OP
OP
Morgaine
member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2013
- Messages
- 144
- Age
- 72
- Gender
- Female
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United States
Long rambling post while I sit on the pity pot (hope no one minds too much.)
Tomorrow is the big day. At 6 am, I have to be at the hospital for the LTKR. I am both excited and scared. Hubby keeps saying it is going to be easier and better this time, because I am stronger in my legs and have the one good knee. I just want to cry and call it off, but realize that I won't. My poor left knee has gotten much worse since my RTKR, because of having to do extra work. Both knees were bone on bone, with bone spurs, due to arthritis. Those wonderful bone spurs in my left knee have been breaking off. The OS's nurse calls them "loose pieces", while I call them "bone mice" because it feels like little critters running around inside my leg biting me. They probably aren't doing much good to the muscles and tendons either.
I keep remembering the things that seemed wrong with my first surgery and have even made a list for hubby to keep an eye on for me. Although this is a different hospital, and maybe the nurses actually care, but, still.... At the other hospital, I had asked one nurse for more water, she said it wasn't her job to fill water pitchers and walked out of the room. The call button didn't work, and it was over an hour later before anyone came back into my room. I think the only reason someone did is that I called hubby, crying, and he called the hospital to complain. This time I am going to be sure I have the number for the hospital in my phone.
While I had a drip still going in my arm, my catheter was removed, two days after the surgery, two days before I was to leave the hospital. I wasn't able to even stand up, let alone get to the bathroom. My fat bottom couldn't get on the bedpan right and I ended up peeing all over myself, my bandage, and the bed. Then had to argue about getting the urine soaked bandage on my leg changed. The excuse used was that the OS didn't want it taken off or changed. I insisted, because I was sure that wearing a urine soaked bandage wasn't a good idea. The aides were very careful after that to put a plastic covering on the leg when I had to use the bedpan, even though they had to change the sheets every time I peed, they didn't have to change the bandage. I still don't understand why they removed the catheter. Was it to encourage me to be more motivated to get up? I wanted to, but couldn't. When PT would come in to help me stand up, I would almost pass out (the pain meds caused my blood pressure to drop to dangerous levels), plus I had lost so much blood that I needed a transfusion.
Before being transferred to the rehab hospital, I was supposed to get something for pain for the trip (an hour and a half trip), but then was told that because I was transferring, I couldn't have any meds. They also weren't going to give me an ice pack, but hubby blew a gasket at them and they gave him one for me. The hospital had a van to transfer patients, but didn't schedule it, so I had to be transported by car. It took six people to put me in the car, because no one knew how to do it, I was in agony, couldn't stand up to help. I ended up screaming while they were doing it. I cried all the way to the rehab hospital, wondering what the heck I had done and regretting it.
My experience at the rehab hospital was very different. As soon as I arrived and was in a bed, the nurse came in, gave me a shot that took away the pain (I think it was morphine, I didn't care). When the staff realized that I wasn't able to get up to get to the bathroom, and one bad experience with a bedpan, I had a catheter put in. One less thing for me to worry about. The nurses, and staff, seemed to care. Once it was determined that my pain meds caused my blood pressure drop and I was taken off them, every four hours a nurse would come in to ASK if I needed Tylenol, since that was all I had available for pain. The PT staff was patient with me and finally got me up walking, 10 days after my surgery.
So here is hoping and praying that the staff at the surgical hospital is as caring as the staff at the rehab hospital was.
Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble on. As I said excited to get it done, but still scared.
Tomorrow is the big day. At 6 am, I have to be at the hospital for the LTKR. I am both excited and scared. Hubby keeps saying it is going to be easier and better this time, because I am stronger in my legs and have the one good knee. I just want to cry and call it off, but realize that I won't. My poor left knee has gotten much worse since my RTKR, because of having to do extra work. Both knees were bone on bone, with bone spurs, due to arthritis. Those wonderful bone spurs in my left knee have been breaking off. The OS's nurse calls them "loose pieces", while I call them "bone mice" because it feels like little critters running around inside my leg biting me. They probably aren't doing much good to the muscles and tendons either.
I keep remembering the things that seemed wrong with my first surgery and have even made a list for hubby to keep an eye on for me. Although this is a different hospital, and maybe the nurses actually care, but, still.... At the other hospital, I had asked one nurse for more water, she said it wasn't her job to fill water pitchers and walked out of the room. The call button didn't work, and it was over an hour later before anyone came back into my room. I think the only reason someone did is that I called hubby, crying, and he called the hospital to complain. This time I am going to be sure I have the number for the hospital in my phone.
While I had a drip still going in my arm, my catheter was removed, two days after the surgery, two days before I was to leave the hospital. I wasn't able to even stand up, let alone get to the bathroom. My fat bottom couldn't get on the bedpan right and I ended up peeing all over myself, my bandage, and the bed. Then had to argue about getting the urine soaked bandage on my leg changed. The excuse used was that the OS didn't want it taken off or changed. I insisted, because I was sure that wearing a urine soaked bandage wasn't a good idea. The aides were very careful after that to put a plastic covering on the leg when I had to use the bedpan, even though they had to change the sheets every time I peed, they didn't have to change the bandage. I still don't understand why they removed the catheter. Was it to encourage me to be more motivated to get up? I wanted to, but couldn't. When PT would come in to help me stand up, I would almost pass out (the pain meds caused my blood pressure to drop to dangerous levels), plus I had lost so much blood that I needed a transfusion.
Before being transferred to the rehab hospital, I was supposed to get something for pain for the trip (an hour and a half trip), but then was told that because I was transferring, I couldn't have any meds. They also weren't going to give me an ice pack, but hubby blew a gasket at them and they gave him one for me. The hospital had a van to transfer patients, but didn't schedule it, so I had to be transported by car. It took six people to put me in the car, because no one knew how to do it, I was in agony, couldn't stand up to help. I ended up screaming while they were doing it. I cried all the way to the rehab hospital, wondering what the heck I had done and regretting it.
My experience at the rehab hospital was very different. As soon as I arrived and was in a bed, the nurse came in, gave me a shot that took away the pain (I think it was morphine, I didn't care). When the staff realized that I wasn't able to get up to get to the bathroom, and one bad experience with a bedpan, I had a catheter put in. One less thing for me to worry about. The nurses, and staff, seemed to care. Once it was determined that my pain meds caused my blood pressure drop and I was taken off them, every four hours a nurse would come in to ASK if I needed Tylenol, since that was all I had available for pain. The PT staff was patient with me and finally got me up walking, 10 days after my surgery.
So here is hoping and praying that the staff at the surgical hospital is as caring as the staff at the rehab hospital was.
Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble on. As I said excited to get it done, but still scared.
Please keep us posted when you are able 
not me, not the physical therapist, not the hospital staff.
for a good belly laugh. Second time around does have the advantage of your knowing what to expect and being a bit more relaxed about everything.
