August 3rd
I reckon 4 hours sleep was all I got last night. 6 am came around too soon, the nurse appeared armed with a concoction of drugs. Obs done again and thumbs up given. By 7 am, the consultant/surgeon, Mr Hosan Matar, arrived. Breezed in, said good morning and how was I, looked at the dressing and felt my leg for heat, and then breezed out again with the comment "See you in Clinic". Talk about seen one minute, gone the next! The staff all call him Mr Speedy, everything is done in double quick time, but his praises are sung by all. He also doesn't believe in stitches any more. Glue is the way to go so it seems! Good for me because I don't need to head back to Nottingham for stitch removal. I will be staying with our son Colin for 5 weeks, he has a massive house, a lounge downstairs for me and Ian to sleep in and no stairs to climb until I'm ready. A downstairs loo and wash basin will be my own personal bathroom for the foreseeable future. Anyway, I'm heading off track, so to continue.
8.30 am breakfast arrived. Wow, more than I have eaten in weeks. No way could I finish it, although I did ask for more tea.
The physio arrived by 10 am, as did Ian. He wanted to keep me company…bless. It was suggested I had a shower while they were around to keep an eye on me, the last thing they wanted was for me to have a fall. It took a bit of getting used to with the crutches, especially trying to sit down. The bad leg had to be stretched out in front while the good leg took the weight. The dressing was also waterproof and would stay on for two weeks. I also gave them a lesson in conserving water! They looked amazed when I turned the tap off to apply the soap and then back on to rinse. A lot of water would be saved by practicing this. It's something us boaters have drummed into us from the beginning. There is only so much water held in a tank. Then I was taken by wheelchair to try the steps, shown how to ascend and descend safely, a smiley face with halo was put on my sheet. 😇I had passed with flying colours.
A discharge letter was given, as well as loads of tablets and by 1 pm I had been wheeled to the car, shown how to get in, and we left for Milton Keynes.
Two stops were needed. Keeping the knee down in one position made it ache, and I had been told for the first two weeks to keep the leg elevated whenever I was sitting. So we practiced the getting in and out of the car, not easy, especially with a car parked next to you. My next worry was Toffee. She adores us, knows the car well and as soon as we pull up, goes wappy. She had to be restrained, but as I got out with the crutches, she took off in the other direction. What is it with her and walking sticks? Wouldn't come near me until I had sat down and those scary crutches stowed away! Still, if they help to keep her away, so be it.
The rest of the day was trying to settle in, I did struggle massively with getting on and off the toilet. Seemed a bit low but there again, the ones at the hospital were high. The concoction of tablets also made me feel sick. Appetite has completely gone, not a bad thing in my book.
The night was restless too. I just can't seem to lift the leg from the bed, it worries me. Am I doing something wrong? Maybe a phone call to the physio is in order.
4 comments:
Hi Irene
To get in and out of the car I used an old supermarket plastic bag on the seat which then allows you to swivel/slip easily in and out of the seat. As for bed, again, swivel yourself around to swing the leg over the side of the bed.
My surgeon had me on the knee bending machine the same afternoon/evening after surgery, he said whilst the anaesthetic is still in the system, get the knee bending as much as possible.
Even between surgeries (and I had 4 joint replacements done in 20 months!!) I had differences in recovery and procedures, all with same surgeon.
Hello Irene,
I am a regular reader of your blog and a member of the Boaters Christian Fellowship. I have had 2 knee replacements, best thing I did! It gave me back some life without pain - but it takes TIME.
Glad the Op went well, but it's not just the outside of the leg that has to heal. There is a lot gone on internally. Can you borrow a raised toilet seat for where you are staying? It will take pressure off all the other ligaments and tendons. There may be a local Mobility Shop who can advise (or buy one for £50-ish).
Yes - see a physio as soon as you can and get some proper advise, but lifting your leg and holding it - from flat on a bed may take 6 or 7 weeks. I think I could raise and hold for 10 seconds at about the 10 week mark.
A friend locally recently had a hip operation and she had very little physio input, so I suggested she paid for one private session - to get some proper medical input and not do any damage, by trying to do too much too soon.
My surgeon said that if he did a good job, he expected me to look after the joint and not abuse it, but that it would give me 20+ years of life back being active without the pain - 7 years on, and I am so glad I took that first 12 weeks carefully.
good luck, take care
Ann M, Leicester
Irene ask if you can have a leg lifter. They are really cheap and easy to use and was by far my favourite and most useful piece of equipment following a very bad knee break. They may also be able to supply you with a frame to put over the toilet to help you get up and down. These are also available to rent relatively easily. I hope the recovery goes well and take care not to overdo it.
Paula
Thank you all for your advice. I have been in touch with the physio, she said not to be too concerned about lifting the leg. So long as I continue to try and do the other exercises, she is happy with that. I have also found a way to get on and off the toilet easier. Instead of crutches, I use the walking stick and hang onto the radiator. It works for me.
And Bernice, I will give the plastic bag idea a go.
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