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Ups: Success of the Surgery -- The doctors were pleased with how well everything turned out during the operation. Nerve Block -- At the end of surgery, the anesthesiologist applied a nerve block to my right leg, so that I could wake and begin recovery with no pain. It was fantastic. While in the
hospital, I was wishing they could give me one for the flight home. Nurses -- The people who cared for me during my stay were wonderful. They took care of all my needs, since I could not even get out of bed. These nurses are honored on the Gratitude Page. Comments From Nurses -- "He is such a kind gentleman." This was made to my friend Judy when she called me. Flowers and Cards -- Dozens of cards and several flowers arrived during my stay in the hospital. The mail person actually commented, "Somone must have really organized things for so many cards to arrive for you." These brightened my days, both during and after my hosptial stay. Airline Seat -- It was as if the airplane had been planned for someone with a cast on their right leg. The first row of seats had one less seat, so that I could sit in the second row and elevate my foot on the arm of the seat in front of me. Two people changed seats to allow me to do this.
Downs: WARNING: Some of these are not for the faint of heart. Though there is nothing truly graphic here, I do share my experiences and feelings of some not so nice things. Voice -- The instruments the anesthesiologist uses to administer the medicines during surgery often damage the larynx (vocal cords). I had them use the less intrusive instruments, but it still made my voice scratchy for a few days. Call Button Didn't Work -- There were times when the call buttons did not bring anyone to assist the patient. I had this problem several times myself, and I could hear other patients using theirs and receiving no response. Morphine Ran Out -- And of course, this was one time when the call button didn't work. It took nearly an hour for someone to finally answer my many calls, and by then I was in extreme pain. I have never felt such pain in my life and hope never to experience such again. Reaction to Morphine -- This medicine does not agree with my stomach, and I couldn't even drink water without vomiting it again almost immediately. I think I have never been so nauseous in my life. They finally switched me to a different medicine that did not produce this reaction. Catheter Scare -- Because I couldn't drink any water for over half a day, I did not
urinate. The policies state that a patient is to receive a catheter if he doesn't urinate in six hours. For me, it was closer to twelve hours, but fortunately the shift changed prior to the installation of the catheter. I finally had success and didn't need one. I have heard that a catheter is NOT a pleasant thing. Itches -- The strong pain medicines they gave me caused severe itching. |
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