THR A new and improved Cindy?<
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webbie73
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Oh Cindy99, you are having quite a time of it. Not having the freedom of getting to the bathroom drove me crazy while I was in the hospital. I was so happy the first day in rehab they cleared me to get up on my own.
I did have to wear adult pull ups the first two nights... Had a poop accident and lost my dignity with that!
I can not believe you get demerits!!
I have been having internet problems Got to go
I did have to wear adult pull ups the first two nights... Had a poop accident and lost my dignity with that!
I can not believe you get demerits!!
I have been having internet problems Got to go
Cynthia777
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@Cindy99, I'm so sorry you're having to endure these issues! I remember when I was a young girl, maybe 12 or 13 years old and circumstances or people around me put me in a bit of a snit, I would start singing a song (in my head) from a program I used to watch as a young child...Romper Room (Did you ever watch it?). So, I would sing, "Smile and be happy and the world will smile with you..la la la la la la la" etc. and I'll be darned if that song didn't ease my tolerance levels, which in turn put me in a much better mood, which in turn changed the way those pesky people around me treated me! It was crazy! It's just a thought...but what do I know? Lol!
I'll keep you in my prayers.
I'll keep you in my prayers.
Midchild54
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It sounds like you'd be better off at home. Is there some reason why you HAVE to be there? I don't understand the whole concept of going to rehab after hip surgery. With my RTHR, I stayed in the hospital for 2 nites, then my daughter stayed with me for almost a week. Mostly to get ice or food. Then I was totally alone and on my own. I had a few neighbors that ran a couple errands for me. I progressed and healed just fine. I met all the goals in the healing process with very little exercise, and I am only in fair shape. I did just fine. This second, left, THR is about the same. Better in some ways and worse in some ways also. I am so greatfull I don't have PT to worry about, little own a rehab center. Can you check yourself out and just go in for the normal checkups? For me, it's at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to put up with that ****. Good luck, I sure hope there's a positive change for you. If you can't leave for some reason, I would go straight to the top and fill out a complaint and maybe get it rectified that way. Can you tell I'm ticked off for you? Lol
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Cindy99
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@Midchild54 Hi. Yes, it's no fun being in rehab. My situation is that I have no support system at home. No family, no local friends. I won't be able to drive (doctor and PT are forty miles away), and transportation is (and has been for yearssince I moved to a very rural area) a huge issue. Don't even know how I"m getting trash to dump occasionally.
It took me ten months just to figure out where I could leave my dog for two weeks and who would take me to the hospital for surgery and then home from rehab. I just don't have people in my life who can help me.
Visiting Nurse PT folks will come twice a week for s bit, but I'm otherwise literally on my own. If I could afford to hire people to take up the slack I would but Im squeezed finanically right now and have already spent quite a bit gettting my house ready.
I appreciate you being ticked off for me! A new night shift nurse was too, and she smoothed over the situation a bit last night. She even went into the hospital garden and (illegally) cut some spring flowers for me! Sweetheart...
She said that the original nurse in question felt badly and realizes that sometimes it's her delivery rather than the message.
It took me ten months just to figure out where I could leave my dog for two weeks and who would take me to the hospital for surgery and then home from rehab. I just don't have people in my life who can help me.
Visiting Nurse PT folks will come twice a week for s bit, but I'm otherwise literally on my own. If I could afford to hire people to take up the slack I would but Im squeezed finanically right now and have already spent quite a bit gettting my house ready.
I appreciate you being ticked off for me! A new night shift nurse was too, and she smoothed over the situation a bit last night. She even went into the hospital garden and (illegally) cut some spring flowers for me! Sweetheart...
She said that the original nurse in question felt badly and realizes that sometimes it's her delivery rather than the message.
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Cindy99
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Thanks @webbie73 and @Cynthia777 for your thoughts and ideas. I felt more like throwing things but I knew that if I did that they would throw me in the psych ward to recover... don't want to chance that!
A bit of empathy from the nurse would have gone a long way. Fortunately I got some from the night nurse. And she gave me the phone number for the nurses station on case they aren't responding in a timely fashion.
A bit of empathy from the nurse would have gone a long way. Fortunately I got some from the night nurse. And she gave me the phone number for the nurses station on case they aren't responding in a timely fashion.
craftdee
graduate
I can see that you kind of have to be in rehab at the moment @Cindy99 , but I'd be pushing to get the "basics" from the OT - it took about five minutes to go through it with my OT "here's a dressing stick, use the hook thing on the end to pull your undies up... you'll work out the rest" - LITERALLY that's what she said. Of course she was right, it's not rocket science 
That way you'll feel ready when the time to leave comes.
