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THR FINALLY!!! Cynthia777's Recovery Journey

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Yay "CC" :wink:, you must be so happy to finally be home! It is near impossible to get restful sleep in the hospital so no wonder you are so tired. Hope you got some much needed deep restorative sleep last night. Take it easy and rest, and take care of yourself. Don't worry about us - we will be here when you are ready to write.
 
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Hi Pals!

Here are the notes I took in the hospital, so I wouldn't forget to tell you. I'm still a bit too tired to read all of your wonderful posts, but like I said before, I can't wait and am looking forward to them! Below are some of the differences between my two surgeries. I feel the anesthesiologist is VERY important as to the level of pain one experiences post-op.

I had an epidural and spinal instead of general (because of the bronchitis I had in the days preceding surgery. I prefer general because post-op pain was not controlled with epidural. Wrong leg was numb!

PT told me the new anesthesiologist's patients have been experiencing much more pain. She wanted me to complain about him, but he was so nice that I didn't have the heart to.

No log leg this time.

No appetite after hip #1, but ravenous with hip #2.

First hip walked 300 steps day one, but only 50 steps this time. Pain often hit a 7.

In recovery a nurse told another nurse that I was a "teeth chatterer" and a "writher" and I remember feeling offended for some reason. I did not experience this with the general.

I was sure my surgery was being performed at a construction site. I could hear all the workers building something, but then I remembered members had said their surgery sounded like there was construction going on. So, I kept trying to tell the anesthesiologist that I could hear everything (but it didn't bother me at all), but my mouth wouldn't form the words correctly.

All in all, this hip was a much more difficult early recovery (first three days). Today I'm walking well and the pain doesn't go over a 3 or 4, but meds handle it. I feel grateful that my surgeries are behind me, but I feel even more grateful that you all were here praying and/or rooting me on. I wish I could give you all a better account, but I'm sooo sleepy. Praying all my BS family are doing well and feeling thankful that this surgery is even possible.

PS...I now have 193 alerts to go through! :heehee:
 
Hi @Cynthia777 oh my, it sounds like you had quite the ordeal with being able to hear during surgery :yikes: I can't imagine being able to hear what was going on - you are one brave soul!

Sorry to hear the post-op pain wasn't controlled this time around. In a way, it's good the other hip was first because if you had done this one first, you might have been hesitant to go ahead with the second. That's crazy that the wrong leg was numb!

All things considered, you are doing remarkably well and just as upbeat as always which goes a long way to making recovery easier. So glad you are home and resting, and I couldn't agree more how fortunate we are that this surgery is possible. :)
 
@Cynthia777, that is shocking about the wrong leg being numbed! Was that an actual mistake that he made, or does that often happen with that kind of anesthesia? I am sorry to hear that a number of people, including you!, had more pain than usual with this new anesthesiologist. And being able to hear the sounds of surgery and not being able to tell anyone that you could hear. Ugh. Guess I won't feel badly if I have a GA for my next surgery!

So sorry about the difficult early recovery this time. I had that for my first surgery, and stayed in hospital 4 nights. It's good you are home and I hope you will be able to get plenty of sleep! Love and healing to you...
 
@Cynthia777 -Oh my, I'm so sorry to hear what a rough time you have had. I am praying that things begin looking up soon and your recovery is pleasant and uneventful. I don't know what kind of sedation I will have yet, but the thought of hearing things and not being able to speak to say so honestly makes me both weepy and nauseated. I wonder if headphones/earbuds for an small iPod are ever allowed in surgery? Hang in there, Cynthia. Lifting you up in prayer.
 
@Cynthia777
Wow! What an ordeal you went through. I can't even imagine hearing the surgical procrdure. Yikes!! So sorry you had to go through this. But like you said, it's behind you and you are recovering well.
I think I would say something about the anesthesiologist so others don't have to go through the same thing as you. Complaining sometimes is important. Maybe you will be sent a hospital survey about your experience. I was sent one.
Well get some needed rest. We are all here for you and praying for you
 
@Cynthia777 :cheers::console2: so happy you are through with #2 and in spite of everything, sounds like you are progressing well. Sorry you had the elevated pain in recovery this time. I can't even begin to imagine hearing the whole thing and not being able to tell them!?! :sos: It has to feel so good to be home where you can rest and heal so much better. Your upbeat attitude is still coming through and is such an inspiration. I understand what you mean by not wanting to complain about the anesthesiologist. But hopefully they would use your input constructively so the Doctor can make adjustments down the road. You surely must be tired. Was glad to see your post! Hugs and warm healing thoughts heading west to you! I'm visualizing Del Mar in August for you! :surfer::bigfish::capn::sleep:
 
Cynthia777 said:
PT told me the new anesthesiologist's patients have been experiencing much more pain. She wanted me to complain about him, but he was so nice that I didn't have the heart to.
Click to expand...
@Cynthia777 - hello dear friend. Welcome back to the fold. So good to know you're home .... BUT ... I feel you should speak out about your experience as it is quite unacceptable. How will this young anaesthetist learn if his errors are not addressed, and if the PT wanted you to complain it must be because she wants to see some action taken to prevent yet more recurrences. Obviously she needs you to give that vital feedback. Sounds to me like he didn't manage the epidural and the sedation correctly and that was his job. You have a perfect right to voice your feelings - it's your body and your surgery (and you are the customer after all). You will be protecting others by doing so.
Rant over - just so so so pleased you're home and recovering now. Snuggle up in your Lair and let the healing commence.
 
