Heeeeeeear's Julie! I decided to sit down and get on the puter for a while and ice, ice baby. I made it once again to the Other Side. Yippee, if life treats me well I'm all finished with this joint thingie. Now for my new story for all who might be interested in what a #2 was like.
It's loooong. Let's begin....
Monday, April 11, I arrived at Centennial Hospital in Nashville just before 5AM for check-in. I am a creature of knowing ahead and being prepared. That's why the first time was a bit anxious for me because I did not know what to expect. (Think Google Mapping an area you've never visited and having Google Man drive you around - this is what I do before I take a trip. I already know the roads, the sights along the way, everything) This time my head was already patterned with every detail from before so I thought I would have a walk in the park. Not. The hospital had changed their routine since I was last there in January. After sign in and the nurse called me back to the prep area they merely took me in a room and gave me the paper Bare Paws wrap and took all my clothes and shoes, put them in a plastic bag and gave them to my husband. When I was in before, I was washed with the disinfectant and ted hose were pulled on and all the vitals taken, then I was rolled to the op floor on a gurney where a "team" immediately started my hook-ups and I hardly had time to even look around. Well, this time it was a bit different which made my brain scramble a bit trying to organize and process what was going to happen.
I was second in line this time instead of first.
There was a man who was up in first place and THE team was focused on getting him all hooked up and ready to roll. A nurse did start my vitals, heart rate, BP cuff that squeezed every so often and she did get my Teds on. Although last time I had a knee high Ted on the op leg and a thigh high on the other. This time, even with me insisting I only wanted a knee high on the op leg, she put the thigh highs on both legs and rolled one down (NO!). So now I'm getting stressed because we've had three things that were not like the other. Before my time was spent in the downstairs prep area and then I was taken up to line up outside the op rooms and I was first in, this time I spent all of my time in the op area pondering when I might be called, dum de dum de hum hum hum. Laying on my back looking at ceiling tiles,
listening to the beep beep beep of the heart monitors in the room reminded me of Katy did/she didn't calls on a late summer night. Last time I was rolled into op by 7:45. This time it was 9:00 before my name came up. I had to have the nurse unhook me from all the "stuff" and allow me to go to the bathroom because I had to pee. I hadn't had any liquid since about 8PM the night before, but they had started the drip and -- there ya go -- didn't want to pee on the op table. I asked the nurse and he said they would catheter me in the op room and I asked, how long till that, he said about 30 more minutes and I knew they would roll me back and give me the cocktail and I would relax and ..... ahhh, the warm liquid oozing out onto the operating table and contaminating everything. Yikes! So up and in the bathroom to pee while holding my fluid bag which was still attached to the needle inserted in the top of my hand.
The anesthesiologist tech kept pacing and saying it shouldn't be much longer and looking around and all I wanted was to have a screen with a movie showing or something to distract me. I needed eyes in the back of my head to be entertained by my bouncing heart rhythm graph and my up and down BP numbers depending on exactly when the cuff squeezed and what was happening around me. Finally, a couple of people starting my gurney rolling back and I knew that as I went through the double doors I would be OUT light a light and never know anything else. Wrong, not this time -- ha - they wanted to keep me guessing how long before I could be oblivious to what was around me. This time I was awake and alert as I went through the first double doors, then I rolled down a hallway with lots of numbered operating rooms and then turned left to another hallway with more rooms and finally, right into MY operating room. I had never seen this area before and I wanted to shout, Hey, where is my Cosby Cocktail, where is the date rape drug? I'm still awake folks, remember! Sweet guy, Carlos told me everything they needed for me to do, sit up on side of gurney, bend forward, relax my shoulders and roll my back because anesthesiologist was going to do my spinal now and he would be feeling between the disks and insert the needle and I would be under. That was it. I don't remember anything after that very moment. They bonked me with the Pinot Noir and I said goodbye to all. By then, however, I had seen THE TABLE. I did not see it the first time. Also the op room was like a refrigerator, brrrrrrr, it was like being in the salad section of Costco. I don't know how they work in that chill. There were huge, satellite dish size lights with lots of bulbs, they weren't turned on yet thank goodness because my skin was not prepared for such scrutiny. I needed to put on make up, lip stick, my nose needed powder! Done, I'm in lala land. Now I had received the full Michael Jackson. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
I woke up very slowly in recovery and tried and tried to focus and pull myself out of the stupor. Sweet male nurse that had been with me before op told me I had had way too much Pinot Grigio and needed to get over the hangover.
In recovery sometime a little after 11AM and up to my room by 12 noon. Hey Ma! No pain. My legs were numb and I kept trying to move them and wiggle my toes. They began to wake up by about 2PM and PT came in at 2:30 to get me UP and walking. I warned them that last time in January with the right hip I tried to get up and promptly threw up my ginger ale -- tossed my crackers. Nope, they wanted me UP. I sat on edge of bed and I could move my legs and toes but when I tried to stand my brain said, you have no legs, and I could not stand up. I sat back down, dizzy and spinning and ... yep, promptly gave up my stomach contents. So no PT standing check off and now back flat in the bed, serves them right. After about 30 min I ate some of my lime jello that I had brought (I'm glad I brought a lot of my own snacks as I could reach the ginger ale, saltines, jello, laura bars, etc and not have to call a nurse and ask for stuff) I threw up the jello within another 30 minutes. Done. That is exactly what I did first time. Two throw ups -- now leave me alone and let me rest. The anesthesiologist came by the next morning and I asked him why I might have thrown up and he said, probably too early to be sitting up and moving about after a spinal because of low blood pressure. Well then, duh, why did PT and nurses come and insist that I start moving all about.
