So here I am, sitting in the Patients’ Lounge, waiting for my husband to
arrive and take me home. My case and bags are beside me, and my bed bay Is
being prepared for a new patient who is having a knee joint replacement this
afternoon. I have my TTAs (prescribed medicines to take away), I’ve said my
goodbyes to the lovely staff and my fellow ward-mates, and it’s like being in
limbo! I am discharged but still in the care of the hospital until my husband
arrives. For some reason I cannot connect to the hospital wi-fi any more so I’m
typing this to post later.
Today I enjoyed another shower and dressed myself (apart from the
compression socks, which I needed help with. A breakfast of very delicious
vanilla flavoured prunes and a banana plus a mug of tea went down very well. I
was a bit dozy and kept falling asleep, and I still experience a fair bit of
pain after moving around, so was content to sit on my bed with my feet up.
Ironically, I had finally learned how to use the bed controls yesterday evening,
so could raise up the back as desired, and also the foot to help the circulation
of my feet and legs, sticking carefully to the “no bending more than 90 degrees”
rule to protect my healing hip. I wanted to rest while I could, in order to
avoid my ankles swelling as they had yesterday after quite a lot of time on my
feet.
My two fellow hip replacement on Monday patients are staying in a bit
longer than me, probably to be discharged tomorrow. It was lovely to see them
feeling much better and more mobile today. My next door neighbour managed the
stairs with the supervision of the physiotherapist this morning, and thought she
would go home today, but it was decided that the wound was still oozing enough
to present a potential infection risk, and she would be better off in the
hospital environment for another night. Both ladies had had blood transfusions
last night, which really seemed to perk them up. The lady opposite me was today
able to walk to the bathroom and back using a zimmer frame, so this meant that
she no longer required catheterisation but she was not yet strong enough for
walking further to perform the stairs test. The Consultant was hopeful that by
tomorrow she would be able to do this and also maybe go home. She is 80 and my
friend next door is in her sixties, so I guess I have age working in my favour.
Walking using the sticks has been going very well, and it feels so much
more normal as I usually use two sticks outdoors due to my iffy balance. I’m
happy not to have needed to learn how to use the crutches for support. The long
reach grabber has been invaluable in helping me to retrieve various things which
have gone flying, and the long-handled sponge certainly makes washing much
easier. The other gadget I have found useful is the leg lifter, as it is hard
to lift my operated-on leg still, but the long shoe horn and a device which I
think helps to put on socks have not yet been necessary.
The ward seems a very safe and protected environment and it will be
interesting to see how being at home feels, whether I will feel as safe and
secure there or instead more vulnerable. Time will tell. I am expecting to
feel very tired and to need a lot of rest for the first few days but might be
wrong about this. Certainly being back in my own bed will be a delight.
The staff at the hospital have all been so delightful, charming and kind
and all say they enjoy working there. Their assistance and attitude have
contributed greatly to maintaining a positive attitude to recovery and I feel so
fortunate to have been cared for here.
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