It is twenty four days since the 'op'. A progress report on Life after New Knee. (LANK) a somewhat drug induced post so bear with me, please.
Knee replacement under an epidural is mind bending. The operation itself pain free, it is reminiscent of being on a building site; a lot of banging, hammering, sawing and good humoured workmen going about their business. Seemingly you are a 'honoray workman' for the day and are included in 'banter' around the table. The whole event was somewhat surreal. Though I was not prepared for a surgeon, viewed through my legs hold up in the air a large, bright orange fish which he carefully painted; I reckon it was a large tuna or a small shark. (In fact, as I realised later, it was my 'operational bound', leg which the surgeon was painting with iodine prior to the 'op') At this point a screen was put in place that ruined further viewing of the procedures. Spoilt sports!
Time went quickly, the 'op' was over and I was placed on a small ward housing other patients with similar afflictions. I would love to tell you recovery is pain free; I would be lying! But it does not go on for ever or so I am told! We celebrated my wife's sixty fifth birthday on the ward. (What some men will do to avoid spending money on their wives!)
I have never taken so many drugs in my life. As I speak I am still taking 15-16 tablets a day, including painkillers. The result is I live at times on the fringes of the 'real' world. (One night all our beds were placed upright. Bizarre. a good job we were strapped in! Powerful stuff, morphine and the like. And our house, in Derby has been transported to St Annes. I still check its location on waking up three weeks later!)
I attended physiotherapy for the first time.. To see so many geriatrics peddling for England puts me to shame. But hopefully I'm getting there. What is it they say, 'No gain without pain'.
There are, I believe sixteen theatres in this section of the hospital.As far as I know teams of surgeons carried out around forty five knee replacements etc on the day in question. God bless the NHS.
11 comments:
Hi Ken. Good to see you back with us again. It will get better, I promise you that. I remember the epidural only too well, coming round from it scared me to death. Everything was so NUMB! Waiting for life to return to my lower half was scary. It was my hip that was done. Half the women in the ward said they were awake the whole time... not me, though. Apparently I had both ether and epi. because I was so nervous before the op. I think you are very brave to have been awake throughout the procedure. Anyway, it's all systems go now for getting well. Good luck with that. Take care.
Hi Ken, long time since I commented on one of your posts.
Many years ago I was an orthopaedic nurse and have to say that knee replacement is very painful. Keep at it though it will be worth it in the end. Enjoy the hallucinations, they help pass the time as long as they don't scare you. Listen to the physio's and do what they tell you - their full title is physioterrorists.
Good luck and keep writing.
Yes thank God for the national health. Hope your knee recovers quickly - see you in the next Olympics.
Hi Ken! good to hear your making good recovery..as I am too... optimism for us both of us Pal. I must say it was a real pleasure to meet you in hospital and you came across as being a really interesting bloke. It was a good day for me that day when they pushed me down the corridor into a different bay, not knowing who I might end up next to. I must say that you and the other two blokes in there really brightened up my last three days in there.
You told me how you wrote for newsletters and local papers etc. and I am slightly inspired by that. Writing this comment on your post now seems like writing war n peace to me as I dont normally string three sentences together.Hope you make full recovery soon Ken, I'm doing ok now, 22 days since op and getting about well, allbeit with crutches but hoping to dump them in a week or so. You take care Ken, speak to you soon.....Dave... next bed.... the horizontal one..not the upright!..........
Do hope you are soon pain free Ken and back to normal! I can only imagine having an operation whilst I am still awake. Not sure how I would feel about that!
Get well, soon!
Glad that your surgery went well. That has to be a strange thing to be awake during. I hope the pain gets better soon.
Good to see you back. Get well soon. Here's hoping for a full recovery.
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You are going though it Ken. Hope you are running around soon.
Wishing you a speedy recovery, you'll be doing a jig before long :)
I missed my knee surgery appointment last month, and hope to reschedule, most I know who have undergone the procedure, say they would do it again.
Good Luck friend.
~Jo
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