Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
United KingdomFantastic experience except for the fact that I was required to fast from midnight and didn't actually get done until about 2.15 pm! And that I decided to have a 'treat' at midnight of a bowl of muesli (which generally acts on me like a very efficient stool softener! Need I say more?) BAD move but my frequent trips to the loo were not from nerves, I promise!
Anyway, the story - are you sitting comfortably?
(And for those who are constantly apologising for long posts - this is a long post! :hehe
Cab came at 7.15 am and took me to the hospital where I had to wait outside for the nurse who is generally allocated an early start to deal with these Sunday admissions. By the time she came, there was quite a group of us. We were all shown to our beds and started to get to know one another! With two other ladies, I was shown into a 6 bedded room which was already occupied with a lady who'd had a THR a couple of days before. But she was very dopey and hard of hearing so was difficult to communicate with her.
The other ladies were both having TKRs so, naturally, I wasted no time telling them about BoneSmart! They both said they'd join as soon as they could so if you see new members called Gladys and Joyce, please give them your usual warm welcome.
A flurry of medics appeared on the ward to check us all, mark legs etc. And I met my anaesthetist who I knew slightly but not well. He kind of recognised me which was nice. He actually offered me a spinal because of my weight but said he was very happy with a GA (good! I love having GAs). Shaun didn't check me in but we passed one another in the corridor on one of my trips to the loo. He commented on Dawnie that she and I were friends and how delighted he'd been with her progress adding that she was young and motivated which made all the difference! Also that he was impressed with her weight loss!
Joyce went down first leaving Gladys and I to share experiences of our early nursing days as she revealed she'd been a nurse in the 70/80s so we had a lot to share. Then she went down to theatre so I was left to get stuck into the book I'd brought - The Shack. I'd had it for over a year after some rave reviews on Christian Forums but it didn't 'grab' me. Then a friend told me I should really stick with it as it got more interesting later on. So I did, and finally reached the 'grab you' bit!
So eventually the porters came for me when I reached the holding bay, the theatre manager came to greet me and we had a bit of a laugh. The anaesthetic tech was someone I knew well which was great. He's one of these chaps has a very gruff front but hides his light under a bushel as he actually the most caring, clean, tidy and professional of all of them! He was a porter when I first started work there and then applied to do the training. Now, I am told, he has been promoted so he's one of the floor bosses!
The anaethetist couldn't get the cannula in my right hand so had to try again in my left. Had the same problem when my TKR was done. The gasman there told me I had 'elderly veins'!! Cheek!) This guy took the finger probe off while he did it. Then he asked me to hold a mask so I could be pre-oxygenated for five mins. But then he asked for the knock out syringe (propofol) and I waved my middle finger at him (!!!) he asked what was wrong and I told him 'no probe". "Ah yes" he said "Trust you to keep us straight!" Yep!
Well then came the moment I had been waiting for and that lovely fading out of everything. I relished it to the second!
Then I woke up in recovery, shivering terribly. But the nurse put a lovely hugger airblower blanket on my and I was warm and snug in no time. I had some pain but she quickly gave me some Fentanyl which worked like a dream and then I was off back to the ward. But whilst I was in recovery I had several old colleages come and see if I was okay and have a bit of a chat. How nice!
Almost as soon as I was on the ward - 6pm- I had some soup and a drink and then asked about the protocol for going home. The nurse told me I would have to stay in overnight as it was so late! (She knew not to whom she spoke!) Well, I made a pest of myself thereafter, I have to admit! Every time she came into the ward to see to my other new friends, I asked her about it and finally she said she wouldn't let me go until I'd had a pee and she wouldn't let me out of bed till the physio had said I was 'safe'. But being evening, there was only one on call and she might not come out just for that. I insisted she rang anyway and on my behalf 'beg' her to come. She finally complied, coming back to report that the physio was in the hospital anyway and would be along shortly.
