Bruised like a peach!

Yesterday, I had quite an active day, with doctors visits, nurses appointments and pharmacies. Also, it was my first day on my own, as Pippa had to work. This meant that I did a lot more than I have been doing in previous days and, to be honest, I was pretty pleased and encouraged by what I managed to do independently! I am quite a strong-headed guy and will always try to push myself to do things better or faster, which sometimes, (especially in cases of healing) means I need someone (usually Pippa) to tell me to slow down. In the evening, we had friends over for Wagamama’s take-out, which was great  and then I got a reasonably early night. I didn’t sleep brilliantly, but I’m sort of getting used to it now!

Yesterday, I kept going and going, as I felt pretty good. Today, however, I realise that I might have pushed myself a little too hard, without considering the ‘cost’! My thigh is now extremely sore and stiff and the bruising has spread like purple and yellow wildfire!

Supposedly a sign of good healing…….

I got on the internet and tried to find out how I could help the bruising… Was surprised to learn that massage isn’t recommended, (as it can cause more damage, hurts and generally hasn’t been shown to be very effective). Most suggestions pushed using hot and cold compresses, alternately for about 10 minutes each.

So… I think today will mainly involve a lot of “hot and cold” treatment on my thigh whilst sitting on the sofa playing the Xbox… Recovery is a bitch!!

Parents Love and Roast Dinners, The healer of all wounds!!

Sunday afternoon I went to my Parents house for a roast dinner and a chill, Just what the doctor ordered!

There is something all together soothing about going home and being looked after by your Mum and Dad like you are 12 again! I spent most of the afternoon, in front of the TV with my feet up, eating my first lot of “get well soon” grapes, watching the Grand Prix highlights and drinking Pomegranate Spritzers!

The wonderful smells of my Mum cooking the 3 bird roast with all the trimmings and having my dad sat with me keeping me company, life was good!

Considering how tired I was, I thought I would be really bad company and would doze through most of the afternoon, but I managed to stay awake and enjoy some quality time with my parents. Dinner was served at around 19:00 and considering my appetite has been pretty much none existent, as soon as I saw the food, I was ravenous!

Turkey, Chicken and Duck with Stuffing, Cheesy Leeks and Broccoli, carrots, Peas and Roast potatoes with lashings of gravy! I served myself a reasonably small portion and by the time I was half way through, I was stuffed! I carried on though and forced myself to finish the plate as it was just that good!

Pippa turned up shortly after (she had been seeing her Parents and Sister) and we all chilled in the lounge with some lovely Strudel and Custard for desert.

Pippa and Dad changed my dressing later on in the evening (mum didn’t help as she is an ickle bit squeamish!!) and we spent the rest of the night chatting and chilling. I started to fall asleep on the sofa so Pippa took me home.

I don’t know if it was the food, the company or just being sooo shattered but I had a much better nights sleep last night,  still woke up a few times and had to take my meds but a much improved sleep!

This morning I have been to the doctors. I’ve had my wound checked and the infection seems to be getting better! got prescribed some more Oramorph, made my appointment for physio and to have my staples removed next Monday!

with the friends and family I have around me all I can see is positives for the future and I look forward to the challenges it brings!

Another not so good night….

I have to admit that this recovery isn’t going quite as well as I had hoped…..

Last night, I hardly got any sleep at all and when I did it was disrupted by very vivid nightmares…. I also had repeated stabbing pains in my hip. By 04:30am, I couldn’t hack it any more so I turned the light on to have a look. The wound was looking red and puffy – I instantly thought “infection”.

Just as a side line, I think I might have been overdosing on morphine for the past two days!! It wasn’t until I was taking it last night, that I saw that the label on the bottle of Oramorph says to take it once every four hours. I’ve been taking it hourly, as that’s what they were giving me in the hospital and they didn’t tell me any different when I was discharged. I don’t think that once every four hours would be enough to control the pain at the moment though – So I’m going to try dropping it to once every 2 hours and see how I go from there…

Luckily, it wasn’t long until I heard movement from Pippa, who had been sleeping in the spare room so that I didn’t wake her every time i needed to take a pill or a pee! I called her in and asked her to take a look, as I couldn’t really see properly. Pippa told me that there was a small amount of leakage coming from the dressing, so we called NHS Direct, (a free number where you can get advice and directions from on-call nurses and doctors).

NHS Direct were very good and talked Pippa through inspecting the wound and replacing the dressing. They then asked a few more questions, to make sure everything else was okay and recommended that we go to our local A&E.

On arrival at the A&E department, we were seen quite quickly by the triage nurse, but then had an hour wait to see a doctor. The doctor wasn’t all that great. He ummed and arred his way through the diagnosis of infection, (which we already knew) gave us some antibiotics and sent us on our way….

I’m home again now and have to go and see my GP tomorrow. Hoping she’ll be better! Until then, I think I might try again to get some shut-eye!!

Finally… The blessed relief of a bowel movement!!

So I can get back on the pain relief now as I finally managed to do a No. 2!!

 

I ended up having to go for a suppository which was my first, and like the Catheter… not a nice feeling… the relief the other side though was well worth the discomfort!

I am going to keep taking the laxatives for now… just to be on the safe side. Just thought you’d all like to know!!

Have they Prescribed me LSD??

Well…. that was a strange night to say the least!

I had some of the strangest dreams of my life list night.. I’m not sure if it’s the change in meds that has done, or it’s just my head trying to work this stuff out. I was hoping that I would get quite a restful night, being back in my own bed and all, but no… it wasn’t to be.

I had also forgotten that this was the first night since the op without a catheter in place, and I have been drinking a LOT of fluids… its something they don’t mention, and again I’m not sure if it is the meds or that my body needs it but I constantly feel dehydrated. so needless to say I was up and down to the toilet like a YOYO. (still no freaking No. 2 though!! Grrr)

because I Still haven’t done a doo doo, I have decided to try to stay off the morphine and codeine based pain killers for as long as I can today. This should give the laxatives a real chance… I’m worried that if I don’t go today, I’m going to have to have something unpleasant done to yet another orifice…….

Even with the threat of an Enema looming though…. I am glad to be home!!

Happy at Home

Ahhh its good to be home!!!

It only took the nurses 4 hours to get my medication together before I could leave, and once they knew you were leaving, you seemed to drop down their priorities list… Never mind though, home now and time for the real healing to begin!

The journey home wasn’t as unpleasant as I expected it to be thanks to Pippa’s great driving. Getting in and out of the car however is definitely harder than getting in and out of bed or on and off the toilet (speaking of which, I still haven’t managed to go No 2…..) there are places for your feet to get caught, bits to bump your head on, etc., etc…. Its going to take some practice to get that right!

My bedside cabinet now looks like the local pharmacist (although possibly better stocked) and I am more than looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, next to my beautiful lady…. speaking of which…. I’m off there now!! Night Night

Home Pippa! and don’t Spare the Horses!!!!

Holy Mackerel Batman!! I’ve just been told I can go home!!!

After the redressing of the wound, I was taken to the X-ray department. This was a wicked experience, not for the x-ray, but because I was driven there on a remote control bed!! I want one! In fact, I want two, so that Pippa and I can race through the streets of Norwich!

The X-ray ladies were lovely and seemed quite surprised at how easily I swapped from bed to bed. After the x-ray, I was taken back to the ward, but the porter wouldn’t let me drive… Git!!

Have a look at the x-ray (when I manage to upload it!)…

That’s my new Hip!

Out of the blue, the nurse suggested that I might be able to go home today. Pippa’s panicking that it’s too soon, (bearing in mind that I was grey yesterday!) but I just want a good night’s sleep!!

After a brief meeting with the OT, she recommended that I bought a ‘grabber’ (‘Helping hand’), so that I can reach things from the floor. I asked how much I should be exercising and she said as often as I can, but not to overdo it.

From my going home today being just a suggestion, the next nurse to come in said that she’d just sort out my medication and then I can be discharged!! It’s all happened rather rapidly

What a Difference a Day Makes

Well, the sleep that I was so hopeful for didn’t come, but the change in me this morning is astounding!!!

Last night, at around 9pm, a guy called Mark was brought into the ward. He’d had surgery, gone home, but had had complications and had to be readmitted. The poor guy was in so much pain I felt bad for asking for more Oramorph for myself!

Sleep didn’t come easy for either of us in the night and, again, I’d say I probably got only 3 hours of intermittent sleep. However, this did allow me to keep my pain-killers topped up and do some exercises each time that I woke up, to stop the stiffness setting in. At around 6am, the doctor came to remove my catheter. I didn’t know that the tube went all the way down to my toes!! I thought it was uncomfortable going in, but it was considerably

worse coming out!!

Shortly after this, I decided to try to get out of bed by myself. Compared to yesterday, this was remarkably easy – Well, not EASY, but much better! I made my way to the toilet, for yet another attempt at getting rid of that doo-doo…

Still no joy!! I’ve been given another laxative, but it still hasn’t taken effect…

I walked around for a while, on my zimmer, and the more I walked, the easier it became as the muscles started to loosen. Headed back to my room, sat in my chair and dozed for a while.

The physiotherapists turned up at about 8am. They asked me to get back in bed and out again, which I was able to do without any help. They then asked if I felt like I could cope with crutches. Of course, I said yes – I wanted to get rid of that granny frame as soon as possible! It wasn’t doing anything for my street cred!

The physiotherapists then took me to the stairwell and showed me the best way to get up and down the stairs, both with and without the aid of the banisters. I was told that with Mr Treacy’s BHR (Birmingham Hip Re-surfacing) there aren’t the restrictions that there are with a regular THR (Total Hip Replacement), such as not bending your hip-joint any more than 90 degrees, not carrying heavy loads, etc.

I went back to bed and had my dressing changed. I got to have a look at the wound and didn’t realise quite how many staples there would be, (Have a look at the picture – I counted 40!).

“that looks nice and neat”

Up and about but the Poo won’t come out!!

As you can probably gather by the title, I got out of bed today!!

I have to say this was possibly one of THE hardest things I have ever done! I wasn’t expecting it to be easy, but I never in a million years thought it would be that hard! I think the poor Physio heard some expletives never before to have passed human lips!

By the time I was up and standing, with my old lady’s walking frame, I was a big ball of sweat and absolutely shattered, but, by God, it felt good!! The physio walked me around to the other side of the bed – all of a mere 5m, to sit in my chair – Those 5 meters felt like a marathon! But that was me over the first hurdle of recovery…

Still my pain relief wasn’t quite up to scratch. I was visited by one of the ‘pain team’, who upped my dosage of Oxycontin (slow release morphine) and prescribed some extra ibuprofen.

Whilst sitting in the chair, I realised I needed a poo, but with having a catheter in, I wasn’t sure how to go about it! Much to my embarrassment, I had to ask one of the nearby nurses how to do a number 2… Was told to just go ahead as normal and, if I wee-ed while I pooed, it would just go down the catheter tube. So then came the 10m marathon to the toilet!

Pippa (my girlfriend) helped me put the ‘booster’ seat on the toilet, gave me a kiss and left me to it! So I sat there…. and sat there… and sat there….

I knew I needed a poo, but it hurt too much to push… I couldn’t even let out  a little trump! So back to bed, and was given some Movicol to help nature downwards and outwards…

I waited 20 mins for this to take effect – Again, I felt the need, but unfortunately the same thing occurred – It just wasn’t happening…

We started regulating my medication better, and tried to make sure that I got the Oramorph every hour (I can have it hourly) instead of every 2 or 3. The pain seems a bit better, so I’ll try to keep this up and hopefully tonight I’ll get some sleep!

And tomorrow, who knows, maybe nature will take its course!

Catheters, noise and poor pain relief……..

Good morning world… last night was ruddy awful!

It all started around 20:00 when the “blocker” started to wear off completely. This is when I realised I needed a wee…. I called the nurse who set me up with a pee bottle and left me to it! An hour later not a single drop had come out and it was starting to get a little painful.

The nurse then told me that if I couldn’t pass water in the next 30 mins…. a doctor would be called and a catheter inserted… Hence to say my efforts trebled! I tried pressing on my bladder, thinking of waterfalls even drinking more (that was a bad idea!) I started to feel faint and my blood pressure had dropped like a stone – the nurse laid me down and told me to keep trying.

Eventually I had to give up the fight. The doctor was called and my bladder scanned; lo and behold it was full (there’s a waste of a few grand!) The doctor went ahead and inserted the Catheter… I have to say that is an experience I could have done without in my life, but the relief!! Oh God the relief!! I produced 1.4 titres of fluid!

So, with that out-of-the-way I was ready for bed.

As soon as I closed my eyes the pain came on strong. I called a nurse and asked for some extra pain relief, this came in the form of 2 paracetamol…. Great! The nurse told me that in an hour I would get a stronger long-lasting morphine pill when this came I was in agony. It took haf an hour or so to take effect and even then the pain was only just bearable.

During the night I was repeatedly awoken either by the pain or a Nurse coming in to check blood pressure etc, almost every time I woke I asked for more pain killers, one time it was only a 10 min nap… The pain this morning is really bad and I have asked to be put on the PCA machine. we ill see how that goes!

I’m supposed to get out of bed today but still no Idea when that will be!…..