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Jean's home!

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Whoops!!! Sorry I mis understood.:sigh: That must have hurt!!! OUCH!!!!
I hope your feeling better now and taking things slower. But I know we all want to go from surgery to walking with nothing asap! I wonder if women are harder on themselves then men as far as wanting it yesterday for healing?
Saying a prayer for you and know your in good hands!:pray:
 
Since Jean's not of a mind to post about her experience and recovery, I'll do it for her! She just couldn't get to grips with posting very much but soon she will have a new wireless router so perhaps she'll do something then.

So here goes!
First off, she had a spinal and a general anaesthetic and in infusion of local anaesthetic directly into the hip area. So back n the ward, she was up and raring to go only a few hours after the operation. I visited her on Monday evening and was amazed to see her trotting across to the loo with her walker at some speed! She did so very well and I was so proud of her.

However there were hiccups:
#1 was that her wound developed a leak! The doctors and nurses were mystified as there was no obvious source or reason for it, no sign of infection, the fluid was clear but copious. Eventually they decided it was the infusion site what was leaking and sent her home with a big bagful of dressings that the surgeon (knowing I had worked with McKee) said I could change as and when I felt it necessary.

#2 was that she is on a considerable number of pills each day and to all of this they added flucoxacillin, metronidazole, both antibiotics, and Rivaroxaban, an oral anti-coagulant and codeine and paracetamol. Consequently, three times a day she was presented with a pot almost half full of pills and tablets! She's always been anti all this pill taking so when she said that they made her sick, the nurses didn't pick up on it. Even when she was really sick, they didn't and didn't even seem sympathetic much less concerned, just told her she had to take them regardless!

So home she came on the Thursday morning and said she was feeling sick. Even I didn't pick up on it, bless her! It wasn't until Friday night when she started being sick again, the penny dropped. She was reacting to the metronidazole! I had reacted to it myself many years ago and have it firmly on my "do not prescribe" list. So Saturday I took her off all her meds - she was so sick that day she could barely even tolerate sips of water anyway. Sunday she went back on just her regular meds and then Monday I added back the fluclox and the Rivaroxaban.

As for her dressing, that had remained lightly soiled but totally dry so I left it until the nurses cam on Tuesday to take out the stitches. She was much, much better on the Sunday and Monday and was tucking into small meals with more enthusiasm than I had seen before.

Now when she had been discharged, along with the packet of dressings, we had also been given a letter for the nurse and a 500ml bottle of providone iodine and a letter explaining, in great detail, how the sutures were to be removed which included prepping the area thoroughly with the iodine in order to make sure it was all good and clean.

Well, the nurses arrived and first thing, they realised they had no forceps to hold the sutures whilst they cut them! So I had a small artery forcep in my bag and offered to boil it up for them. So then they opened their sterile dressing pack, dispensed the iodine into a little dish and donned the sterile gloves. And set about prepping the wound - dab, dab, dab and it was done! I make more of an effort cleaning my vegetables before cooking them! :doh:

However, the wound was incredibly well healed, so much so, the skin had grown over all the sutures they were needing to cut! So it was a case of dig, dig, dig and pour Jean was gritting her teeth as they did so! But, get this, the nurses patted Jean's arm when she apologised for one extra painful dig! With her 'sterile' gloves on! She also pushed back her glasses quite a few times. Then her companion's mobile phone rang and he answered it, rummaging around in his pocket to get it out! After it was returned to his pocket, he returned to prodding and poking the wound again! I took a photograph at this point which, along with the story, has gone to the surgeon - I am such a grass! :hehe:

Anyway, ordeal over, another dressing was applied which, next morning was once more soaking wet! I had to change the dressing twice that day and next morning it was sodden again so I rang the ward sister. She told me that they had received reports from several patients experiencing the same and that it was figured the Rivaroxaban was the culprit so she was to stop taking it ...... for 24hrs!

I had to run over the the hospital for fresh supplies and did a wee bit shopping on the way back. That evening I had a funny giddy turn - Jean said I went white as sheet. The room was spinning and I had to let her get the evening meal but by 8pm I was feeling a lot better. So I changed her dressing again and and next morning, Friday, it was bone dry so I left it off! Wahey! It was healed wonderfully well!

By this time she is getting herself in and out of bed with very little trouble, had had a shower in the bath, almost undaided!, and prepared a few meals. She's so much better since she stopped taking the metronidazole and is going to declare herself 'allergic' to it in future.

When I left yesterday, she was looking really good and I think she will have a really good recovery.

I, on the other hand, am totally trashed and after a nightmare of a drive back home, am too tired to sleep, would you believe!
 
