Hi - thanks! So, I'm told surgery went well, but not entirely to plan. When they got in there, they actually found a 2nd section of my thigh bone damaged, so i ended up with two OATS procedures, and the HTO.
Also, I had a lot of trouble after the surgery. When I came around, I had some pain and the back of my leg (I had a nerve block, so the surgical site on the top of my knee was pain free) - not severe pain, but certainly quite unpleasant/uncomfortable - i'd say about a 7/10. They gave me a shot of dilaudid through the IV. It didn't help, so they did another shot of it. Neither helped with the pain, instead I became dizzy/lightheaded/nauseated, and started randomly and uncontrollably falling asleep.
Trying to control the pain, they then gave me oxycodone, and after about 40-50 mins my pain dropped to a 4-5/10 and they brought my wife through to see me.
After I rested a while, they tried to set me up with PT, using crutches, so i could be discharged - but I think with all the pain meds in me I just couldn't handle it. Every time I'd get up, or try the crutches I'd very quickly become dizzy/lightheaded/nauseated, and start sweating heavily. We tried a couple of times over the course of 2-3 hours, but it just wouldn't have been safe for me to have gone home and trying crutching into my house, so I was admitted for overnight. Note, the plan originally was for me to be leaving the hospital about 2pm day of surgery, with my surgery beginning at 10:30am.
The next day (this morning) my pain had diminished to about a 2, and I worked with the PT on some basic exercises and crutch use, and was told I could go home. At this stage I hadn't had any more pain meds since about 3pm day of surgery, and didn't feel i needed any. Discharge took a few hours, and it was probably about 2:30pm by the time we got home.
About 3:30pm I started getting some pain - probably around 4-5/10. We tried ibuprofen, but after about 30-40mins, my pain had escalated to a 7-8, so I took a percocet. Within 30mins the pain had dropped back rapidly down to 2/10, and 15 minutes later, it had dropped to 0 - which is better than pre-surgery. The percocet really helped. As the onset of the pain was quit rapid and substantial, i think i will plan continuing the percocet on the prescribed 4hr schedule for at least the next 24hrs, perhaps 48hrs, and then let it go longer and see how the pain is at that point.
I had a very very rough 30hrs, but am doing better now, and have had a couple of uses with the CPM machine at 45 degrees also.
Also, I had a lot of trouble after the surgery. When I came around, I had some pain and the back of my leg (I had a nerve block, so the surgical site on the top of my knee was pain free) - not severe pain, but certainly quite unpleasant/uncomfortable - i'd say about a 7/10. They gave me a shot of dilaudid through the IV. It didn't help, so they did another shot of it. Neither helped with the pain, instead I became dizzy/lightheaded/nauseated, and started randomly and uncontrollably falling asleep.
Trying to control the pain, they then gave me oxycodone, and after about 40-50 mins my pain dropped to a 4-5/10 and they brought my wife through to see me.
After I rested a while, they tried to set me up with PT, using crutches, so i could be discharged - but I think with all the pain meds in me I just couldn't handle it. Every time I'd get up, or try the crutches I'd very quickly become dizzy/lightheaded/nauseated, and start sweating heavily. We tried a couple of times over the course of 2-3 hours, but it just wouldn't have been safe for me to have gone home and trying crutching into my house, so I was admitted for overnight. Note, the plan originally was for me to be leaving the hospital about 2pm day of surgery, with my surgery beginning at 10:30am.
The next day (this morning) my pain had diminished to about a 2, and I worked with the PT on some basic exercises and crutch use, and was told I could go home. At this stage I hadn't had any more pain meds since about 3pm day of surgery, and didn't feel i needed any. Discharge took a few hours, and it was probably about 2:30pm by the time we got home.
About 3:30pm I started getting some pain - probably around 4-5/10. We tried ibuprofen, but after about 30-40mins, my pain had escalated to a 7-8, so I took a percocet. Within 30mins the pain had dropped back rapidly down to 2/10, and 15 minutes later, it had dropped to 0 - which is better than pre-surgery. The percocet really helped. As the onset of the pain was quit rapid and substantial, i think i will plan continuing the percocet on the prescribed 4hr schedule for at least the next 24hrs, perhaps 48hrs, and then let it go longer and see how the pain is at that point.
I had a very very rough 30hrs, but am doing better now, and have had a couple of uses with the CPM machine at 45 degrees also.