Bilateral TKR BTKR 28th May 2019 - post op journal

[Roy Gardiner]

When it's not going well, remember you only have to endure this ONCE, that's why BTKR is so good.

 

[Donbmt]

Sorry to hear about your problems, you know that us here can definitely understand what you're going through and mean well when we say stick with it, your situation will improve. Best of luck from Texas!

 

[Rockgirl4]

I am so sorry you've already had such an ordeal in the hospital and haven't made it home yet. I'll be thinking about you and hoping each day gets better with no other setbacks. I loved your "1-star rating' though---we do what we need to in times of dire need---even if that's a public shaming, right??!!

 

[Indygo]

Healing thoughts coming your way from Indiana! The icing doesn't seem quite as cold as that an ice pack or ice bag. I've kept my machine on for much of the day when the swelling gets bad. It really helps with pain, and I can see the swelling go down a lot.

 

[Atlas_aus]

@rock,

Thanks for your message.

That 1 star rating helped a lot after all it is a private hospital and they trying hard to get customers, public one's don't have that issue.

Having said all that they take a longggggg time answer the buzzer, they are either too busy or they are not much of working too hard...

I do understand I am not the only patient the ward, but in a scary incident yesterday with my left arm blowing up like a balloon, then agency nurse came in and has no idea to turn to off....

Trying to keep the pain and ice up to date is a losing battle...

 

[Petrified]

It can be hard to stay positive during your recuperation, I know... but please remember my thoughts are with you and I'm sending out to you the most positive vibes I can which I hope will help with your healing.

 

[Atlas_aus]

even if that's a public shaming, right??!!

Yes sadly in this day and age it is the only way to get things acted upon.

Thanks for the positive vibes everyone, they seem to be working, looks like I am going home tomorrow, catheter inserted, at least I don't have to rush to the toilet !

It has been a little better today, but the waiting times seem unreasonable for a such a small ward. I will be contacting the CEO of the hospital in due course. I have been in IT for many years, mostly in the customer services side, I do have high expectations. Communication is the key to most issues and it certainly is here.

Though I am not one to be one sided, when I receive great customer service I go out of my way to let them and the company know.

Standing (barely ) up for myself was easier than I thought it was going to be, they did not say anything about my pillow and gave me ice as often as I have asked... Pity they would not use a perfectly good ice machine they have in the room here.

At the least the food has been good !

 

[Rockgirl4]

I'm glad at least the food was good, and now you get to go home. You'll be SOOO much happier in your own surroundings.

I have a funny hospital story for you. The one where I just had my TKR is top-notch with a wonderful reputation. I actually joked with 2 of my nurses, asking if i could take them home with me. They were grandmotherly, kind, quick-witted---which all helps when you're trying to make it to the bathroom on time or trying NOT to cuss your sore knee.

So this week I get a customer satisfaction phone survey. I answered everything honestly and didn't have a bad word to say about anyone----it really was a great HOSPITAL experience, even though I hated I had to do it!! So she finally asked "If there was just one area in which we could improve, what would it be?"

I kindly replied "The food was way too salty. The fruit was great, but tell them to lighten up on the salty meat and potatoes." ...... If only we could all be so lucky as to only worry about salty food.

 

[Atlas_aus]

@Rockgirl4

What a great story. It also depends greatly on individual staff and of course patients themselves. The 2 that came onto shift tonight could not be kinder, very helpful and quick !

I do not blame this all on the staff, I am sure they are made to work in minimum shift numbers to keep the costs down which is unfair on both staff and the patients.

 

[Jockette]

I hope your ride home goes smoothly and that you will be much more comfortable at home.

 

[Atlas_aus]

I thought I would keep a running diary as my memory really sucks sometimes.

Surgery Day


28th May 2019


Well the day has finally arrived, about 12 years in the making and serious decisions started last October 18 after I failed a medical for a job position I had finally got after literally hundreds of applications...


I had known for years replacement surgery was required but there were always stories that being in your forties was too young if you were going to live a long time. Myself, my family and friends have usually had the view of quality not quantity of life. I was no longer having quality.


It is truly amazing how much our knees do for us and limiting life can be when they do not function as they should. Besides the physical side, our emotional side can too…Asking my Wife to put my socks or shoes on brings you down to earth, it is not a nice feeling, but once accepted and the support my darling has given me makes it easier. I am surrounded by friends and family here, but my Wife will be my full time carer on this journey and I so glad to have her with me.


We arrived at the hospital at the prescribed time and it was not long until I was taken away and my Wife had to leave. Did not see that coming. It has been a very long time since I walked into a hospital of my own free will, more times than not it was in an ambulance, so things are much different. My Wife has a licence but has not driven in Australia. Thank goodness for Uber. A quick goodbye and I went to get changed and to the waiting room. First thing I noticed was a lack of showering ? Hmmm…


Sat there with some other punters and waited for my name to be called. I guess it 30 mins until I was walking to pre-op and got onto my bed. This is it. A nurse came and went trough my details, and this would be done over and over again. After laying there for about 10 mins my Anaesthetist came and said hello, nice bloke. Inserted the canular and I said all I want is not to know anything going on ! He assured me I would be ok in that regard.