So eventually she came, I was able to oblige nurse with the pee and then took a trot down the corridor and the did the stairs. I actual fact, I was in NO pain whatsover and could easily have done without the crutches, but still feeling a little groggy from anaesthetic and fentanyl, thought it would be wise not to take chances. Anyway, the physio was more than happy to pronounce me 'safe' for discharge and I got my friends to come and collect me. Was now about 7.30 pm.
Friend arrived just as nurse was about to give me my discharge papers(!). She made a point of telling me I should go to my doctors on Tuesday to have my dressing reduced and again 10/14 days later for removal of sutures. I think she was realising I had no intentions of so doing so she asked me what day I had to get my dressing reduced. Like a kiddie I answered "Tuues daay" and my friend spluttered trying to hide a laugh! Nurse was not impressed and tried to assert her authority so I behaved myself and said I would comply with all her instructionsp). Not sure she believed me anyway!
So I got home about 8.30 pm, in bed by 10pm. Slept most of the night. Woke about 4am and rang Nancy. Slept again and got up about 7am to go and get a shower! Upon putting my feet to the floor, the dressing descended gracefully to my ankle! So much for that!
So I put some of my own Op-site dressing on the two tiny wounds, had a lovely shower and reapplied the bandage which is, as I type, still on the descent! Gravity is powerful when combined with a conical leg!
It was during this, when I reached for and pulled on the cupboard door that a lightening bolt of pain shot in my shoulder! Ouchie was hardly the word for it! I think it may have been a combination of having my arm out on a board (for access to the cannula) and the blood pressure cuff though I may have exacerbated it by sleeping in a poor position for some reason. I've had the TENS on it most of the day and have taken Tramadol for that but not for the knee!
Final nice thing, when I was back on the ward, Gladys told me that she much appreciated all I'd told her, admitting that she had been, not just anxious but fearful of the whole procedure and coping with it after. So she said that, after our chat, she'd actually gone down feeling very calmed! I was touched beyond words! All I did (and do) is delight to inform and try to reassure people, relishing mostly in the opportunity to extend my nursing career. I'm always amazed by feedback like this and from all of you when people make these statements. Was the hight point of my day - apart from the GA!! :hehe: :hehe: :hehe:
1,440 words - now THAT's a long post!
Actually, it's not so much a post as an essay!
Anyway, the story - are you sitting comfortably?
(And for those who are constantly apologising for long posts - this is a long post! :hehe
Cab came at 7.15 am and took me to the hospital where I had to wait outside for the nurse who is generally allocated an early start to deal with these Sunday admissions. By the time she came, there was quite a group of us. We were all shown to our beds and started to get to know one another! With two other ladies, I was shown into a 6 bedded room which was already occupied with a lady who'd had a THR a couple of days before. But she was very dopey and hard of hearing so was difficult to communicate with her.
The other ladies were both having TKRs so, naturally, I wasted no time telling them about BoneSmart! They both said they'd join as soon as they could so if you see new members called Gladys and Joyce, please give them your usual warm welcome.
A flurry of medics appeared on the ward to check us all, mark legs etc. And I met my anaesthetist who I knew slightly but not well. He kind of recognised me which was nice. He actually offered me a spinal because of my weight but said he was very happy with a GA (good! I love having GAs). Shaun didn't check me in but we passed one another in the corridor on one of my trips to the loo. He commented on Dawnie that she and I were friends and how delighted he'd been with her progress adding that she was young and motivated which made all the difference! Also that he was impressed with her weight loss!
Joyce went down first leaving Gladys and I to share experiences of our early nursing days as she revealed she'd been a nurse in the 70/80s so we had a lot to share. Then she went down to theatre so I was left to get stuck into the book I'd brought - The Shack. I'd had it for over a year after some rave reviews on Christian Forums but it didn't 'grab' me. Then a friend told me I should really stick with it as it got more interesting later on. So I did, and finally reached the 'grab you' bit!
So eventually the porters came for me when I reached the holding bay, the theatre manager came to greet me and we had a bit of a laugh. The anaesthetic tech was someone I knew well which was great. He's one of these chaps has a very gruff front but hides his light under a bushel as he actually the most caring, clean, tidy and professional of all of them! He was a porter when I first started work there and then applied to do the training. Now, I am told, he has been promoted so he's one of the floor bosses!
