I'm home! I'll be perfectly honest and say that was a week that I never care to repeat again. Nasty.
The surgery went fine and no complications..... but the post op pain medicines that are opiate based did me in again. So a two to three day hospital stay turned into five days.We knew what opiates I had intolerances to and so built a plan around what had worked okay last December. Until they failed me as well. I was running out of options for pain control fast. Finally they listened to me about what was given to me for pain control way back in 2001 when I had my first hip replaced and they found it and gave me some.
Lo and behold.... it worked!
I felt much better after that and things progressed normally. All this kafuffle has put me behind on the physiotherapy plan though. I'm doing what they gave me to do in the hospital but its hard to make a leg bend that looks like a dead swollen pig. Just keeping it moving seems part of the battle. The swelling is normal and I hope that as when some of that slowly reduces I can get more 'bend'. I see a physio next Tuesday.
So this will be my view for the coming Canadian Thanksgiving weekend:
... and I finally feel like I have my mental faculties back to attempt some hand sewing of hems.
Bye for now....
10 comments:
So glad you're home and on the road to recovery......although slow at this point.....
Glad you are home and can continue recovery in familiar surroundings. Hang in there.
It's always so good to be back in our nests!
I am so happy that you are settled at home and that you are on the mend!
Oh my goodness. Susan you are a trooper. Best wishes for a quick reduction in swelling!
Alice
I'm glad to hear that you're home again, and that the surgery went well--but so sorry to hear that the post-op was so awful. Heal quickly!
Thanksgiving indeed! Glad the knee went well and they finally found something that worked for the pain. (It's not like there aren't options out there!) Feel better soon, Susan! Those looms are patiently waiting for you.
Thank you everyone for the good wishes! Swelling is slowly coming down and I feel more human again.
Louisa: Its quite surprising how many pain drug options are out there but many fall short for ortho surgery. It comes down to using extra strength tylenol plus a opiate based drug of choice. There are three classifications of opiate drugs so if you are allergic to one from a group or classification, then you are likely to react to another in that group. So they move onto the next group and select from there. I am very sensitive to several and so literally running out of groups to move to.
Orthopaedic bone surgery is quite intense as bone is a nerve rich environment. If folks out there have thoughts that it can't be all that bad as they give that surgery to "old folks" are in for a surprise. No one like to think their grandparent went through that.
It all finally came down to using the tylenol and a drug called ketoralac (toradol) which is an anti inflammatory / analgesic (NSAID) While it has worked, there have been times when it fell a bit short. So "Big Girl Panties" had to go on and suck it up!
OMG that looks sooooo painful!! Glad you are doing somewhat better! Here's to healing!!
Oh dear, Susan! I'm sorry this was so tough for you! It is so disturbing when "the professionals" won't listen to us about our own bodies. I'm glad you finally made your voice heard and are now on the mend.
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