A question and a rant....

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kjt

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Question is on icing...How do you keep from getting wet? Every time Ive tried icing so far condensation from the ice bag has gotten my pants wet. Fortunately, I noticed before it soaked thru and only had to change my sweats....Is there a secret recipe or something? :sct:

Rant - you all can ignore.I just cant rant to the husband or Mom w/o getting either 'sweetie its only 5 days'or them thinking something is really wrong. I just wanna rant! So here goes: :rant:

Ihatefeelingstupidfrompainmeds,IdontlikeLovenoxitmakesmeeven stupider,theswellinginmybuttmakesitlookevenflabbier,mygoodlegisgetting
PO'd,thekneeonthebadsidestillthinksitsreallypartofthehipanddoesnt
workright,andIjustdontfeelgood,andprunejuiceisjusticky!!!!! :rant:

Rant over. :thnk:
 
Awwe, so sorry. Just accept that you're going to be miserable for a while and then your life is going to improve greatly. But do come here to complain since lots of people have good suggestions.

As for icing, I never have had my pants get wet. I have a large size icing pad that I just keep in the freezer and when I want to use it, it slips into a soft cloth pocket with a large velcro strap.
 
Why don't you get a large plastic bag and put the ice bag in it with a small towel on top? The towel with soak up the condensation and be contained within the bag.

Well, was just a thought - try it and see if it works.
 
Hi KJT,

I am not sure where you live but I picked up ice packs at the local CVS. The are called "PEAS" or something like that. The are small blue gel beads in a plastic container. You pop them in the freezer. I bought two, always have a frozen one on hand. They stay cold a VERY long time. I wrap them in a paper towel while using. Not even the paper towel is damp as it warms. I just like using the paper as a buffer...my staples get cold and give me a shocking feeling.

I TOO hate the swelling. My left hip looks ridiculous! Most of the swelling has gone down except for this unsightly pocket that pokes out of my sweat pants. I hope this will dissapate soon, in the meantime, ice it is.

Oh, and I picked up some Miralax to get the bowels moving. So far it has worked well. No cramping and some action. On top of the pain killers and trauma from the surgery, I am still taking iron due to blood loss during the replacement, so there are a lot of things preventing normal function. The Miralx seems to work well. I can't drink the prune juice, yuck.

Hang in there. You are not alone.

Laura

LTHR-Rothman Institute 1/22/10
 
KJT,
I, like others, went out and bought a over-sized ice pack. It's one of those gel filled ones and doesn't sweat nearly as much as as ice and water in a plastic bag. About your rant...keep looking forward. First, to getting off the meds, and out of those darn compression socks, then done with the assisted walking, and finally on your way to just getting stronger. The little things are all steps to the full recovery. It feels great when the doc says "We're going to take you off the blood thinner, so you probably don't need the iron, then the stool softener can go too." In the mean time, I found that regular Tylenol did the same for me as Vicodin and made me feel a whole lot better. Hang in there, and keep track of all those little successes
 
Rant away. you have every right to. it is the pitts but it does get better.

I hated the pain meds in the hosptial and at home. I felt like a total idiot most of the time. and in the OR - while they were putting in my epidural -- i said some very very embarrasing things -- due to the cocktail they gave me in pre-op.

we aren't used to drugs. but - they are a necessary evil.

I started a journal when I got home from the hospital. i have never kept a journal. my surgery was dec 2nd. I am glad I did it. you can rant away. and later -- you can look back and see how far you have come.

I wish i would have found this website before i did - yesterday. I would have been on here all the time -- telling you all how awful I felt.

it will get better. and it will be great when it does.

It is humbling to not be able to care for yourself. and it is very frustrating.

this entire process is traumatic because it is the unknown. i watched videsos of the operation and read everything I could find on the subject. still -- until you are there -- you don' t really understand it.

we do. everybody on this site knows you are uncomfortable in your own skin right now. but -- many of us also know what is in store for you. success. lack of pain. range of motion. noticing the sun is actually shinning out there.

Be patient with your family. and be patient with yourself.

I wish you the best. keep us posted on how you are doing.
 
MCB--perfect post! You ABSOLUTELY nailed it!

And though I also wish you'd found this place earlier, I certainly hope you'll keep coming back to continue to share your experience. Welcome!

kjt--you can rant all you want here! We've been there and GET it! We also know it'll get better, so trust it'll be the same for you!
 
THAT'S RIGHT, RANT!!! Get it all OUT!!!!!! Just feel BETTER!!!!:cnsl:
 
and in the OR - while they were putting in my epidural -- i said some very very embarrasing things -- due to the cocktail they gave me in pre-op.

Yeah..last thing I remember before waking up was saying 'I cant BELIEVE Michael Jackson thot this was a good way to get some sleep' .... I guess the OR staff must be used to stoned patients, tho.....
 
I used to use Ice gel packs......no water anywhere.and ranting please I think i was queen of ranting its better to let it out here then on a loved one at home.so rant away..........It gets better I promise just stick with what you are doing............And also I apparently told my dr that i loved him and I said really i do............lol they understand......:)
 
You know, in all my years I have never known a patient to
~ do anything they wouldn't do when a wake
~ confess to sometime they wouldn't have mentioned when awake
~ swear or use other obscenities even if he/she was accustomed to doing so
~ fondle, kiss or be otherwise obnoxious when 'under the influence'!

I have know patients do those things when they weren't sedated, though! :wink:

So be assured you're not at risk or revealing any deep dark secrets. Being stupid or joky is usual, however! Bit like a benevolent drunk!

 
Rant, rant, rant...it will keep you sane! Poor family members aren't always up to the challenge of listening to us fuss over and over and worry over every little part of the recovery process...I sure found my outlet at bonesmart and I loved to read other people's rants. I identified with what they posted...like-minded hipster people!!! Recovery is a crazzzzy process. I kept a towel between the ice pack and me, it helped a little.
 
We all need to rant sometimes. Life just doesn't always seem fair, does it?

I have a high level security clearance for my job and one of my "old timer" coworkers told me that they (the government? the Agency? not sure which) used to require another person with a clearance to come into the operating room with you to insure no secrets were divulged. Thought that was kind of funny!
 
Oh is that who those heavies with bulges under their arms that came to the OR with you were?
ai21.photobucket.com_albums_b286_flagady15_smilies_thhappy0194.jpg
 
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