The anaethetist couldn't get the cannula in my right hand so had to try again in my left. Had the same problem when my TKR was done. The gasman there told me I had 'elderly veins'!! Cheek!) This guy took the finger probe off while he did it. Then he asked me to hold a mask so I could be pre-oxygenated for five mins. But then he asked for the knock out syringe (propofol) and I waved my middle finger at him (!!!) he asked what was wrong and I told him 'no probe". "Ah yes" he said "Trust you to keep us straight!" Yep!
Well then came the moment I had been waiting for and that lovely fading out of everything. I relished it to the second!
Then I woke up in recovery, shivering terribly. But the nurse put a lovely hugger airblower blanket on my and I was warm and snug in no time. I had some pain but she quickly gave me some Fentanyl which worked like a dream and then I was off back to the ward. But whilst I was in recovery I had several old colleages come and see if I was okay and have a bit of a chat. How nice!
Almost as soon as I was on the ward - 6pm- I had some soup and a drink and then asked about the protocol for going home. The nurse told me I would have to stay in overnight as it was so late! (She knew not to whom she spoke!) Well, I made a pest of myself thereafter, I have to admit! Every time she came into the ward to see to my other new friends, I asked her about it and finally she said she wouldn't let me go until I'd had a pee and she wouldn't let me out of bed till the physio had said I was 'safe'. But being evening, there was only one on call and she might not come out just for that. I insisted she rang anyway and on my behalf 'beg' her to come. She finally complied, coming back to report that the physio was in the hospital anyway and would be along shortly.
So eventually she came, I was able to oblige nurse with the pee and then took a trot down the corridor and the did the stairs. I actual fact, I was in NO pain whatsover and could easily have done without the crutches, but still feeling a little groggy from anaesthetic and fentanyl, thought it would be wise not to take chances. Anyway, the physio was more than happy to pronounce me 'safe' for discharge and I got my friends to come and collect me. Was now about 7.30 pm.
Friend arrived just as nurse was about to give me my discharge papers(!). She made a point of telling me I should go to my doctors on Tuesday to have my dressing reduced and again 10/14 days later for removal of sutures. I think she was realising I had no intentions of so doing so she asked me what day I had to get my dressing reduced. Like a kiddie I answered "Tuues daay" and my friend spluttered trying to hide a laugh! Nurse was not impressed and tried to assert her authority so I behaved myself and said I would comply with all her instructions
p). Not sure she believed me anyway!So I got home about 8.30 pm, in bed by 10pm. Slept most of the night. Woke about 4am and rang Nancy. Slept again and got up about 7am to go and get a shower! Upon putting my feet to the floor, the dressing descended gracefully to my ankle! So much for that!
So I put some of my own Op-site dressing on the two tiny wounds, had a lovely shower and reapplied the bandage which is, as I type, still on the descent! Gravity is powerful when combined with a conical leg!
It was during this, when I reached for and pulled on the cupboard door that a lightening bolt of pain shot in my shoulder! Ouchie was hardly the word for it! I think it may have been a combination of having my arm out on a board (for access to the cannula) and the blood pressure cuff though I may have exacerbated it by sleeping in a poor position for some reason. I've had the TENS on it most of the day and have taken Tramadol for that but not for the knee!
Final nice thing, when I was back on the ward, Gladys told me that she much appreciated all I'd told her, admitting that she had been, not just anxious but fearful of the whole procedure and coping with it after. So she said that, after our chat, she'd actually gone down feeling very calmed! I was touched beyond words! All I did (and do) is delight to inform and try to reassure people, relishing mostly in the opportunity to extend my nursing career. I'm always amazed by feedback like this and from all of you when people make these statements. Was the hight point of my day - apart from the GA!! :hehe: :hehe: :hehe:
1,440 words - now THAT's a long post!
Actually, it's not so much a post as an essay!
