Rough Day, day one post op

[bashbago]

My surgery was late in taking place, I was suppose to be in the operating room at 1:30 pm. My partner said it was not until 3, but I think that may havr been when I went to recovery. Had a spinal block with epidural. Sure helps to get the meds to work quickyl. Disavantage of late surgery is that I did not get up until next day.

I was awake and just dozed through most of the night. Day one of post op started early. Glad they were able to find another med that took my pain to 0-1 when in bed. I was ready and anxious to get into therapy. Unfortunatly, the physical therapist arrived first and when she was trying to get me back into bed, did not check that the bed was locked. With all of my weight on my replacement, you could hear the screaming all the way to Knoxville. Do to that, by the time I had physical therapy, I was tired and scared. Must have not done well, in her write up, she recommended that I go to a rehab clinic and not home when released from her. I did much better in PT in the afternoon. so have been told that they will discuss my options and their recommendatons this afternoon.

Got a little more sleep last night, but awakened at 1:30 AM. Do not want to ask for a sleeping pill and it is a little late now. My motion machine Am calling the nurse back in to reset it.

Hope day 2 is better. I want to work hard and get home. Food is okay.
Talk later.

Shirley

 

[Doug]

Shirley, I feel for you, I really do...but I had to laugh when I read you post.
Your story could be repeated by so many of us who have been there. All you can do right now is kind of go zombie and go through the motions.
I have heard praises and curses at going to the rehab clinic. I opted out of it since I had my wife and son to help me at home.
Best of luck....oh, as for stool softeners right now....or you'll pay later.

 

[bashbago]

Doug, not surprised at all that others have been through similar things.
We get stool softeners several times a day. I am getting worried, hoping for a BM today, but then I am not interested in a bed pan. Still have a cath, so I have not been up and about for toilet. Think that is on today's agenda.

 

[Gretchendz]

Don't expect a BM for several days.

I remember with my first TKR being worried about having one the 1st day or so before I could make it to bathroom. I asked a very caring nurse. She smiled and said "The odds of that happening for 2-4 days is very low. All the meds we pumped you full of it are all very constipating." Made me feel better and it was about 3 days. But oh what Doug said about the stool softeners. When I got home I didn't think I needed them--boy did I pay for that dumb choice!

Thanks for posting; we're all thinking of you. Everything will slowly get better and in about 4-6 months it will all be a very dim memory....

 

[JudyS]

Congrats on making it through.
I am always amazed when someone can post from their hospital bed!!! I was a total zombie until the last day (day 5)
Judy

 

[Doug]

Yep, I kept telling the nurse I didn't need them that that was never a problem for me....I later learned what it was like to give birth. I came out of the bathroom with the walker and was covered with sweat. Told my wife to get me some stool softeners, prunes and Metamucil that I would never go through that one again.

And don't even get me started about the catheter....

 

[JudyS]

In the hospital, they gave me an enema (was not my request) , told me NOT to get out of bed alone, never answered my call button!!! Needless to say, I got out of bed alone (very challenging), dragged my 10,000 pound leg to the bathroom!!!
I had seen my gastro doc before surgery, he gave me quite a lot of stool softener instructrions . Then he said to make sure the nurses gave them to me so he did not have to flush me out. Well, I did not want to experience that!!!!

So yes, take the stool softeners, just as important as pain meds
Judy

 

[mvo]

Hi there,
Yes, would recommend when you get home you keep eating those prunes – I went through heaps for about four weeks post surgery so minimized those constipation problems. Kiwifruit juice is good as well, but I don’t know how available that is in the US.

As an aside, when I as in hospital I heard the sole male patient in the ward across the corridor complain after his surgery that he had diarrhea. I did wonder if he had the right word as he used it rather hesitantly! Anyway, he received some anti–diarrhea treatment from the young night nurse. For the next few days and nights he was a most unhappy fellow, to put it mildly. When a big tough forestry worker screams, you know it’s bad.

Monica

 

[Simon]

Shirley

I spent 11 days on the inpatient rehab floor and it was a great choice for me. As this hospital has 1 of the 3 inpatient rehab units in the state they are very good at what they do. Unlike some places which do mainly stroke rehab this places does alot of ortho and knew what they are doing. The unit works on a team concept so even the nurses were involved in the rehab process. I know that is when I was finally able to be out of bed myself and out walking, I was always hearing bend your knee -- given that I walked straight leg for some 25 years, that was not an easier process. The PT's were great and there were the ones that got the pain meds figured out, they went with extended release as that made the PT schedule easier.

My stay was longer than most as my tibia was fractured in surgery.

I live alone and outside of town so I had to be completely mobile before I went home.

Good luck.

Simon

 

[Doug]

Well while we're talking about our butts, I'll share this one.
My dear wife saw a article that said it was very healthy to eat 10 prunes per day. High potassium, iron, etc.
She comes home with a couple of bags of them..
While I was half asleep still drinking my morning coffee, she brings me the plate of 10 prunes. She takes a little ziplock with 10 prunes to work.
I get a call late in the afternoon. "Don't eat all of those prunes"....A little late for that.
Thought someone had used sandpaper across my rear end. I would rather have looked down the barrel of a gun than see another roll of toilet paper.

 

[edk]

I really think that as long as you're taking Hydrocodenone 10/325's you'll need stool softeners. When you wean yourself down to 5/325s you might consider not softening but not before. Those intestines really like to relax in an opiate stupor.