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THR The flip side

honeybeast said:
Oh and apologies to louis, who very politely turned his head when I accidentally flashed him.
Click to expand...

this has surfaced deep hidden memories from 8 wks ago.....I also had very low bp and nausea after my op, and the nurse insisted I left the toilet door open until I was properly seated on the throne....had almost got myself arranged when the surgeon walked into my room....unfortunately the toilet was right in his line of sight :blush:, he asked me how I was, I muttered I was fine thank you so he left.....couldn't bring myself to ask any questions in that situation! To make things worse, the same thing happened again the next day :thud:......knock and wait doesn't seem to apply to medical staff
 
Anny - omg I had fear of that happening! There was a time when I needed to get up to use the commode and this big young guy said "ok I can help you" . My initial thought was.. Ok but I don't need an audience. So I said "thank you, I'll call when I'm done* and he left. I know that they see it all the time but I m still self conscious of it

anyway got home about 730 last night, and got settled in bed. I actually slept about 6 hours before I woke. Now my back is aching a little but still more restful than hospital.

I'm starting to get a lot of bruising and some swelling around incision. Trying to be keep it iced.

side note - I had taken in slip on sneakers to wear hone. Was getting dressed and noticed as I was trying to put them on.. Holy cow are my feet that swollen? Nope - wasn't happening. I had to wear my no slip socks home in the rain.

Making it up the set of 12 steps in our house felt like an accomplishment!
 
Wow! So glad you got such good sleep! Thanks for mentioning the swollen feet, I never thought of that happening, I might bring a back up pair of flip flops just in case. Sounds like you are on your way, hope the rest of your recovery goes as smoothly.:flwrysmile:
 
Yay for getting home!:ok:
And twelve stairs!!
I bet you felt like you climbed a mountain when you finally got to the top.
These are the tough days..but what a huge payoff.
Hope all eases soon. :wave:
 
@dogchick - do you have sandals that have a back on them? Flip flops might be considered a tripping hazard.
 
Sounds like you handled the male Nurse very tactfully :ok: I agree, no audience needed.
I'll bet you looked like a sight ambling along with your walker and only socks in the rain :heehee:
You really have to laugh at some of this stuff, don't you agree? Humor helped me through.

I'd imagine that after the journey home and the 12 steps you were wiped out! So nice to be home though.
I hope you have a great first week in your own comfy space.
@honeybeast
 
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@honeybeast :hi:
Having fun yet?
Let's see, no way to get comfortable for very long...all kinds of things possibly waking up in that leg and weird sensations...
Are you a night creeper? It was such a journey just to get to the bathroom or to my chair.:umm:

These are some rough days but just try to think, all temporary and will be well worth it to get your life back.
Hope today is a Good Day...nap when you can, walk little bits when you can, and we will be rooting for you!:yay:
 
Its amazing how zonked I am from just having a visitor stay an hour. Both visiting nurse and PT came yesterday, and MIL brought dinner - which involved me going downstairs and I was just exhausted.

Last night I managed to roll over to my non op side and sleep a couple hours. I let my pain meds lapse too much in the night and woke up pretty stiff. I'm still having some GI upset on the tylenol with codeine. Nurse said to ask OS for anti nausea medication. And I'm still plagued by constipation. I'm also occasionally running a low grade fever of around 99.7. All part of the healing process..

Side note.. are the TEDS supposed to have holes in the end? My toes keep popping out and it's driving me bonkers. Ug, so annoying!
 
Oh my stars...the lovely TEDS..:gaah:
My poor, dear hubby having to readjust those stupid things!:blackcloud:
It is a tough time, but you can do this.
You've had alot of trauma that hopefully eases soon.
Drink lots of liquids..I also had constipation issues, likely from the pain meds, but they are essential to keep you comfortable and mobile.
Healing hugs:)
 
Aww, so sorry you're feeling nauseous. Consider trying some Chamomile or Ginger tea.
Or even some fresh grated Ginger in hot water with a little lemon. Hopefully it soon passes.

Yes, the TEDS do have holes / openings at the toes. They're hateful and I can't say a nice thing about
them other than they serve a very important purpose.
On the last day, I wanted to have a bonfire and watch mine burn
all the while snickering with an evil laugh :rotfl: Hated them!

Sleep as often as you're able. Our body does it's best healing while we're sleeping.
Hope today is peaceful!
@honeybeast
 
Day 4 post-op. Last night was the worst so far. The tylenol 3 is making me so sick I can't keep anything down and I have zero appetite. I must be really intolerant to narcotic pain relievers, because I couldn't take the Oxy either. How in the world do people get addicted to these? I feel like absolute **** on them! I stopped taking it at dinner last night and I'm switching to arthritis-strength tylenol instead. I was constipated for so long I took HALF a dose of milk of magnesia. OMG. DO NOT RECOMMEND. :banghead: I rebounded the other end of the spectrum within 6 hours. But everything feels like it's finally settling down. The opiods are getting out of my system and my GI tract is stabilizing.