If you're going home with a walker with a seat on it, you can put things like dinner on a tray on it and wheel it to where you're going to eat, if you're going home on crutches (like me) you can use a laundry trolley or similar carry your hot drinks in a thermos or cup with a lid, dinner in a sealed container in a long handled shoulder bag - believe me there's a million "workarounds" I know you're scared, but it is very much easier than your anticipating, and being in your own space with your own routine makes you feel more settled than the limbo you feel you're in now.
Unfortunately I think you're correct... this is one you're not going to "win"; the rehab centre does things "it's way" and you will be gone from there in no time so why would they adapt to you? it's just not in their interest - rightly or wrongly that's the way it is with so many institutions, all you can do is try and find some sort of "middle ground" and inform the staff that you are trying to meet in the middle but that you'd appreciate them to make some allowances too.
Start planning on going and being home, Mistress of your own destiny
I know the isolation is an issue for you, but that is going to be the case whenever you go home; I know you've been avoiding driving because of the pain in your hip... just think of it this an extension to that situation; you've lived in isolation for sometime, you know you CAN do it - even if there's little pleasure in it. Speak to your OS... mine had me observe precautions for 12 weeks 
no driving for six weeks BUT said that (after the first couple of weeks when I had dropped the opiates off my medication regime) if there was a life and death situation, driving was better than dying! You really won't want to drive for a while, you just want to hibernate to a large extent! I was amazed how quickly the time went
Do you have a deep freezer? We freeze a lot of our organic waste such as chicken bones and fish because in our climate they get VERY smelly in the bin in no time (hours, not days) we put it out frozen solid the night before collection - I'm sure if you could freeze it you would be able to store it until you can do a run or get someone to do a run for you... you could even ask one of the visiting medicos to drop a bag of scraps into a bin for you. May mean being nice when you don't really feel like it, but needs must
Hope you have a better day....
Donna
That way you'll feel ready when the time to leave comes.If you're going home with a walker with a seat on it, you can put things like dinner on a tray on it and wheel it to where you're going to eat, if you're going home on crutches (like me) you can use a laundry trolley or similar carry your hot drinks in a thermos or cup with a lid, dinner in a sealed container in a long handled shoulder bag - believe me there's a million "workarounds" I know you're scared, but it is very much easier than your anticipating, and being in your own space with your own routine makes you feel more settled than the limbo you feel you're in now.
Unfortunately I think you're correct... this is one you're not going to "win"; the rehab centre does things "it's way" and you will be gone from there in no time so why would they adapt to you? it's just not in their interest - rightly or wrongly that's the way it is with so many institutions, all you can do is try and find some sort of "middle ground" and inform the staff that you are trying to meet in the middle but that you'd appreciate them to make some allowances too.
Start planning on going and being home, Mistress of your own destiny
I know the isolation is an issue for you, but that is going to be the case whenever you go home; I know you've been avoiding driving because of the pain in your hip... just think of it this an extension to that situation; you've lived in isolation for sometime, you know you CAN do it - even if there's little pleasure in it. Speak to your OS... mine had me observe precautions for 12 weeks no driving for six weeks BUT said that (after the first couple of weeks when I had dropped the opiates off my medication regime) if there was a life and death situation, driving was better than dying! You really won't want to drive for a while, you just want to hibernate to a large extent! I was amazed how quickly the time wentDo you have a deep freezer? We freeze a lot of our organic waste such as chicken bones and fish because in our climate they get VERY smelly in the bin in no time (hours, not days) we put it out frozen solid the night before collection - I'm sure if you could freeze it you would be able to store it until you can do a run or get someone to do a run for you... you could even ask one of the visiting medicos to drop a bag of scraps into a bin for you. May mean being nice when you don't really feel like it, but needs must
Hope you have a better day....
Donna
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Cindy99
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@craftdee
Hi Donna. Yes, i have been known to freeze my trash but my freezer is filled to the brim with two months of prepared food! I'll have to eat it down a bit before I can do that. Damn those bears!
Yes, I'm sure there are workarounds but they are contingent on my having those things already at the house! I can't go buy anything except online. That's where I wish I'd known about workarounds before surgery, but I saw none despite lots of research.
Driving wont be at least til after June 2 when I. see the OS. He did say that it was complicated because I have manual transmission. So I'm guessing middle of June.
I have been begging for ot. pt is going fine except my lower back and knee are not happy. will get some ot today. I'm sure it's not rocket science, I just want to see things in practice.
