wizer

[Digit]

I look at this way Tom, ok I had a tumour, but post op what's the difference between my case and yours?
You mention depression, I had a bout of that before I knew what my chances were. But post op this is what happened to me.
I was seen within hours of my surgery by the consultant, who explained how the procedure had gone, and was seen by him each day as well.
I left hospital with a contact number for him, for a specialist cancer nurse, a urinary specialist, a continence nurse, the community nurse and MacMillan.
I was visited several times by the community nurse and the MacMillan nurse and seen by the consultant at regular intervals thereafter.
My GP was available to me at short notice as well.
Due to the travel time for my family to visit me they were given unlimited access to me throughout the day.
I'm beginning to understand how fortunate I have been.

Roy.

 

[jpt]

Post op care only exists when you are still in hospital once you are out you are on your own.

I have had both knees replaced at different times, when I was sent home I was given an appointment for 6 weeks time to see the consultant and enough pain killers etc for about a week. I was told that they would arrange for the community nurse to come and see me to remove the staples and for more pain killers etc to see my own doctor. I was also told that if there were any major problems to go to my local A&E, I was living 60 miles away from the hospital but apparently all patients were given the same instructions.

john

 

[Digit]

I'm genuinely horrified, and even more appreciative of the after care that I received.
I was on Warfarin and they even offered to have the community nurse come and give me the injections if I felt I couldn't do a DIY job. She also removed my stitches for me.

Roy.

 

[newt]

I was given an injection of heroin just before they put me out for my spine op, they said that would reduce the post op pain. I felt ok and only had to take a bit of pain relief for a short time. Folk have different pain thresholds. However my op was 5 hrs but they had to lift out part of my spine to enable them to get inside the vertebra with a black and decker to grind away the bone that was crushing my spinal cord. It was a strange feeling when they removed the drain from my buttocks.

 

[Digit]

I can only assume that I have a higher than average pain threshold. Apart from paracetamol all pain killers were withdrawn from me, at my request 'cos they were paralysing my bowels and bladder, within five hours.
Again, I seem to have been very fortunate.

Roy.

 

[plymouth pirate]

After ten years worth of pain I had a full hip replacement job done around five years ago. After the op I used the self administer pain reliever once, and that was more out of inquisitiveness, (is that a word?), than need. The guy who I shared a ward with, and had his hip done the same day, used his allowance in hours, and looked like remaining in hospital long after I'd left, he was much younger by the way.
I think that different people have different pain thresholds, end of story.

It's one of those subjects I discuss regularly with my friends Mr Walker and Mr Grouse.

Rgds, John.

 

[richburrow]

Hello Tom
I hope this clears its self up asap and you can get back in the shop, good luck mate
Rich

 

[wizer]

Cheers Rich.

Just had some of the stitches out. Part of the 10" wound is still weeping so she's told me to come back in a week and taken a swab just to be sure its not become infected. I saw the doc too who's given me some more pills and sorted out my paperwork. It was good to see the doc who was more relieved and excited than anyone. She gave me a high five :lol:

The weird side effects have eased off and the last 24hrs have been ok.

Onwards and upwards

 

[Digit]

Good news, but watch that infection Tom, the same happened to me.

Roy.

 

[Oryxdesign]

I think maybe the side effects haven't worn off as much as you think, it's not normal to be 'high fiving' your doctor. Anyway, good luck with the recovery.

Simon

 

[filsgreen]

Jesus guys, these are all scary stories :shock: . Makes me ever so grateful, no I'm not going to say it, I'm a superstitious person and hopefully you get my drift. Hope you get well soon Tom and the operation is a complete success.

 

[frugal]

Jesus guys, these are all scary stories :shock: . Makes me ever so grateful, no I'm not going to say it, I'm a superstitious person and hopefully you get my drift. Hope you get well soon Tom and the operation is a complete success.

My Orthapedic Surgeon said to me "If it gets any worse, we will whip out that disc and fuse the vertebrae together, don't worry I do 4 of these a week". The Chiroprator said "I have one of his patients who has not had a good nights sleep since that op and side effects of the surgery are far worse than the original problem". my Physio said "the problem is not the disc, that has been bad for years, the problem is the facets, surgery wont fix that, it will just pay for his kids school fees for another term"...

I know that different people need different care, I know that Tom had all kinds of Physio and management techiques that were not working and that surgery was the last resport. Fortunately I have not got that far and I am determined to stay out from under the knife.

 

[big soft moose]

Jesus guys, these are all scary stories :shock: . Makes me ever so grateful, no I'm not going to say it, I'm a superstitious person and hopefully you get my drift. Hope you get well soon Tom and the operation is a complete success.

you think thats scary - i just read a book about anaesthetic failure - thats where the muscle relaxant works but the painkiller doesnt so you are paralysed but awake while they are opperating on you and can't move or speak to stop them - apparently there is a very low risk, about 0.01% but when you think how many ops are done each year 1 in ten thou doesnt look so tasty after all :shock:

I had very minor surgery under local anaesthetic in october and still had to take painkillers for about three weeks afterwards - dont even want to contemplate the sort of thing toms had done

 

[devonwoody]

BSM, dont read medical books.
The author has got to write an incident and they never write about a good thing. Its like the BBC news all tales of woe.

 

[wizer]

whip out that disc and fuse the vertebrae together.

That's a coincidence. My consultant suggested this operation when he was seeing me first but he was quite negative about it and felt it didn't work. Apparently there's just one surgeon in the country that swears by it.

you think thats scary - i just read a book about anaesthetic failure

When I had the skin graft on my finger, the local anaesthetic wore off half way through. Luckily there was no such thing as being paralysed and, as a response to me screaming the shop down, they gave me more and everything was dandy. Tho it took longer than usual to wear off and I was walking around with a completely dead arm for 24hrs :lol:

 

[Digit]

When I mangled my fingers they had to trim part of the bone back before grafting over the end.
'You won't feel anything, we'll give you a local,' the nurse said....and she did.... straight down the severed end!

Roy.

 

[wizer]

Here's your update for today.

On the way home from Docs yesterday, Dad and I decided that there was no need to stop and pick up my prescription as my wife could get it later. 7pm last night we remember! Missus rushed out to find a late night chemist. After a frantic dash of all late night pharmacies within a resonable distance we dicover that pharmacies do not keep this stuff in stock. None of them could get it delivered til 5pm today. We decided it sensible to wait til the local one opened this morning to get it ordered.

So now I'm without pain killers and in complete agony. Sweating like pig, shakes the lot. :evil: Won't get them til 5\6pm by which time I'd have missed 2 doses. :evil:

Anyway, I'm not dying (much).

If you're at all interested (and a bit sick), there's a pic of the wound here

Impressive huh? I'm glad I've not got an tattoos in that area, what a waste of money that've been

 

[Oryxdesign]

Lookout there's something crawling up under your left arm!

 

[woodbloke]

Lookout there's something crawling up under your left arm!

Looks like it could be a Dakota Dragon :lol: - Rob

 

[wizer]

yes a previous hobby\passion. I've got more planned But the money situation has to improve somewhat. Hopefully after all this calms down I'll be able to look for new work.