Hey people, let's talk about this for the future, Okay?
No supper. I just didn't have the stomach for it and the menu choices were not what I considered a delight for a seriously sensitive stomach, ex: Nacho's with Cheese, Salisbury Steak with Mushroom gravy.
I declined. Pain was "0". Catheter was removed at midnight by a tech even with my objections since I had not passed the PT getting out of bed exam. She checked with a nurse who evidently told her to pull it out and if I needed to pee I could call a nurse and they would walk with me. Done. At 4AM a vampire came in and sucked some blood, so I decided to call that nurse and have her walk with me to the pee pee potty. I was good. Had bladder feelings and knew I needed to go. Toilet was too low and they had a measuring cup in it that I was supposed to aim for and hit - but I missed as it was too close to the front and I sat way back on toilet. Oh well, she made me swear that I did go and did go long time.
After that I was awake and so ate a cashew date Laura bar, drank more ginger ale and kept it down. I'm okay. #5 - Alive (Short Circuit - circa 1986). By 6:30 room service called to see if I wanted breakfast, I ordered a bran muffin and banana, nurse brought a cup of coffee and man we are making progress now. Pain "0".
I had nurse help me dress and PT came again. This time I was able to get up, grip walker, go for walk in the hall and go into PT room for sit down, get up from chair, toe raises, in and out of weird chopped vehicle, up and down three steps with no problems. Occupational PT came and I brushed teeth, combed hair etc. Staff doctor came and said all was good, he saw no reason why I couldn't leave and go home. It was then about 10 AM. I was up in a recliner and coloring. My OS came by with his entourage and said I was doing most excellent, but since I was doing so well I might just forget I need to rest and only walk around about 10 min/hour so to take it easy and not do too much. I know, I know. He also said I could take Tylenol for pain, aspirin for blood thinning, Mobic for inflammation (6 weeks) and that I only need to wear TEDs for ONE (1) week!!!!!! I love that doctor. He also told me that his mother colors too. His mother! He is 40ish so I'm sure his mother and I are close in age. Young whipper snapper doctor. Pain. "0"
This left leg has some bruising around the incision packing. Glued - I will remove packing at 7 days. There is NO sign of bruising around the knee. My knee appears to be untouched. No burning, no swelling, no bruises. So different than before. My right knee still bothers me some. Tender around and above and when I walk a distance I feel some pain and tightness. Don't know what was different in the angle of that boot or that leg or what they jerked but they were very good with this left one.
I came home yesterday by 1PM and climbed the nine steps to my front door by holding the hand rail and putting good leg first, bring up op leg, one step at a time. No pain. Ate some yogurt and dry toast for lunch and sat on sofa and promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours. I'm puttering around the house sans walker (doc said it would be okay if I felt stable and I do) I had scrambled egg, muffin and banana for dinner. Taking my meds but no narcotic pain med, just Tylenol -- Pain "0".
I slept well last night. I'm used to sleeping on my back now and I have my incline wedge, lots of pillows, I was up twice during the night to pee with no problem getting to bathroom or peeing. Hey! I've got this. I have to remember to do my foot pumps and rest. I'm icing of course - almost constantly. I love my ice. I had to ASK for it in hospital. The nurses didn't bring me ice until I said, please, I have to have an ice pack ASAP. Bring my MY ICE, Bring it Now. !
Pain "0"
I'm feeling great now at beginning of post op day #2. My left leg is NOT a log leg. I have lots of feeling in it and it does not feel swollen or heavy. Yes, I do have to pick it up to get on sofa or bed as it doesn't have much strength yet. I'm sure that will come very soon. I don't know if this leg was different. Doc said they are matching now as he put the same prosthesis in as the other and he made them the same length. I can tell! I felt lopsided when I walked before and the right leg always felt stiff and a bit like it was artificial. No more. Both legs feel normal. I've got the flushing face today just like I had with right hip. On the 2nd day I got this sunburn look on my face and it was warm to touch. It's there again today. Don't know what that's about unless its body reacting to stress. I know it will pass in a few days. I have outside PT tomorrow back at the hospital.
I'm feeling great. Almost too good. I have to literally tell myself to go slowly, rest, ice and heal. Too fast and I'll bonk. I'm not nearly as tired this time and way more mobile. I hardly notice the new left hip incision. It is tight and if I bend forward I get an ouch. I'm whole, I'm even, I'm walking without pain. I am ecstatic with the whole process. It is amazing and I wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone who needs their joints replaced to GET IT DONE.
Pain on a scale of 0 - 10 = 0.
--julie
United States
I'll be lounging in recovery mode and focused on FINALLY following your surgery and recovery. I know it has been a lingering journey for you and you so deserve your time. I'll be cheering you on from my sofa across the pond. 
I'll have an early morning wake-up call from my phone and, hopefully, by tomorrow night all this low back pain will be history. If not, I'll start looking for someone to fuse my spine. 
--julie
and 
to the other side of #2 hipsterhood! You sound like you're doing great (in spite of a few blips- always a blip or 2!) I love the pain level 0. 
if you ask me.
I'm ecstatic that your pain level is 0 & it sounds like that will continue. Maybe you could have traveled this weekend, but I'm glad common sense prevails. 
