November 22, 2005 - Surgery & Recovery
I arrived for surgery on time on November 16th. I was told to arrive 2 hours before my scheduled time. My preadmission was completed a few days prior. I was admitted fairly quickly, but the "hurry up and wait" plan was soon put into effect. I changed into a hospital gown and sockies and put my street clothes into a plastic bag already labeled with my name.
Three nurses scurried around; one entered my medical history into the hospital computer, another started an IV, while the third covered me with a toasty warm blanket. Then we waited for my orthopedic surgeon and his team to be ready.
Almost 3 hours after my arrival, my surgeon was finally able to come by to discuss my surgery and to answer any questions. An anesthesiologist also came in for a brief conversation. It was decided he would put in a spinal block so I could use a pain pump after surgery but I also would have general anesthesia. In surgery, it was discovered that the cup portion of my last hip revision (done in 1994) was never well fixated, but rather held in place by fibrous tissue and a screw. As the acetabular cup loosened over the past 11 years, the screw had broken too. During the surgery, the cup was revised and replaced yet again. I was told the procedure went very well. I came home from the hospital 4 days after surgery. I have a home care nurse coming to do wound care a few times a week. I'm also having a few sessions of physical therapy from a home care physical therapist. So far during my recovery I've made two observations: #1) Nausea - I was quite nauseous in the recovery room. I used to brag that general anesthesia didn't make me sick in past surgeries. Could it be "advancing age"? I wonder if general anesthesia is harder to tolerate as a person ages? #2) Pain Tolerance - I underestimated the level of post-op hip pain. Having been through several past surgeries, I had some base of knowledge and experience. The mind is a wonderful thing and the memory is even more amazing. I had forgotten or blocked out the fairly intense pain which shoots through the operated leg those first few days or weeks post-op. This shows me that the mind has the ability to block out pain. Not a bad thing! I do know one thing for sure, each day will be a little better than the day before.Pain Tolerance (Why does pain perception vary?)
The Pain Relief Quiz (How much do you know about relieving pain?)
The Pain Quiz: Acute vs. Chronic Pain (How much do you know about pain?)
Thanks for all of your well wishes! They really help! I'll be sharing more thoughts and details in the days and weeks ahead.
(In case you're wondering, I wrote this out long hand while laying in bed, not yet strong enough to be at the computer. Thanks to my wonderful husband Rick for typing and posting it for me.)
Carol's Hip Replacement Diary:
