My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Having the Modified Kidner (extra Navicular Bone removed and the tendon tightened) and I'm really hoping that this fixes everything. It's been over three months since I fell and originally hurt my ankle and I like to think that I have patience but three months is a really long time.
Right now my fears can be broken down in to two categories. The realistic fears that I have are the pain factor and the nausea factor. From what I've read this is a particularly painful surgery/recovery. I do not do well with any type of pain meds other than OTC things like Advil or Tylenol. My doctor gave me a something codone to take and in addition to making me loopy (can't even knit when I take it) I am so sick to my stomach I want to curl up in a little ball. I've already told my hubby that I should get a phenegren pill with each pain pill. My theme song this week is The Ramones "I wanna be sedated".
The unrealistic fears are that something will happen to me and who will take care of my father, husband and little cousins. Granted the father and husband are both grown men and the little cousins have parents but I am a complete caretaker so I worry that I have to take care of everyone and if I'm not here... So far the unrealistic fears are the ones keeping me up at night.
Due to my having a slight latex allergy they are labeling me as needing a latex free surgery room so I think I'm going to be the first one up tomorrow. Hopefully first one done means first one out of the hospital.
The following 2 users give hugs of support to: Grumpstress LadyKanner (09-26-2012), prico54 (09-26-2012)
Gumptress please dont worry you are going to be fine. You have chosen competent people to care for you and they know what they are doing. I had bigtime problems with post op nausea and vomiting and I was really worried about it this time. They put a patch on me before surgery and after they gave me meds. No nausea at all no vomiting I couldnt believe it. Taking pain meds can make some folks really sick. There are a lot of different kinds . Talk to your dr before the surgery if you havent already. Will they give you compazine to take or phenergan? Think about it, tomorrow by this time its all over. God bless my friend!
Paula
Yay for first in/first out! Good luck tomorrow...it will be over before you know it. They can give you Meds to take to help with the nausea. I got some but didn't really use...hydroxyzine. I've found that ginger ale works for me (you get a little sugar and it calms your stomach).
I'm a worrier too but it doesn't do any good and just gets you upset and stressed. I'm sure you've done all you can to prepare...time to let it go and focus on taking care of YOURSELF!
I'll be thinking of you...it's not fun but it's good to get it over with.
Everything is going to be fine Grumpstress! Just make sure you stress to them over and over that you have nausea from pain medications and anesthesia and they will make sure you're taken care of. My mom always got very sick from anesthesia so I just told them that i did too in order to prevent finding out. They put stuff straight into my iv. I don't know what to tell you about the pain meds once you go home. I hope they have something to help you with that. I was first one in the morning I had my surgery. I was up most of that night before with nerves so I was sooo ready for them to put me under. It will all be over before you know it! Take care and update us how everything goes.
They put a patch on me before surgery and after they gave me meds. No nausea at all no vomiting I couldnt believe it. Taking pain meds can make some folks really sick. There are a lot of different kinds . Talk to your dr before the surgery if you havent already. Will they give you compazine to take or phenergan? Think about it, tomorrow by this time its all over. God bless my friend!
Paula
A patch you say... I've never heard of a patch. Will definitely ask about that tomorrow. My doctor is going to give me a prescription for phenegren along with the pain meds and whatever else I need to take. Phenegren. Such a lovely drug, I really need to learn how to spell it.
I've found that ginger ale works for me (you get a little sugar and it calms your stomach).
Ginger and peppermint are wonderful for tummy issues. There was a company that made ginger peppermint pills and I wish they still made them because I would be popping them like tic tacs.
I was up most of that night before with nerves so I was sooo ready for them to put me under. It will all be over before you know it! Take care and update us how everything goes.
Yeah, I'm trying not to do the whole freaking out thing. I keep walking around the house looking at everything and thinking "I should do that now because I won't be able to after tomorrow" and then I'm thinking "nah, don't worry about it." They said I could take sleeping pills so I think I'm going to try one of those and see how that works.
It seems that my cat knows something is up because last night every time I woke up my kitty was under the covers smooshed up against me. She has been following me around all night and when I'm sitting on the couch she's doing that thing where she stretches as far as she can to make sure that at least part of her is touching me no matter what. She is going to LOVE the next week. I'm going to be nothing but warm blooded furniture.
Will let everyone know how I'm doing tomorrow night. I'm great fun on pain pills. I tell everyone how much I love them and all the wonderful things I love about them. Once I get over the sick part that is. So if I'm on here tomorrow telling you all what a fabulous bunch of people you are then you know the pain meds are working.
The following 3 users give hugs of support to: Grumpstress Ditsy1 (09-27-2012), ginger62 (09-27-2012), LadyKanner (09-26-2012)
Will be thinking of you tomorrow Grumpstress! I know what it is like the night before something like that. So many nerves and thoughts running through your head. Funny how your animals know when you're nervous or sick. My Mildred (dog) is the same way. She is glued to my side when I am scared, nervous, sick, emotional or anything. The hardest part for me has been relying on others to help me out with things. I am unable to do my own laundry because it is in the basement and our stairs our the old narrow steps. I fell down them once not crippled....don't want to even try it now. LOL Just relax as much as you can tonight. I will be looking forward to hearing your update!
