted

      He's ok, he's not keen on the home he's in but realises he has to stay for my sake.
    • marey
      marey jeanwales

      Posted

      Bless...and you're able to chat to him on skype? it must be a real life-line for you Jean! I'm glad we can talk in a quietish sort of moment as I was worried i had upset you.
  • lorraine46575
    lorraine46575 jeanwales

    Posted

    Hi Jean, Bet you are glad the surgery is over. Sorry to hear of your blood loss, are you on a special diet? I did not have a big blood loss but my hemoglobin still went down 30 points.  Sorry I would have checked in earlier but our internet was down.  Glad to hear you are getting up and about, how is your physio going?  I had my surgery Tuesday and came home Thursday.  At the Univisity of British Columbia, you can go home as soon as you can, get yourself dressed, go to the washroom without help, walk a certain distance, go up and down stairs and get in and out of a vehicle without too much help.  So they said I could stay for another day or go home.  Despite being very well looked after at UBC the food was horrible and I am a bit of a healthfood nut so home I came.  I want to thank everyone on this site that offered support, your words that it would be fine, were SO TRUE.  I had a spinal with sedation, would highly recomend it.  The assistant surgeon was a young man from the U.K. he showed me my femur after the surgery, it looked like a well chewed dog bone !!!!!  How are you doing now Jean?  I am taking one day at a time, but nothing like the pain I was in before the surgery.  I am on day 5 and my knee on the op side seems swollen, this is new.

    Hope to hear you are doing well Jean.  bye for now Lorraine.

  • jeanwales
    jeanwales

    Posted

    Thought I'd better do another update but then may cut it back to more of a weekly diary as a lot of the days will probably be the same when I get home!

    Firstly Lorraine, really good to hear you are doing ok. They also like to throw you out of hospital in three days here to but they just liked my company too much lol.No special diet at all but my appetite has disappeared since I came into hospital 

    day five

    i am still getting the pain during the night, it's like a very heavy leg full of cramp.A lovely nurse got me an ice pack which really did help. I moved this around my leg and it made it so much more comfortable. Luckily, I think I have frozen peas at home! After breakfast the physio came round and I did all the tests with the crutches and did the stairs etc and he said I was fit to go. Spoke to the nurses and was told I could go home tomorrow if I felt confident enough but to try and have a bit of time on my own before my husband came out of respite. Spoke to him during visiting and he agreed to stay so I had a week at home on my own. So roll on tomorrow! As I said I will write again in a few days and like Lorraine says many thanks to everyone on here. It has been so supportive for me.

     

    • bunnyg
      bunnyg jeanwales

      Posted

      Thinking of you, Jean. Your diary is really helping me and my sisters work out what might be on store for my mum (and dad).
    • marey
      marey jeanwales

      Posted

      Interesting to hear that the hospital could keep you a bit longer than usual ...was this to accomodate your circumstances? Is hubby somehow being brought in to see you? Glad you will have some space for yourself.GOOD LUCK for your return home!
    • lorraine46575
      lorraine46575 jeanwales

      Posted

      Hi Jean, So glad you are home.  Got to love your neighbour bless her heart.  You are so right, we have to listen to our bodies.  Sending you lots of healing wishes.

      Lorraine.

  • jeanp
    jeanp jeanwales

    Posted

    Well done on your recovery so far, Jean and thanks for the posts. I bet you will be glad to be back in your own place tomorrow though, won't you? Plenty of rest, get your strength back for when your husband returns and make sure you have lots of nice snacky things to eat to tempt your appetite. Let us all know how it goes, won't you?

     

  • jeanwales
    jeanwales

    Posted

    Little update for you - I'm home!!!!!

    the hospital were happy to keep me the extra days as I had missed the whole of the first day recovery through the fainting but the surgeon did also take into account my circumstances and as a nurse said to me as I left. I had done well as they had been told another three days likely.

    my friends picked me up and I felt every bump on the road. Not the drivers fault just me feeling tender. They stopped for fresh milk bread etc then home. I made tea and toast and was so tired I went straight to bed and slept for an hour to be woken by a neighbour coming in to see if I wanted a ham sandwich bless her. She is 94 smile I got up using the two crutches and made a drink and started to unpack the hospital bags but felt so tired I have just come back to bed again and have elevated my legs which my surgeon told me to do for an hour in the middle of the day for the first week or so. My hubby is being brought over for an hour this afternoon to see me but not sure during the week as people we know will be working but I will what we can sort out for him. I have decided today to just think of my body and not do much at all then gradually during the week slowly build up what I can do. No actual pain as such, just the general soreness around the wound. A friend has offered to get any shopping on way home from work so will take her up on it for this week.

    • HippiechicUK
      HippiechicUK jeanwales

      Posted

      Wonderful. You will be tired and you really will need to take people up on their offers of help. I am having supermarket home deliveries which have been great but you need someone to put the stuff away. Listening to the body of vital importance. Keep us posted.
    • bunnyg
      bunnyg jeanwales

      Posted

      Such a good approach to "just think of my body." Your body will tell you when you need to stop! I hope the journal works for you. I write a quick page in a student pad every morning, and then when I've finished, I read the previous day's entry and the entry for the day exactly one year ago. When the day is tough, it is therapeutic to see how things change - often for the better - with time. 
    • tom72276
      tom72276 jeanwales

      Posted

      Hi Jean, well done on getting home biggrin definitely the best place to be, just take things at a nice steady pace & try not to overdo it, take a rest when you feel you need to & take any offers of help that come you're way, & don't be shy to ask for help if you need it, bet you'll be glad to see hubby for a bit? Take care Jean & good luck 2 you on your road to recovery biggrin 
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