As I said in my previous post, I wasn't happy to be discharged but there was nothing I could do about it... 6 days later, after a visit from the district nurse, I was on my way back to hospital... Yup, I was showing signs of infection... I presented myself to Emergency and after an examination, I was re-admitted and booked in for surgery for the next day... I was so close to say 'I told you so' but decided against it until surgery was done hahaha. As much as I had been wanting this, it was very over whelming to hear it was going to happen. I began fasting at midnight as was set to go, but it was not to be... the doctors were still having second thoughts as cancelled the surgery... it was decided to re book for 3 days later as the original booking was for emergency and would mean that it could be bumped easily but this booking was different and could only be bumped if there was a disaster on the day.. So fasting began again and I went into surgery... this was nothing lik going into previous ones... Students had asked if they could watch, I consented as what better way to learn... I had the option to be awake but quickly declined and hose sleep. I was given a nerve block in my spine and was soon asleep...
I remember waking up and being told they were nearly finished... Yeah I kinda freaked out at this and told them... that's when I went down to scratch an itch on my hip when the next freak out occurred when I discovered that my underwear had been removed... My yelling 'Where is my underwear???' would have been the last thing they expected me to say...
My time in the recovery was longer than the operation itself as they were waiting for the nerve block to wear off to ensure I still had use of my left foot.
Looking back I feel sorry for my nurse for that evening... I was as high as a kite returning to the ward and payed her out left right and centre... Not so perky the next day though as she pointed out when she started her shift.
I had drips, drainers etc attached was too afraid to move that night... pain started to set in in the early hours and I was calling for pain relief... nothing prepared me for the following day when a cast was put onto my stump... I can say without a doubt that was the most physically painful experience to date...
Nothing prepared me for the loss of dignity in this experience either...
As there was a drip for pain relief, Catheter for a week and drainer in the stump, there was no getting out of bed for a week. This meant bed pans... rolling around on the mattress to allow the sheets to be changed... Never again do I want to be in the situation where I need someone to perform the basic functions like wiping my bum for me... I lost count of the amount of people who saw me naked that week...
5 days after the operation, I heard the best news ever... The catheter was being removed!!!! The ecstasy was short lived though when I heard the nurse call to the students 'who wants to learn how to remove a catheter???' Another nurse to see me naked but she was talked through step by step and successfully removed...
I was free now to get myself to and from the toiet and showers using a wheelchair and because I had been using one before, I was independent enough to do this without assistance
I remember waking up and being told they were nearly finished... Yeah I kinda freaked out at this and told them... that's when I went down to scratch an itch on my hip when the next freak out occurred when I discovered that my underwear had been removed... My yelling 'Where is my underwear???' would have been the last thing they expected me to say...
My time in the recovery was longer than the operation itself as they were waiting for the nerve block to wear off to ensure I still had use of my left foot.
Looking back I feel sorry for my nurse for that evening... I was as high as a kite returning to the ward and payed her out left right and centre... Not so perky the next day though as she pointed out when she started her shift.
I had drips, drainers etc attached was too afraid to move that night... pain started to set in in the early hours and I was calling for pain relief... nothing prepared me for the following day when a cast was put onto my stump... I can say without a doubt that was the most physically painful experience to date...
Nothing prepared me for the loss of dignity in this experience either...
As there was a drip for pain relief, Catheter for a week and drainer in the stump, there was no getting out of bed for a week. This meant bed pans... rolling around on the mattress to allow the sheets to be changed... Never again do I want to be in the situation where I need someone to perform the basic functions like wiping my bum for me... I lost count of the amount of people who saw me naked that week...
5 days after the operation, I heard the best news ever... The catheter was being removed!!!! The ecstasy was short lived though when I heard the nurse call to the students 'who wants to learn how to remove a catheter???' Another nurse to see me naked but she was talked through step by step and successfully removed...
I was free now to get myself to and from the toiet and showers using a wheelchair and because I had been using one before, I was independent enough to do this without assistance