THR Surgery scheduled Oct. 4

[skigirl]

I finally and with some misgivings scheduled surgery for Oct 4 with a doc who will do anterior. I have been arguing but he still wants me to spend one night. I hate the hospital and do not see spending the night as a need. He has agreed to check on me before he leaves the hospital and will discharge me if I still want to do so.

I see problems with this but, for now, it is the best that I can do. All infections start at the hospital and I want to get out of there asap. I finally found a doc to do the pre op since everyone is booked and it looks like I have now passes all the barriers to surgery. I still cannot believe my hip is this bad---it started hurting after a fall on July 12!! before that it was a little stiff, but pain free.

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @skigirl
Good to see you have your date and if I remember correctly...it is your left hip that is going first?

I can certainly understand you not wanting to stay in the hospital any longer than necessary, but honestly, the first 12-24 hours after this major surgery can be a bit hairy, and I appreciated getting through the initial recovery from anesthesia with some extra help from staff and also the IV pain meds.

Hopefully they will let you go the following morning.

 

[skigirl]

When I was in the hospital, I had to wait for all pain meds---I would set my alarms but they never did---meds were 1-2 hours late every time. I would ring to go to the bathroom. Would wait 10 min, get up, go to the bathroom, be back in my bed and 30 min later the nurse would come in. They had the nerve to say that i could not get out of bed without them!!!

Now hospitals have short staff and I bet it is even worse.

 

[subie2021]

I can relate my experience and maybe it will help to ease your mind.
My surgery was a week ago, post/lat robotic assisted. My surgeon agreed to same day for me and I agreed to not fuss if he decided I needed to stay.

Some of the things that might require an overnight: uncontrolled pain, bleeding, signs of infection, throwing a clot, being incapacitated by anesthesia. None of these things were within my control. If they happened I would have been happy to have help right then and there. I would also have to stay if I couldn't complete the required pt tasks. This was somewhat under my control, but if I failed it would have been from something other than willpower and I would appreciate having a helping hand or two.

The hospital rearranged the overnight protocol because of covid. I had a private pre-op room with one visitor allowed, and the usual surgical waiting room for visitors was gone. After the block room, surgery, and PACU it was back to that same room for the day and I would have stayed there also of I had overnighted. So there would have been none of the dreaded med/surgical floor chaos that I wanted to avoid. Because there weren't many possible overnighters, care would have been more concentrated per patient.

I was able to do same day, and glad for it, but there were a few drawbacks. For one, even though my home was well prepared, it was a little intimidating to have just undergone a major trauma to my body and have to rely on loving but not professional help. I got really sick from the prescribed pain meds, and had a pretty large time gap from phoning my doc, having new scripts phoned in and filled, then figuring out how to keep me covered while someone ran out to get them (we are rural, the nearest pharmacy is almost an hour round trip, no delivery.) That could have been taken care of in minutes had I overnighted.

I appreciate being able to do same day, and I don't regret it, but now I realize that spending the night wouldn't have been as dreadful as I had supposed. I realized that having lost control of my body with my former hip troubles, I wanted to control something, anything, and a possible hospital stay became my target. Fortunately things worked out for me and my family, but the alternative would have also and would have been water under the bridge by Day 2. Most important is a good long term outcome, not just one day in house or not.

Best wishes for you that you get your desired same day, and that everything works out great for you.

 

[Pumpkin]

Glad you have a date for your TKR, you are able to go home the same day.
So frustrating to have to wait for everything, and have your bladder capacity challenged right after a major surgery.

 

[skigirl]

@subie2021 thanks for the thoughtful reply. Of course we all struggle to retain some control during these surgical experiences---I am very independent and I always feel diminished in the hospital.

 

[skigirl]

I just got my pre op and my hemaglobin is 11.8 and needs to be 12. I bought some iron tablets with vitamin c and will try to eat more eggs fort a week to see if I can raise it to a 12! anyone else struggle with this?

 

[Pumpkin]

I had trouble after my revision and ended up in the hospital for an extra day to receive a transfusion.
Here is a list of foods with iron.
Foods containing iron
Look for Heme iron it is better absorbed.

