THR Hopefully Hippy Recovery

It gets better. Managed to stand up this morning before practically fainting. Did it twice. Got back into bed and lay down. No meds so demanded paracetamol. Had lunch and then the Arrival of the Consultant with his Entourage. He takes one look at the big ice pack that James The Torture Physio. But quite nice really and exclaims “ What an EARTH is THAT?” the Entourage giggle nervously. I explain calmly it is an ice pack and helping me manage the pain without Morphine. The great man lowers his very bushy eyebrows in a frown and says he can understand it used on knees but not on Hips. Anyway the op went well and he is pleased but cannot understand why I am not using the toilet yet! Arrrgh! I can barely walk three steps and it is very painful. He then tells me that I must lose more weight when I am better and it will take me two years. I know that but he is smiling in a christopher Lee sort of way so I smile back... Anyway he sweeps out and James and Sophie the two Physios walk in. I tell them all three of us are “in trouble”. And here I go again with the standing. This time I make it to the chair and don’t feel faint. Currently sitting here eyeing up the loo and wondering whether to try that - with help.

James is sympathetic and has agreed to make up another ice pack. They use it all the time in the Clavadel where I am going next!

Hope I am not boring anyone but the day to day blog helps clarify my thoughts.

Over and out.
 
I love your sense of humor!! Your descriptions of your experience is not boring at all - quite the opposite. I love the description of the Christopher Lee smile - priceless! At least you made it to the chair - slowly but surely you'll get there. Across the pond, I'm with you there in spirit - celebrating each step along the way!!
 
One really needs a sense of humour to get through this!
You got that one my friend! It's very good that you are thinking clearly and can push back on staff who are trying to do something they shouldn't. I dread to think how many elderly patients just let staff treat them without question.

You've got to laugh at the consultant and his "groupies". Some are just so full of themselves. Hard to keep a straight face.

Please do not attempt a trip to the loo on your own until you are totally confident. The dizzy bit post op is very common. All that trauma and the drugs you are taking. Easy does it!
 
Will do. Having a fainting fit this morning scared me so being careful. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything on my own for now... feel so helpless! The Bell Ringers from Ward 1 have now gone so hopefully a more peaceful night.
 
And hubby coming armed with a fan and ginger biscuits...

So far managed to keep my lunch down. No morphine today hope I crash to sleep tonight. I need it...
 
I hope he is technically accomplished even though he lacks any interpersonal skills. He is obviously a man of fixed opinions and limited horizons. :bignono::censored:
There is no reason why being above ‘perfect’ BMI should hold back your recovery or stop you having a good outcome. That is the message of Bonesmart, the research and certainly my consultant. High expectations and a positive attitude are the way to go. My consultant is certainly encouraging that. Donkt let him influence you.

After all these days hip surgery in the uk is severely rationed. Must mean a decline in NHS work for OSS.

I hope you are being given a walking frame to walk with? Otherwise all this is nonsense. Well done physios for providing you with ice. Doesn’t sound as if pain relief is being managed correctly yet. Soon it will be time to complain. Maybe the physios will chase it?

Hope this afternoon goes better:flwrysmile:
 
Well today was a mixture of achievements and frustration and pain. Having got up for the first time attempted the loo but could t produce a thing. Also had to stay standing whilst the nurse went out to get a raised seat after I pointed out the problem. So a bit scary. Was crying with frustration and pain. Had some morphine as no choice. Mina the Nurse did a deal with me. She would arrange for the ice machine provided I drank water non stop for an hour. That and ginger biscuits kept me going. I couldn’t face dinner as the morphine was making me ill and it was a toss up between being sick or having a pee. As I had been threatened with the catheter again I chose the drink over food. This time I asked for a commode. Result. And I got my ice machine. Mina was pleased. Then a surprise visit from my lovely brother in law. Luckily I was alert and very glad he had not come earlier! We had a super chat. After hubby and brother in laws visit I am a bit wiped out. But ending the day on a hopeful note...

Thanks for all the encouragement and hope I get a bit more sleep tonight. Xx
 
Glad to see you have excellent negotiating skills. Must admit care does not seem ideal. Keep on being yourself. Good to have visitors it reminds you that soon you will be off to the next stage of recovery. Is anyone more senior overlooking your care and pain management? There are lots of alternatives to morphine like codeine, tramadol and others. Only suggesting that there are options to strengthen you not to worry you. Hope you have a good night with less bells ringing.
 
Wow - you are a trooper! Not sure I would be able to handle the morphine let alone the stress of not performing in the loo. Sounds like you are back on track. Wishing you a peaceful sleep tonight!

