THR Set the date today

[BruceH]

Had the final pre-op appointment with the OS yesterday. EKG, blood tests, and swab for mersa/staph were done. Had a dental cleaning a few weeks ago.

I asked about my left hip, imaging was reviewed, and the final answer is that it's fine and will probably return to feeling normal once the right hip is taken care of.

I've found that about all I can do during a high level pain episode is accept that it's happening. Most recently it happened on Christmas. I had been cleaning house the day before and the morning of, also prepared the meal and spent too much time standing and chatting, cleaning up afterwards, etc. Once it started all I could do is take a celecoxib and retreat to the recliner.

17 days and counting.

 

[leejaa]

Recliner and getting off your feet will help a touch. Sometimes heat would help - I would move the heating pad around from hip low back on the affected side to the side and down the leg to the muscles. I know others stated ice helped pre op - for me it did not work. All we can do is grit our teeth and continue the count down. Similar to recovery I found I had to stage my activities in smaller portions with rest in between.

 

[VSlowLife]

You are in the final count day days @BruceH ! I bet you enjoyed your Christmas Day.

I found I had to stage my activities in smaller portions with rest in between.

Absolutely agree! It’s good to set a timer, to stop activity and have a flat rest somewhere, to avoid the worst bone on bone pain.

Love flannel sheets, down comforter or anything that provides some heat, to help relax.

 

[Jaycey]

@BruceH Just remember - this is not life as you will know it. It's all temporary. Hard to imagine when you are hurting. But there is an end to this. Hang in there!

 

[Mojo333]

@BruceH
Hope you are staying well and on track for getting this hip show on the road.

Hope you have a peaceful Sunday.

 

[BruceH]

@BruceH
Hope you are staying well and on track for getting this hip show on the road.

Hope you have a peaceful Sunday.

I'm getting excited to get this done and hoping I don't get sick. My wife is sick, the neighbors are sick, something is going around and it's knocking people down for a few days before it gets better.

The hospital staff was due to go on strike at midnight the day of my surgery. The last update as of yesterday is that they agreed to a 10 day extension

Those things are out of my control. I've done most of the things I have control over and my mind is in a pretty good place right now.

Thank you for the good wishes!

Bruce

 

[Mojo333]

Oh my stars...I almost overdosed my DH with Lysol prior to surgery...and the strikers...

Double fingers crossed there are no delays.

 

[VSlowLife]

Those things are out of my control. I've done most of the things I have control over and my mind is in a pretty good place right now.

Very true. Best to stay positive. I keep surgical masks for this time of year in my car and purse, for when I am out in public to try and avoid getting the flu or a cold. So far it has worked well for me. The Asians do this when they are sick and go out in public. I just modified the idea. Trying to stay healthy for surgery.

 

[Stripey]

@BruceH I've been hearing about the strike. You don't need that kind of stress so close to surgery! And there is definitely a nasty upper respiratory thing going around at work. The worst hit seem to be those with kids in school or daycare. I am under self-imposed quarantine for the next 3 weeks - no movies, no restaurants, minimal time in shops, office door closed at work - and using lots of soap and gallons of hand sanitizing gel. It would be awful to have to reschedule. Keeping fingers crossed that all goes well for you.

 

[BruceH]

A little anxiety is setting in. The hospital chain main office called today just to verify info, everything was fine. They set me up with a mychart account that is hospital specific.

It only contained info from a biopsy that was done 4 months ago. The anxiety is because some of the medication info was flat out wrong including what they used for iv sedation. If I'm given versed it's a bad day for all involved.

That's the thought that's going around in my mind right now, somehow the anesthesiologist will think it's ok to give me versed because someone transcribed the standard versed and fentanyl iv in the notes vs the benadryl and fentanyl iv I was given.

I realize that all I can do is tell them during the day of surgery. No amount of worry will change anything yet I can't seem to let go of it.

 

[CricketHip]

That's the thought that's going around in my mind right now, somehow the anesthesiologist will think it's ok to give me versed because someone transcribed the standard versed and fentanyl iv in the notes vs the benadryl and fentanyl iv I was given.

Oh goodness! I would be worried, too.. You are right, though. The best you can do is to be sure to inform them the day of surgery. I guess you could call the office and attempt to get it corrected but it seem like it takes several tries to get things updated on my chart.
From my experiences with surgery though, is that they ask many questions about your health, and upcoming treatment and they don't just read what's in your chart and assume it's correct. Sometimes the person asking would apologize and say that they know I've answered it many times before but they want to hear it from my own mouth on the day of a procedure.

Good luck avoiding the germs! That is one of the worst worries, isn't it? You are so close to your surgery date, I hope you find it goes quickly, like I did in the last few days before mine.

 

[Layla]

I would tell everyone who'll listen at your surgery site that day. The nurses you deal with, your surgeon who I'm sure will sign your op leg with you, and the anesthesiologist if you meet with him / her that day, which I did. Tell them to write it on your forehead with their marker "NO VERSED" if it will make you feel better. It will give everyone a laugh
You're almost there. Stay well!
@BruceH

 

[VSlowLife]

Sorry to hear about this.

The anxiety is because some of the medication info was flat out wrong including what they used for iv sedation. If I'm given versed it's a bad day for all involved.