@Cynthia777 That anaesthetist should have given you better sedation. There is no need to hear anything during this procedure. Having said that, if you read my LTHR thread you will find I had the same experience. Awake and hearing the carpentry for a good part of the op. We survived!

Rest up - we are looking forward to chatting again soon!
 
@Cynthia777 Agree with @Mis Muffet and Jaycey. Look at is as helping them improve their "craft". Send would be best to say something. Someone mentioned the questionnaire. That might be the best place to have someone see it and do something with the info. Sunday morning hugs!'


RTHR April 28, 2016, Mississippi
 
Ouch! Really? I would find this totally unacceptable. Complain about the anesthetist, maybe not exactly but how about documenting the "differences" between the first and the second and how the second has affected you and let THEM draw their own conclusions as to where the differences were and where the blame, if any, might lie? My two were very similar and I have wrongly assumed that absolutely everyone would love their dream THR's and be on their merry way. Evidently, not so. I did not experience the log leg on #2 either @Cynthia777 and noticed a difference in the first 2 weeks of recovery. I have been able to get around much easier and I haven't experienced the extreme tiredness but my incision has taken longer to cease swelling and sensitivity. Now approaching the end of week #3 and I'm on the move. Yard walks, short shopping trips and supper last evening with my youngest son and his wife who live 30 miles away. I even managed to walk around their yard and give motherly praise for his recent landscaping feats. I hope you heal quickly CC and that recovery is a 10 as compared to a 4 for operation. Boo Hiss for your anesthetist and, yes, you should somehow give a heads up for others. --julie (who hates the sound of the dental drill and would totally freak out at the sound of the bone hammer and saw :shocked:)

and @Sommers16 Yes on the iPod thingie. Someone here on BS, I don't remember who but hopefully someone else will and link to their recovery thread, asked for the spinal only and had their iPod in the OR and didn't hear the workings in the OR. I preferred the happy juice cocktail along with the spinal as with my C-section I was awake but dead :dead: and I just wanted to wake up in recovery and be done with the hippie joints. I'm a big believer in talking to your anesthesiologist and telling them what YOU want and that you want to be in lala land the entire time. No construction site visits during REM sleep please. Now, who was it who listened to their own choice of sounds during THR?????? --julie (again)
 
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Thanks everyone for your wonderful posts!

First, I want to assure everyone, that although I could hear the "construction" going on, it really didn't bother me at all. In fact, the only reason I was trying to tell them (maybe they could understand me because all went blank again) was because I had remembered a few other members experiencing this (like @Jaycey) and the advice given to pre-ops was to let them know. There was a definite disconnect between the sounds and that the sounds were happening to me. It really was no big deal actually.

The more I think about lodging some kind of complaint about the anesthesiologist, the more i think I probably should BECAUSE, not only did he anesthetize the wrong hip, he also used an adhesive on my epidural (which I'm allergic to). When you have an allergy to a substance that may be used during or after surgery, a red band is placed on your arm to alert the medical staff. Of course I ended up with an itchy rash on my back from the adhesive the anesthesiologist put on me (I verified who would have placed it there and it was confirmed that it was the anesthesiologist). So with this being said, I guess I'll mention it to my OS. @Krista, yes he inadvertently numbed the wrong hip!

Now to day 5 :-)
Things are progressing nicely and pain levels are well controlled, but not as well as they were with hip #1 (but definitely very tolerable). Now, I say pain, but in all honesty it's really more of a discomfort while ambulating. I have no pain while at rest. I have minor swelling in the upper thigh area and one spot about the size of a silver dollar that has bruising. I found out when having a spinal and then an epidural for pain management my surgeon doesn't use a post-op block that was used last time. I'm sure this and the fact that the wrong hip was numb were the factors in why I had more post-op pain. Other than the above, all is well and good and I'd do it again in a minute. The pain is short lived and well worth going through to live the normal life we all want so desperately!
Hugs and xo's to all my buddies!
 
Your message is such a relief! You sound so very "with it" and happy and confident! Well-controlled pain is what we all want, and I am so glad that you have it, @Cynthia777! Every time I hear about post-op going well, it gives me confidence that I will have a good experience next time. Still no surgery date for me [tiny violins playing], and I can't believe how much I am looking forward to the experience. Never thought I would be feeling this way. I was apprehensive last time, to say the least. It is amazingly good to hear you sounding so strong!
 
@Krista
Well bless your sweet heart! Your day will be here soon, so keep on fighting the good fight!
Just think about the fact that I didn't have proper pain control and it was still manageable. Of course I would have preferred a perfect recovery like I had last time, but I promise once you get it done after all you've been through, the pain you experience will be well worth it. I may have said this before, but I liken it to having labor and then suddenly they hand you your previous baby and all that pain just becomes more or less a distant memory and so worth going through. I need to get caught up with your thread (as well as everyone else's) as soon as my mind isn't so sleepy. I feel more of a mental drain than a physical drain. As always, you are in my prayers every day (although I must admit I don't think I prayed for anyone)! Oops! :heehee:
 
Well is the anaesthetist made all those errors you certainly should complain. Otherwise he/she will do it all over again.

So glad you are finally home and can get into your recovery routine!
 
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