Also, I'm scared to go home because of my mental health. I don't know how much more isolation i can take after months of it already. but i. know these folks aren't concerning themselves with that.
They are all saying that I'm walking better than most on my hip, so that's good. It's just a big adjustment and I feel about 80 years old and five years old similtaneously..
Hi Donna. Yes, i have been known to freeze my trash but my freezer is filled to the brim with two months of prepared food! I'll have to eat it down a bit before I can do that. Damn those bears!
Yes, I'm sure there are workarounds but they are contingent on my having those things already at the house! I can't go buy anything except online. That's where I wish I'd known about workarounds before surgery, but I saw none despite lots of research.
Driving wont be at least til after June 2 when I. see the OS. He did say that it was complicated because I have manual transmission. So I'm guessing middle of June.
I have been begging for ot. pt is going fine except my lower back and knee are not happy. will get some ot today. I'm sure it's not rocket science, I just want to see things in practice.
Also, I'm scared to go home because of my mental health. I don't know how much more isolation i can take after months of it already. but i. know these folks aren't concerning themselves with that.
They are all saying that I'm walking better than most on my hip, so that's good. It's just a big adjustment and I feel about 80 years old and five years old similtaneously..
Constanze
graduate
Hi @Cindy99 - So sorry you had to go through all this hassle and distress. I'm sending you my words of comfort across the Altlantic. Always remember, These are institutions - they seem to be inefficient, no matter what the country is.
I'm also in a rehab centre, although in Germany, the idea is a bit different. We get to rehab when we can walk quite well already (with Walking aids), and we get lots of physiotherapy and exercise. This is to make us fit again.
I had an experience on my second day when I wanted to dispair: In the morning, I was supposed to wait for the nurse to come to my bedroom and give me my thrombosis injection. She wasn't there by 7:15 and I had an appointment for taking a blood sample at 7:20, fasting. By that time I felt starving hungry and faint (poor blood circulation, I needed a coffee). We had to wait a Long time in a line. On top of it, we were informed that we had to look at the reception whether we had any changes in our therapy plan which would be available between 7:30 and 8:00 and if we didn't look and there was a Change we would have to face consequences.
Because I missed my injection in my bedroom, I had to wait in a line in a different room as from 10:00 a.m. All this stress and going up and down in the elevator is not conducive to recovery.
I'm so glad you're finally free to pee.
Wishing you all the best.
Constanze
I'm also in a rehab centre, although in Germany, the idea is a bit different. We get to rehab when we can walk quite well already (with Walking aids), and we get lots of physiotherapy and exercise. This is to make us fit again.
I had an experience on my second day when I wanted to dispair: In the morning, I was supposed to wait for the nurse to come to my bedroom and give me my thrombosis injection. She wasn't there by 7:15 and I had an appointment for taking a blood sample at 7:20, fasting. By that time I felt starving hungry and faint (poor blood circulation, I needed a coffee). We had to wait a Long time in a line. On top of it, we were informed that we had to look at the reception whether we had any changes in our therapy plan which would be available between 7:30 and 8:00 and if we didn't look and there was a Change we would have to face consequences.
Because I missed my injection in my bedroom, I had to wait in a line in a different room as from 10:00 a.m. All this stress and going up and down in the elevator is not conducive to recovery.
I'm so glad you're finally free to pee.
Wishing you all the best.
Constanze
Cynthia777
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I'm so glad you're feelng a bit more uplifted! Did you sing that song? LOL!
@Cindy99 i have been so busy I have missed your last few posts. I have noticed that in time (can you believe it was one week ago today?!) Issues have suddenly worked their way out -- like a PT shows up to say you can pee on your own, tells you that you can bend your knee and it actually bends that the swelling is pretty much done, and let's you climb a couple of steps and you can do it! My therapists did not show until Friday so we are in fast mode and I am actually up to it. Upward & onward -- the nurses come in all sizes & shapes & personalities -- I was happy to have Florence the nite nurse for 2 nites -- she was sent from heaven. I still feel these are special people who want a good outcome & I realize they really do know what's coming next. Hugs to you for coming through some tough situations. I don't have emoticons on my cell phone but sending you showers of love.
I'm heading home right after my final OT in the morning, which is showing my brother where to stand when I do stairs & get in & out of the car -- lucky boy!
Workin' those thigh muscles -- it hurts so good!
I'm heading home right after my final OT in the morning, which is showing my brother where to stand when I do stairs & get in & out of the car -- lucky boy!
Workin' those thigh muscles -- it hurts so good!
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Cindy99
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@wcgirl Yes, we are both a week old!