The post op pain itself isn't even as bad as the pain I experienced on a bad flare day. Moderate, tolerable pain and stiffness. My leg looks like a watermelon though, even elevating and icing it pretty much round the clock.

PT came today. She was amazed at my strength and ROM. She said I was doing great! We are going to go for a walk outside on Thursday if the weather is nice and I have my energy back.:sleep:

I still haven't attempted a shower yet but that's on my agenda for tonight. All in all I don't feel too too bad. Leg no longer feels like "HULK SMASH!"
 
Glad you are now "going" strong.
That situation had me pretty miserable also.
A good shower will tucker you out but it sure does make us feel human again.:curtsey:
Hope your evening is comfortable as can be at this point.
 
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Glad it worked out. The energy drain is incredible, everything tires you out. I looked in the mirror and was amazed how white I was, that lasted 2 weeks before my color came back. I was very lucky as far as my stomach went and pain killers. I was hungry in recovery and ate lunch right away, never any problems. I was given hydrocodone and they worked great and no "high" since I was in pain they just did their job and went away. I was prescribed Miralax and took it with my juice every morning and never had any problems with that either.
Your diet will be important to rebuild your body as it heals. I like yogurt and that helps rebuild your digestion. Plenty of protein will be needed also.
 
You are going to love that first shower.....its so good! Simple pleasures.
Glad your stomach is settling. I hope you have a peaceful night!
@honeybeast
 
Hi fellow hippies

Had a rough night last night and some tears this morning. I can't seem to get comfortable. My back aches when lying in bed and I'm starting to see the arthritis pain in other joints (knees) resurface.

The nausea and stomach issues have finally cleared up, so I had a better day yesterday. I can eat again, so hoping I can start restoring my energy levels. I went downstairs twice, sat in a straight back dining room chair and watched an hour of tv each time. Couple times I walked to my desk in the next room and did things on my computer for an hour before returning to bed for rest time. I'm still using the walker because I feel more stable, although I did maneuver about a little with just the cane yesterday. I'm off all narcotic pain relievers and take Tylenol Arthritis 3x a day. But it's not controlling all the pain and I don't want to go back on an opiod. I'm still icing but not as much elevation as the day before. Does anyone have any tips for how to stack pillows under your own leg without breaking hip precautions?

Getting into bed seems to be one of the most difficult things for me. I have to hoist my leg in... take a short rest break.. then straighten everything out.

So the tears... I'm so frustrated at the pain and at not being able to be comfortable and feel like I may never see relief... :blackcloud:

I just want to feel normal again.
 
Don't fear the opioids if you're in pain, they are there for a reason and a few days won't make you a druggie. Why cut back on ice?, it's your best friend and will be for more than the next month or so. Getting comfortable is the big trick, took 3 chairs in the den for me to finally find one I could stand. We went chair shopping the first week!
My bed is high and I had a L hip done. I sleep on the rt side of the bed when you're looking at it. I would back up to the bed and sit and then use my arms to scoot back which got my L leg started, then rotate. I was doing PT the day after surgery and it did help me gain enough strength in that leg to lift it into bed easier.
Your frustration is normal. I hate to say it but it's going to be a long road, but you will have gains that make you happy you did it. I still have days of frustration when the muscles ache and I have to take a lot of breaks durig the day.
 
Aww, I'm sorry you're having a rough day. You'll have those. Weepy, sad, crying moments but the good thing is they're usually fleeting. I think most everyone experiences them....so we understand.

I'm happy to hear the stomach issues have resolved so your able to get some nutrition. Protein is excellent for the healing process, so....pick a protein.

At only six days post op there is nothing unusual about using a walker. You may use it for a few more weeks.
Do you have a leg lifter to assist in lifting your leg into bed? I've heard many suggest a belt from a robe works just as well.

If your not comfortable with your pain management please call the office of your OS and let them recommend a dose of Tylenol that would work for you. Especially if you are avoiding the Opioids, which I understand. Hate to imagine you in pain.

Try to find things to laugh at. Tv shows, engaging conversation with someone. A comedy (movie)
or just laugh / cry at your pathetic self. I did! I'd look in the mirror and see my bed head, no makeup baggy clothed self with a walker and I'd do the laugh, cry combo :heehee:
Try to make light of it because while it is real, it will pass. I found curling my hair and putting on some make-up helped me. I felt more like myself and less like a patient.

To brighter days! They're on their way.....truly, they are!
@honeybeast
 
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