Glad you caught it! I am glad you took the time to look at your Mychart. I agree with Crickethip and Layla. I can understand getting anxiety over these things, for sure.

 

[Stripey]

@BruceH they will ask you the same questions time and time again on your op day. For me the one I heard at least 100 times was "Please state your name and birthdate". And "which leg are we doing today?" They will certainly confirm any medication allergies/reactions repeatedly and whether they do or not, you can tell them what you need them to hear...repeatedly. You will certainly speak to the anesthesiologist ahead of time.

It's normal to be anxious leading up to surgery. I was second-guessing right up to the moment they knocked me out. Do I really want to go through with this? I can still back out! At some point on the morning of surgery I just surrendered myself to the process. It was not a conscious process but more like a sub-conscious defense mechanism. I just couldn't take the anxiety anymore. After 5 years of living with this new hip, I have absolutely no regrets, except that I wish I'd done it sooner!

P.S. My Mychart med info is all screwed up. Full of medications that I haven't taken for years and I've told them time and time again to move them out of the "current" list. I sure hope they never use that for any serious medical decisions.

 

[marieltha]

Versed doesn’t agree with me either. Or gas.
In a previous surgery, my husband and I met with the Anaesthesiologist and Nurse Anaesthetist as I was prepped prior to the surgery. Dr stated No Versed. Dr & husband left. The same Rn returned and said, “A little Versed will help you relax” and gave it to me before I could yell, and wheeled me away. Aaargh! Horrible recovery. Nauseous and it took 6 additional hours to wake me up!

For my recent rotator cuff repair, my husband and I had a meeting w the Anaesthesiologist the week before. And she recommended no versed and no gas. So 2 Anaesthesiologists were used (not 1 md & 1 nurse), as one administered the prophenol (sp?) and the other monitored my breathing. Very successful general anaesthesia experience. No nausea. Came around quickly after.

If I ever have surgery again, I will write No Versed No Gas myself near the body part. Maybe on my forehead as well, as Layla suggested. I’m a big believer in the “Who is at risk?” philosophy and will do whatever I can to reduce the risk of harm to me.

Good Luck!

 

[leejaa]

I am always asked what my allergies are by nursing if any. Make sure you mention Versed at that time also. I have two medications that make me nauseous and they always mark these as allergies and red band my arm with them so that they do not give them to me and this is a slight allergy and not anything serious. I would definitely say Versed when being asked about allergies as well as talking to your OS and anesthesiologist. Please contact the doctor who documented incorrectly your sedation last time and ask it be corrected. It is never too late. I would do by phone but also through my chart as well as mail. Keeping your medical records as correct as possible is important.

It is normal to get nervous at this stage but try to keep focusing on being pain free. I always got nervous right before but the morning of once I got to the hospital safely (live 1.5hrs away) I was fine. I knew soon life would be improving incrementally instead of getting worse.

 

[BruceH]

Thanks for the replies. Every time I've had some sort of procedure since the bad vesed experience in 1992 it's either I do it without anything or fentanyl only with the exception of the last two when they offered iv benadryl in lieu of versed.

In the past I've had everyone on board not to give me any benzodiazapines during a biopsy only to have the RN say "now for some I don't care medicine". Lucky for me (and them) the Radiologist yelled loud enough to stop the RN. My reaction to versed is an out of body experience with physical agitation to put it lightly, I'm one of the outliers who has a paradoxal reaction to benzodiazapines (only had two in my life, same reaction). I would rather be fully conscious during the operation than to be given versed.

Provided I don't get the rouge but well meaning RN or Anesthesiologist all should be well. As I understand it propofol and versed are usually used with a regional block. Versed is mostly added for the retrograde amnesia it causes in most people. I've never had propofol, never had real surgery, only been checked into a hospital twice, both for outpatient biopsies.

Sometimes I have a control freak streak. It's very difficult to trust medical people who can't enter info correctly.

Thanks again for reading and responding. I'm looking forward to the surgery. This (versed) is the only fear I have about the whole process.

 

[Stripey]

I had propofol for the first time just this past Monday for a colonoscopy. Loved it. I'm hoping I get it for my hip surgery later this month. I did wake up during my first surgery in 2014 during the hammering phase, although - just as the anesthesiologist assured me would be the case - I didn't care and was feeling no pain, and I was out again very quickly.

 

[VSlowLife]

I'm one of the outliers who has a paradoxal reaction to benzodiazapines (only had two in my life, same reaction). I would rather be fully conscious during the operation than to be given versed.

I totally get it. And that is exactly what I would keep telling them, as tedious and exhausting as I am sure it gets. Maybe write it down on a 3 x 5 card if your words may fail you?

 

[Elf1]

Definitely tell everyone you come in contact with and definitely say it's an allergy so they put a red band on you. I'm not allowed to take NSAIDS due to kidney issues and had to tell everyone over and over and over, even with the red band. In my room the night of surgery one of the nurses tried to inject me with something and I put my hand up and said what is it? She said it's blah, blah for blood clots. I said NO, the surgeon and I discussed this prior to surgery and I don't need it wasn't that, take it away. Just stay on top of them as best you can.