Hope your iron goes up in no time.

 

[Puggles]

I totalllllly empathise and agree with everything you said !!! I hope you get to go home that day! IF you end up staying overnight, I hope you have
GREAT nurses !!!!! (( hugs ))

When I was in the hospital, I had to wait for all pain meds---I would set my alarms but they never did---meds were 1-2 hours late every time. I would ring to go to the bathroom. Would wait 10 min, get up, go to the bathroom, be back in my bed and 30 min later the nurse would come in. They had the nerve to say that i could not get out of bed without them!!!

Now hospitals have short staff and I bet it is even worse.

Yes.... I agree with everything you said !!! Part of my terror
of surgery is knowing how short-staffed they'll probably be!
Even BEFORE Covid, I had some bad experiences in hospitals.
I always have to remind my surgeons that it's the AFTER-CARE
from the nurses that terrifies me MORE than the surgery !!!!

The OTHER thing that terrifies me is that not all staff
are vaccinated. When I asked my potential surgeon if vaccines
are mandatory at this particular hospital, he looked SO
mad, and said "no! I won't even discuss it---it's too
controversial !" ( I knew right then that he was NOT
going to be my surgeon !!!)

Hubbs and I then googled to check which hospitals in
our city DID require vaccines for ALL staff, and I
will be finding a new surgeon at one of those hospitals!

 

[PolarIce]

Super excited for you. This is such great news when so many health care systems are cancelling surgeries etc due to Covid and hospitals being over capacity(in Alberta Canada all hospitals have cancelled up to 50% of all surgeries because hospitals are over capacity due to increased covid cases). You are very lucky to be able to still get surgical treatment.

I don't blame you at all to not want to spend the night in hospital! I don't think I would want to either. I think at the end of the day, once the surgery is over it will be a minor detail really. If he's already agreed to discharge if you still want to go the day of, that's all that matters. Have surgery and don't stress or worry about it. Focus on you and preparing your home for your return and get some good books ready to keep yourself busy while you recover.

Good luck with surgery! Looking forwards to reading updates and hearing about your recovering journey. It's going to be such an exciting recovery journey. I am so thrilled for you!

 

[skigirl]

@Puggles and @PolarIce thanks for the good wishes. I am starting to worry but keep thinking NO , stop!!

 

[skigirl]

@Pumpkin thanks for the list---I am all over dark chocolate and ugh!! to organ meats!! It was interesting and helpful, thanks.

 

[skigirl]

I ordered the Lounge doctor blow up pillow, wondering how it would be!! I am going on a cruise in Jan and thought the blow up one might be useful if I got swelling from walking. I made a cover for it---no big deal, I wrapped it in fabric and safety pinned it shut!! and it works great. a plus for me is that it is not heavy, so I can throw it off the bed when I am done with it!!

 

[skigirl]

I did go to a PT today, just to get info on what I should be doing pre surgery to optimize my legs. She is very nice and helpful. the biggest things for me are that I need to stretch out my hamstrings and strenthen my legs. So, the usual, Clam shells, lying in the doorway with the hamstring stretch,leg lifts just the usual stuff we do. I did add 30 min a day on the elliptical or bike. I am already in the gym two days a week for pilates, so it was not that big of a deal to add the bike while I am there. I have an elliptical at home. I actually feel less anxious now that I have the exercises to do---also, they help to calm me down too. I feel like I am getting ready for a marathon. (not that I have ever really run a marathon, mind you!!) But, it feels good to be doing something positive. I stocked the freezer with easy to make stuff like Stauffers lasagna and will buy a bunch of those pre made salads. That aught to hold us over for two weeks, after that I thinnk I can go back to getting what we need. If not, I could send Rick with a list---however, he does not find stuff on the list and so substitutes!! Instead of almond milk he brought home soy!!

 

[Pumpkin]

If not, I could send Rick with a list

Order ahead of time and have Rick pick up your groceries, that way you will get your soy.