PS: Thunder storms and rain here but humidity is horrid. Hope you are coping there!
 
Well I see you're on the recovery side. I had a lot different experience than you've had. I wore out the nurse I got out of bed so many times the first night going to the bathroom! They had those inflatable boots on me to prevent clots and she had to take them off every trip I made. Don't let anyone take your ice machine! Ask the Consultant what he used on his replaced hip for pain.
 
Well an update. I had a very good night and managed 6 hours sleep. Bedpan twicebut well managed by the night nursing team.

And I started thinking now I am on day three. A lot of the pain I am having sitting to standing and sitting is being caused by a lot of pain in my bottom which has a very tight and painful area on the right cheek . I try to relieve the pain at night by pushing up on my right leg to left bottom off bed but relief is only temporary. This needs looking at as can only get worse

Secondly the meds are given out at set times. So when I have physio I am often half way through the dose in my system and have to relieve the exercise pain with morphine. So the pain relief is catching up the pain and not the other way round.

I think I need to speak to someone as the extreme pain has me crying and yelling and surely it should not be that bad. Or maybe I undestimated the post op pain. I am trying to be brave but getting disheartened. So any advice here welcome. I am quite a brave person usually but this is awful...
 
The problem is not enough nurses and variable assistants. Hopefully I will get some answers today. I feel bad being so candid about my current experience as it might put people off. If there i anyone else that has had a rough start please om me as I need to know it all got sorted eventually..
 
My niece is a young doctor just returned from the Syrian camps so I will ask her too. She is very willing to help.
 
I could also do with another wash. The chief nurse in duty last night, a very nice lady, told me she was looking after two units. Nurse Mina is on today so the night nurse will be speaking with her. I will also insist I get pain relief before the physio. The night nurse Erin said that she felt my morphine dose was too low as I was abigger lady and she felt it wasn’t having enough effect..
 
Ok so I am now speaking with Staff nurse Sam. She is shocked by my low doses id morphine and not surprised I am in such pain. She is amazed I managed to get out of bed in the first place! also I have only had four shots in 2 day’s. She agrees I should up the shots and have them every two hours. Also I explained my sore bum which they are going to look at.
And they are going to give me an air mattress. Let’s see how this goes but finally some common sense. Sam explained that they are really short of nurses. I know that Royal Surrey are advertising for them.

BoneSmart is brilliant because, although not everyone progresses at the same rate it does tell one how roughly you should be doing and, sometimes it is necessary to make a fuss. I hope to have a much more optimistic report tomorrow.
 
Your experience sounds so different to mine, and I don't know if it's because I was fortunate to end up in a dedicated orthopaedic unit dealing mostly with hips and knees, so they have it all down to a fine art. Meds appeared at the same time each day - I think I had two morphine tablets a day, plus the regular paracetamol, daily blood thinner and the dreaded lactulose and Senna - but there was a definite regular pattern. The PT and OT visited each day, firstly to get me out of bed with a walker, the second day to go through the exercises they wanted me to do at home and to move me on to two sticks (they don't like crutches for hips), and lastly to walk me up and down the corridor and up stairs. It was all at a pace that I could manage. The spinal kept working for a while after the op, and a nurse would ask me regularly what my pain level was like. Luckily it was never unbearable, but I suspect something would have been provided if it was.

I didn't need any help washing, although I think they'd have washed me if I'd asked, but they were fairly short staffed and there were a lot of older, less able patients.

I do hope you get things sorted quickly, as recovery shouldn't be unnecessarily awful.
 
I suppose I didn’t like to say directly before; they are not managing pain appropriately or caring for you well. To me it is formal complaint time to a Matron or Pals perhaps your husband can start that. They will probably change their approach then. Feel unclear if they expect you to walk without a Zimmer or crutches.

You should have regular pain relief 3 or 4 times a day. Paracetamol + another. Perhaps a laxative at night. Physio should teach you basic exercises and develop walking with aids. Unlike Cassidy it was elbow crutches and no Teds for me. Still on crutches but sometimes using one for short distances.

Is the buttock pain in the wound area or on the unoperated side? I would talk to physio about your pain relieving position to see if it is advisable.

It’s possible you might be ready for an assisted shower if they have a walk-in one and you have a waterproof dressing on. By day 4 you will know about swelling in the leg and foot.

It doesn’t matter how understaffed they are if they can’t offer appropriate care levels and proper pain management they shouldn’t admit. Time to stop being patient and make a note of the names who you have taken your concerns to. I really hope they get it right today.

Wishing you strength and a better day. Hopefully it will be a bit cooler.
 

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