About 5 mins later my Surgeon came in and said Hi and asked if I was ready, to which I said I think so ! I was then wheeled into the theatre and there were quite a lot of people around. Anaesthetist gave me a shot of something but it wasn’t working I could still clearly see what was going on. Then he said he needed me to sit up to put some ‘go juice’ in. I stated I was till here. No problem another hit with the go juice and the next thing I remember was waking up in my room with my Wife, Daughter and Granddaughter there.


I was feeling nothing, so with a quick kiss and cuddle from everyone I laid back down and then it was Wednesday.

 

[Atlas_aus]

Day 1


I was feeling a bit worse for wear, but considering what had just happened to me I was feeling surprisingly well. My Wife/Nurse/Carer was already there and overall all was good with the world. How quickly that was about to change.


I noted to my horror that they had used a catheter ! Nooooooooooooo…… My biggest fear realised. At least they put it in whilst I was off to noddy land. This was about to cause more issues than I could have imagined….


Had some breakfast, not much I really did not feel like it. Then just like that they decided to take the catheter out. I understand why they have too, but so soon after surgery…. I won’t lie, it hurt a lot, not like I have had before….


Of course with no catheter I would have to wee by myself. I was not confident after having issues with other surgeries I have had. I tried. I tried a lot. Every trick in the book but only a slight dribble, and in fact more blood that urine.


What was really surprising is that they said I could take a shower. Really ? Don’t ask me twice.


Up until this stage I was getting around well, was up walking with a walker, all in all I was feeling positive about the operation.


By mid afternoon they scanned my bladder with an ultra sound and it was 380ml…. Anything more than 500ml and I would need another catheter. All of this pressure was not helping and shuffling back and forward to the bathroom, getting on and off the toilet was taking its toll on my new wounds which started to bleed. There was no avoiding another catheter.


Early evening, I was really starting to hurt from not going, again just dribbles, mainly blood. It was time for the catheter again. I was at 710ml by this stage. Generally, I believed nurses have more experience doing things like that as doctors do not want to waste their time. So having a nurse do it for made me feel better. I am guessing, but I am sure everyone on here has had one catheter during their hospital stays, and would possibly agree they are not a pleasant experience…


After many attempts Nurse 1 gave up. Nurse 2 comes on the scene and I am starting to become a little distressed. My worst fear realised. Fail number 2. And it was more than one attempt each time.


I doubt that most of them that carry out these procedures have never had them… Not only were they failing, I was very, very uncomfortable and went to the toilet in between attempts just so some blood would drain and relieve some pressure…


If nothing else, the whole situation kept my concertation off my knees !!


ED Doctor was the next to have a go, a couple of hours had passed by this stage. He too failed. He rang the on-call Urologist to talk him through a different way. And yep, you guessed it, it did not work. Time for on-call to come in.


By this time I was told there were only 2 options left, the Urologist gets it in or they make a cut on my lower stomach and insert a tube from there, at this stage I did not care. Eventually he arrived and in about 10 seconds he was in !!! Unbelievable.


But.


Of course there is always a but.


He had to use a special wire and what they would normally do he could not and this was only a temporary measure. My prostrate was rather enlarged by this stage and he wanted to ‘scope’ it ASAP to see what was going on.


This was good news I thought, at least when they do the catheter I will be asleep again. He would also have a good look around and see what was going on. I was exhausted by this stage and basically tuned out from this point.

 

[Atlas_aus]

Day 2


I kind of slept, on and off throughout the night and awoke feeling positive. The thought still running through my head though, was what if AFTER they put a catheter in and take it out again I still can’t wee…. This is truly doing my head in.


I am awoken at 5am as I am scheduled for surgery at 1pm. Have a little bit of food, my tablets and I must say I am feeling very sore from mid-calf to my hips. I had certainly overdone it the day prior. After the first night they stopped using their ice machine, I am not sure why….. I was then on ice packs, but they did not last long and getting replacements was proving to be troublesome.


As I had read so many times on here the PTs came and wanted me stretching, walking blah blah blah I was so sore and basically told them its not happening at this point in time. Of course, they were less than happy with my approach.


I was already feeling down and trying to organise my pain meds and ice was nearly a full-time job…. It was too hard for a simple task. The pain was wearing me down. Thank goodness my wonderful Wife was there. It was time to hit surgery again and before I knew it I was back on the ward, more alert than the first time.


The good news was that there were no signs of anything wrong with my prostrate, just some scarring and swelling. Woohoo ! And they had got the catheter in properly. The plan was to keep it in for 7-10 days and give my prostrate time to settle down, and I could still go home when the time was right. Finally some good news.


