OP
OP
busylizzie
post-grad
United KingdomPre-op Appointment - i was there 2 hours
With Nurse
Preliminaries:
With Anaesthetist
With Nurse
Preliminaries:
ECG OK
Blood Pressure fine
Weight and height - took my figures as unable to stand tall unsupported and weight would have included brace
Blood draw first nurse unable to draw blood. I have problem since Nov surgery when they messed up quite a lot of my veins. 2nd nurse managed to find very small vein and the tubes very slowly filled up.
Detailed pre-opBlood Pressure fine
Weight and height - took my figures as unable to stand tall unsupported and weight would have included brace
Blood draw first nurse unable to draw blood. I have problem since Nov surgery when they messed up quite a lot of my veins. 2nd nurse managed to find very small vein and the tubes very slowly filled up.
Nurse didn't listen, drugs and allergies got mixed up. I said it is all in my notes, you need to look at them. I took 3 letters from gastro to add to my notes. I'm NOT going to have a repeat of last time when my bowels blocked up for days and they wouldn't do anything about it.
With Anaesthetist
Absolutely different than nurse, best anaesthetist I have ever talked to. Spent a long time discussing my needs.
I related my original TKR at adifferent hospital and the pain I was in afterwards and that if I could have made it to the window I would have jumped. No one on the ward helping me, released before 2nd scheduled pain managment visit and making it home with just ice controlling the pain and the months of misery following. The fact that my original surgeon signed me off and told me to live with it as it was.
Also said that last time in November at this hospital the epidural fell out the first night and I had to go back to recovery to get some pain relief. I said about the 1st trip to the bathroom with physio and that my PCA was removed from the bedside whilst i was there. I had to throw a wobbler to get it brought back
Also discussed my gastro, allergy and drug problems. He asked about current pain management and i said I'm just keeping the edge off it, its the best I can do.
He hatched a good plan for me this time. I'm going to have a spinal again with an epidural but they are going to tunnel the epidural under my skin. It shouldn't fall out this time and should give excellent pain management for the first 3 to 4 days when the pain is at its worst. Minimum drugs in theatre and no sedation again unless I request otherwise. He won't be my anaesthetist but will be in an next theatre on the day and is willing to sort the epidural out if my anaesthetist is unfamiliar with the technique. Pain management are going to be involved from the start.
I also related that this was a last ditch attempt for me to have a new knee and if it failed, either a fusion or amputation was on the cards. Like me he thought amputation would give me the better quality of life. He said if my surgeon or the one he mostly works with couldn't fix me then probably no one could. I was looking at the one he works for last summer but Josephine said he was more of a hip surgeon. He like my surgeon gets good results.
All in all a good outcome today. I asked for news on the implant but was told I'd have to contact my surgeon's secretary for that which I'll do tomorrow. Good news is that she has requested my paper notes go striaght back to her after today
I related my original TKR at adifferent hospital and the pain I was in afterwards and that if I could have made it to the window I would have jumped. No one on the ward helping me, released before 2nd scheduled pain managment visit and making it home with just ice controlling the pain and the months of misery following. The fact that my original surgeon signed me off and told me to live with it as it was.
Also said that last time in November at this hospital the epidural fell out the first night and I had to go back to recovery to get some pain relief. I said about the 1st trip to the bathroom with physio and that my PCA was removed from the bedside whilst i was there. I had to throw a wobbler to get it brought back
Also discussed my gastro, allergy and drug problems. He asked about current pain management and i said I'm just keeping the edge off it, its the best I can do.
He hatched a good plan for me this time. I'm going to have a spinal again with an epidural but they are going to tunnel the epidural under my skin. It shouldn't fall out this time and should give excellent pain management for the first 3 to 4 days when the pain is at its worst. Minimum drugs in theatre and no sedation again unless I request otherwise. He won't be my anaesthetist but will be in an next theatre on the day and is willing to sort the epidural out if my anaesthetist is unfamiliar with the technique. Pain management are going to be involved from the start.
I also related that this was a last ditch attempt for me to have a new knee and if it failed, either a fusion or amputation was on the cards. Like me he thought amputation would give me the better quality of life. He said if my surgeon or the one he mostly works with couldn't fix me then probably no one could. I was looking at the one he works for last summer but Josephine said he was more of a hip surgeon. He like my surgeon gets good results.
All in all a good outcome today. I asked for news on the implant but was told I'd have to contact my surgeon's secretary for that which I'll do tomorrow. Good news is that she has requested my paper notes go striaght back to her after today
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what a time you have had. My nephew is an orthopedic consultant surgeon at Wrightington so I'm quite familiar with the hospital --one of the best. My brother lives in Bowdon so I'm familiar with the Manchester motorway system --another yikes! 