Whew, Jo....it wore me out just READING all you went through. Jean is so lucky to have had you there. How in the world would she have coped with those medication problems!!

And....I am shocked at the lack of attention to proper sterile procedures when the "nurses" were removing her stitches. How could that be??? And who would come to remove stitches without the right tools???? Guess if you hadn't been there they could have just leaned over and gripped the sutures with their teeth.
 
I did mention the same sterile problems before my operation,in the book I was given before my op it said I would have a shower before going down for it and it never happened I could have picked up any sort of bug on the way into hospital.
A couple of the nurses should have never been doing the job as there general attitude was terrible and the cleaning of the ward I was in was sparce to say the least.I could go on and on but enough said.
 
Wow!!!!!! You have been through alot along with your sister. It's scarey to be sick and especially when noone knows whats going on. Thank goodness you were at her side, we should all be that lucky to have a Jo Angel with us!!!!
Answering the phone????? Glad you have photos!!!!!!
It has to go uphill from here!!!! You better take care of you too!!!! Emotions alone take so much out of us! Prayers for you both. ((hugs))
 
Jo, The love of sisters.. this is so awesome..

I loved it when my sisters came and helped out and Jean is so lucky to have had you help care for her.. and Jean, I'm sure you know that so well :thmb:

I hope patient and care taker are both well and both Healing..

Jo, I'm glad you have recovered also after your long drive, with a trip to the Chiro and Oscar to the vet.. Oh how Oscar must have missed you...

I showed my sisters this site when they came to visit and they ahhhhhed, over the picture of Oscar's little paw in the Avatar.. they are big Cat lovers..:wub:

Great update..:thmb:
 
Funny, I had a call from an old nursing friend who wanted to ask me if I was happy with my new knee because she was needing to have one. I told her about this site (naturally! :hehe:) and the first thing she commented on was Oscar!
 
Finally managed to download a piccy of Jean in hospital. This was day 3, would you believe!

[Bonesmart.org] Jean's home!
 
She's lookin' mighty chipper for a "3-day" girl!!!
 
You look great in the picture Jean. I'm glad you are on the other side too!

When I was in the hospital the last time, I took a picture of myself with my phone and texted it to some coworkers. I was holding the phone in a way that the picture transmitted upside down. I've never heard the end of that one!
 
Great Picture!!
Jean, you and I have the, well, almost the same housecoat, same colour, short sleeves too, mine doesn't have the fancy trim..

It's nice to see a picture of you.
Thanks Jo.
 
1jt@atime said:
When I was in the hospital the last time, I took a picture of myself with my phone and texted it to some coworkers. I was holding the phone in a way that the picture transmitted upside down. I've never heard the end of that one!
Click to expand...

Aren't good drugs amazing!!! That's all you have to say....
 
An impatient patient......what a wonderfull description. I will add myself to that category now rather than avoid the rush..:hehe:

You sound fantastic girl. Keep up the good work.....and as much as you want to sallyforth please remember to take it easy.
 
nadineme said:
An impatient patient......what a wonderfull description. I will add myself to that category now rather than avoid the rush..:hehe:

You sound fantastic girl. Keep up the good work.....and as much as you want to sallyforth please remember to take it easy.
Click to expand...


Well this sucker posted in the wrong spot..lol. It was supposed to be at the end of the thread. Probably my awkward little fingers.
Sorry bout that.
 
Hi my Bonesmartie friends

Since Jo left we have been without a router as the one we ordered was delayed in the post.
In the end grand-daughter and our son went to buy one locallly and now it is all set up - hurray!

I am really pleased at my progress. My scar is healing beautifully now and I can get in and out of bed, and the shower quite easily, walk up and down easily too albeit with my walker. The only thing I would like to improve is
the nausea as I am still taking so many tablets that disagree with me. :cry:

(scar goes a bit further up and across the front of my tum)


[Bonesmart.org] Jean's home!




21 days post-op
 
Jean, I am sorry about your problems swallowing your pills. I have had friends with that same issue. Please keep after your doctors to check your THROAT and not try to treat you for nausea. It's not the same if you are throwing up pills that are whole...they never got to your stomach to make you sick. Sometimes you have to really be firm with doctors...they get an idea in their head and can't see past it!
 
Hi Jamie
Thank you for that - just what I keep trying to tell the doctor but she will not listen!


My throat has not returned to normal since I had my op and often seems to be verging on laryngitis/losing my voice and it is now three weeks.

Jo said it could be something to do with the intubation - whether a laryngeal mask was used or an ED Tube. I am going to try to get some information.

Time for bed now
Nite :yn:
 
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