I was feeling exhausted though, so was my Wife. My daughter came with my Granddaughter but I don’t recall much and it was off to sleep I went.


Day 3 Breakdown day.


Dedicated staff can make or break a shift…. I tried in vain for them to listen to me, that what they were doing was causing me great pain and distress. This went on for hours. I was in an unfamiliar headspace, I was physically sore, but mentally angry, very angry. I even bought up the post surgery page from bone smart trying to get them to see where I was coming from. But they would not bend. I wanted Ice. I wanted pain relief. I wanted someone to listen to me.


I tried to find someone to talk to off the hospital website, through the tears now streaming down my face… I was a mess… I am a strong 55 yo old man, an ex aircraft & IT engineer so I do have some brains… I posted on their hospital site and gave them one star and why.


Unbelievable, some senior manager was suddenly in my room. I was a complete shambles by this time. They of course got on the defensive as I tried to make them hear me, as they certainly were not listening. Even my Wife, who is Thai and can speak conversational English was trying..


By this stage I was inconsolable, I rang my oldest who is a CN in a palliative care ward and she could hardly understand me….. 20 mins later she was by my side. They were no longer talking with someone that did not have a clue, they were now being told by someone that could take them on with their own speak.


More people became involved and I got the feeling they knew they have overstepped and suddenly they could not do enough for me, but seriously the damage had been done. I got my ice, my wedge pillow and my drugs I was needing, I was feeling better. All I wanted was to feel as comfortable as I could after such surgery, who would have thought that us mere humans could have ideas that work…. Never saw that coming.


From that point on they did not argue with how I had my bed, how often I wanted ice and gave my pain medication as it was due. Things were starting to look up.

Day 3


What a 360 of a day this has been, although the slow response to nurse calls is annoying, but I can’t truly blame them for that. I have been a lot better pain wise, swelling has gone down a lot, I have gone from the walker to crutches. PT came early this morning, told them I am not a morning person and please come back, they did.


I was then taken to see if I could do steps which I could and I feel great. Pain seems to be under control and it looks like I will go home tomorrow, where I can use my game ready and just do what my body allows me to do. What a difference a day can make.


Can’t wait to go home.

 

[BCSAnna]

@Atlas_aus

OMG! What a horrendous ordeal you have been put through!

Hopefully, once you get home you will have nothing but smooth sailing from here on out.

Anna

 

[Petrified]

Atlas, you came to my thread to lighten my spirits on a dark day at the beginning of my recovery and I was very grateful and have never forgotten your kindness. In the interim of then and now much has happened. In that time, too, I happened upon two separate youtube diaries detailing, more or less, their TKRs for the 1st year. On nights when all was silent and I woke, and sometimes still do, without the possibility of anymore sleep that night, I have listened to them; both for the sound of another human voice when others here are resting, and for the hope it began to instill in me. This is your recovery thread and I am not advocating that anyone listen to these stories or go to youtube Not at all. What I'm trying to say is that I'm glad you decided to keep a diary, for however long, and I will be following it, whenever possible, with much interest. Even though one cannot physically hear your voice, I've no doubt at all that your written words will speak just as loudly to many.

Wishing you and your family all the best with your recovery.

Polly

 

[Atlas_aus]

@Petrified , @BCSAnna

Thankyou ladies.

It is now 5am and I have slept through and amazingly waling on my favourite sleeping side, my right.

It took me nearly 10 mins to untagle myself

So far so good. New ice packs and zi am trying to go back to sleep. These 5am starts are not part of mt DNA

Next post hopefully is me going home

Take care.

Shaughan

 

[Atlas_aus]

Now at home catheter included...

Great to be home

 

[Atlas_aus]

Back at home, catheter included...

Thank goodness its done

This is my setup with game ready. Are my feet high enough?

Without adding something under wedge thats as high as i can get it.

 

[Celle]

Hi @Atlas_aus
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread.
This is the second time your threads have had to be merged. Please don't keep starting new threads.

For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:

• That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
• If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
• Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here.
Don't worry that we won't see your question because, between us, the staff read all new posts every day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.

 

[Celle]

This is my setup with game ready. Are my feet high enough?

Without adding something under wedge that's as high as i can get it.

No, I don't think your legs are high enough. Part of your problem is that the leg support of that recliner slopes downwards.
We recommend "toes above your nose" but that's not always possible. As long as your toes are well above your hips, you'll do OK.

Can you get the wedge further up your legs, so that it's right up tight to your bottom? (You may need help for that.) At the moment, the end of the wedge is hanging down, because it's not supported. You need to get it further up the chair and then have at least one pillow under the end of it.

Did you read the article about elevating, in the Recovery Reading that you were given? Even though there's no illustration of using a wedge with a recliner, the photos show the sort of angle you should be aiming for.