Linda2
post-grad
Well, I have finally made it to the computer. So far, this experience has been horrific except for the surgery itself. The night of surgery, they gave me percocet and cut back on the iv dilaudid. The percocet did nothing, and the smidgens of dilaudid every once in awhile would cut back the pain for about half an hour, and then it would be back. I spent most of the first night sobbing in my bed. On the second day, someone got it straight that I was not allergic to codeine, so they started tylenol 3. Since that really wasn't adequate to control the pain for four hours, I would get a little dilaudid in the iv in between, but most hospital personal just told me I would have to get over having that since I couldn't go home with the iv in. Finally, on Wednesday, I got a good day nurse--Judy. Long story short, I can keep from screaming if I take 2 tylenol 3, then two hours later one dilaudid pill, and so on. The night shift didn't quite understand this concept and alternated the two every four hours. PT was aggravated because I couldn't reach the 90 degree flexion they wanted me to reach within the first three days. One of them decided to simply push it to 81 on Thursday afternoon. Thursday night was then another night of sobbing in my room. I went home Friday--getting into the car was a nightmare. I was sent home with a script for 50 Tylenol3 pills with no refills, 40 Dilaudid pills, again no refills, and orders to call for a post-op check in 3 weeks. Those pills aren't going to last one week. Most people do not get a CPM machine for home, but I insisted and got that ordered. It's about the only place my leg is comfortable. More painful than the knee area itself, is an area in the middle of my butt, and in the hip of the operated leg.
To add insult to injury, I didn't "go to the bathroom" (if you know what I mean) until today. That's a total of eight days of no action. AACK!
I'm going to call my internist tomorrow and go in to talk about pain management. I'm doing the exercises the best I can, but I can't even get my leg off the bed in a leg lift. I also can't get it in and out of the bed on my own.
Thank goodness I have such a great husband.
Any suggestions you guys have will be appreciated.
Linda
To add insult to injury, I didn't "go to the bathroom" (if you know what I mean) until today. That's a total of eight days of no action. AACK!
I'm going to call my internist tomorrow and go in to talk about pain management. I'm doing the exercises the best I can, but I can't even get my leg off the bed in a leg lift. I also can't get it in and out of the bed on my own.
Thank goodness I have such a great husband.
Any suggestions you guys have will be appreciated.
Linda