Got my bandage off -- looks good, took a pic. Scared of bumping into the incision, very little swelling, have had ice on it almost 24/7. I know you're not supposed to do that but I keep forgettng.
Low back and knee acting up, ice on knee and heat on low back.
A very nice staff member is arranging for free massage for me -- what a treat that will be!
Got outside for an hour today, that made all the difference. Don't know why they don't just park the hospital beds out in the courtyard -- strap me in if you must but let me feel a warm breeze...
A very nice woman (becomimg a friend)is bringing outside lunch for me tomorrow. That will be good too.
Probably getting out of here on Thursday. Some staff offered a mental health person, so I'll get that too. Feels like I"m stocking up on things before heading home.
Miss my dog. Other people have dogs visiting, I keep asking if I can borrow them. 'No' seems to be the answer du jour.
Shower Wed. I think. I really need another one by now.
How are you progressing?
Got my bandage off -- looks good, took a pic. Scared of bumping into the incision, very little swelling, have had ice on it almost 24/7. I know you're not supposed to do that but I keep forgettng.
Low back and knee acting up, ice on knee and heat on low back.
A very nice staff member is arranging for free massage for me -- what a treat that will be!
Got outside for an hour today, that made all the difference. Don't know why they don't just park the hospital beds out in the courtyard -- strap me in if you must but let me feel a warm breeze...
A very nice woman (becomimg a friend)is bringing outside lunch for me tomorrow. That will be good too.
Probably getting out of here on Thursday. Some staff offered a mental health person, so I'll get that too. Feels like I"m stocking up on things before heading home.
Miss my dog. Other people have dogs visiting, I keep asking if I can borrow them. 'No' seems to be the answer du jour.
Shower Wed. I think. I really need another one by now.
How are you progressing?
Glad you are finding what you need -- And take it all, it's a process that will leave you even better!
Not sure I told you my roommate is legally blind & hard of hearing -- so not much conversation here. I did have 2 visitors today -- they couldn't stay away & I love them for it - but I'm more pooped w such a busy day.
I'm doing well crossing off all the tasks. My waterproof bandage should come off on wed when I get home. It seems I did so much planning for things ahead of time that I just 'let it go' once I arrived for the surgery. The OS & staff said everything had been scheduled and not to worry. HA!
I'm so happy to hear your needs are being attended to --- really?! -- A free massage & a meal brot in! You are doing something right!
Not sure I told you my roommate is legally blind & hard of hearing -- so not much conversation here. I did have 2 visitors today -- they couldn't stay away & I love them for it - but I'm more pooped w such a busy day.
I'm doing well crossing off all the tasks. My waterproof bandage should come off on wed when I get home. It seems I did so much planning for things ahead of time that I just 'let it go' once I arrived for the surgery. The OS & staff said everything had been scheduled and not to worry. HA!
I'm so happy to hear your needs are being attended to --- really?! -- A free massage & a meal brot in! You are doing something right!
I really have to use my good leg to shove myself around this bed w it flat and my bum is on the bend in the bed and my head high, then lift my bum slowly in control shift side to side. I raise the head just a little and have done well. Nothing like sleeping w a kink(s). Hope I'm comfortable when I get home, I had 'busy' legs for a long time. Everything will be new again I think.
Mmmm, a massage... Nitey nite
Mmmm, a massage... Nitey nite
Constanze
graduate
Oh poor @Cindy99 , isn't that annoying - lunch was cancelled due to PT and OT. I fully sympathise with you. It's frustrating if - in Addition to the restrictions imposed by hip surgery - you also have to struggle with the restrictions of the institutions. It happens in our rehab often that an activity clashes with mealtimes. You can end up having Training sessions on an empty stomach in the morning - and this gives me a headache. I Need my breakfast and a good Cup of coffee to function.
On the positive side - though - we also have a psychologist inhouse and they offer relaxation classes. You reported you have a mental health specialist. I'm very interested in this What does he/she do?
Also on the positive side - Thursday will come soon and then you will be free to organise everyday life on your own.
Warm regards - Constanze
On the positive side - though - we also have a psychologist inhouse and they offer relaxation classes. You reported you have a mental health specialist. I'm very interested in this What does he/she do?
Also on the positive side - Thursday will come soon and then you will be free to organise everyday life on your own.
Warm regards - Constanze
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Cindy99
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@Constanze
The fellow who offered the massage is a relaxation person, can't remember his title. Therapeutic recreation?. Mostly breathing techniques which I can't get down. I mosted vented and he listened.
Haven't seen the mental helth person yet. I have to be careful there, but hopefully. they will just realize that i just need someone to talk to and have anxiety abut going home.
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