A patch you say... I've never heard of a patch. Will definitely ask about that tomorrow. My doctor is going to give me a prescription for phenegren along with the pain meds and whatever else I need to take. Phenegren. Such a lovely drug, I really need to learn how to spell it.
Yes a patch! It saved my life. When I had surgery 8 years ago I vomited for 3 days. They wouldnt let ,me go home vcause I couldnt keep anything down not even a popsicle. So I was careful to mention it to both my surgeon and my anesthesiologist. Good luck friend! Prayers and thoughts are with you! Paula
I'm here and doing ok. Turns out I wasn't thinking about the location of my computer after surgery. We have two cats. One likes to stalk the other cat because she is very territorial and doesn't want the other cat to have any of her stuff, food, people, spots in the sun etc. So we have a baby gate set up to keep them separated since the territorial one only has three legs and can't jump. What must that do to your self esteem to get your tail kicked by a three legged cat?
At any rate I completely forgot about said baby gate and the fact that my computer is behind the gate. Turns out it's pretty effective at keeping me out as well. With some creative crutch movement and a little sweating I figured out how to get over the blasted gate so here I am!
Surgery was not first in and first out like I thought. We got there at 7 am and just as I was about to start really start to freak out a very dear friend of mine walked in the door. She came by to sit with me before I had to go back for surgery. Having had many surgeries herself she knew all about the freaking out waiting to be called back. She made me laugh and not think about it. Love her.
We were called back and I got my IV put in by a student nurse. At first my reaction was "um... no" but then I remembered my little sister just finished Nursing School and she had to practice on someone. The student nurse kept jiggling the needle around so I not only have a fabulous bruise but it seems that a good bit of the saline made it to my forearm because after the surgery it was all swollen and pretty ouchy.
Then the guy with the crutches came in and made me take several steps to make sure I knew what I was doing. I was only using my right hand half way and he kept telling me that I could use my hand with the IV because it was only a plastic needle. Yeah, we'll try that reasoning when it is your hand bucko.
I finally asked my husband to go get the anesthesiologist to give me some "I don't care" in my IV. Once that was in my IV and they hooked me up to this absolutely wonderful air blanket thingee I was feeling just fine. I've never seen one of these before but it was like a blanket of bubble wrap that they filled with warm circulating air. Whoever invented that thing deserves the Nobel Peach Prize.
Apparently surgery went well and I came out with this big ole boot thing and covered in Betadine which it turns out I have an allergy to (nice huh?) and we went home. The first few days were particularly painful and I wasn't able to move my ankle at all using my leg. Instead I would have to pick up my cast and move my ankle that way. If the wound area bumped against the cast I would just about see stars. I knew that this was going to be painful but it was seriously a lot of pain. My hubby kept me fairly drugged (bless him) but it was still a really not fun couple of days. Between the pain meds and the Phenegren oh and the Benedryl I was pretty much asleep most of the time. So that was nice.
I tried (like a fool) to go back to work on Thursday. Made it about an hour and a half before I called uncle and a friend took me to her house to lay down before my doctors appointment. You seriously know who your friends are when you have surgery like this and I am so thankful and grateful that I have good friends. While I was asleep on the couch they organized a plan to get me to the doctors and then get me back home with two back up plans just in case.
My doctor said that my ankle looks really good. He even looked to confirm when we did the surgery because it looks like it has healed so well. If I cut my hand it takes forever to heal. Slice me open with a scalpel and I guess I heal right up. My ankle was so swollen around the stitches that it looked translucent. Plus with the bruising and the stitches I looked like something on a Halloween costume. Is this really my ankle?
Once all of the rest of the betadine was off my skin and I had a new cast on I felt much better. When I got into the cast room I started tearing off the cast first thing. They had already sliced it in half and just had an ace bandage on it after the surgery so not that hard. My doctor's coordinator looked at me with half a cast on, laughed and said he would expect no less of me.
So right now I've got a new much smaller cast, bruises on both hands from the crutches, gained about 5+ pounds because I'm eating all the stuff my husband eats without going for a 45 mile bicycle ride on Sundays, a new appreciation for stairs and a raging desire to just go sit in the shower for a day or so. Bucket bathing isn't all it's cracked up to be.
One question I have for the group is how long until you could put your leg down all the way. As soon as the blood starts to rush down to my ankle it hurts like the dickens. I'm trying to increase the time I can keep my leg down each time but it just hurts so much.
Yes, I know I am rambling on so I'm sorry about that but I've pretty much been stuck in a house with two cats and a TV for company for over a week.
Stuck in the house with two cats and the TV? You and me both, sister! Top model marathon today on Style.
So glad to hear from you! You made it out alive! First things, though, and maybe someone else can check me on this. I don't think you should be hanging your leg down like that. The more you keep it up the more time it has to heal. It should start to get better in a couple of days, I would think. That's about where I was. I did too much the first few days home and am paying for it now. It sounds like you've got great people around you so let them help you and take it easy while you can. Really, keep the foot up, way up.
How long are you going to be NWB? Have you looked into a knee scooter? It's a big help and a pretty good workout for your other leg and core ( once you get the hang of it, I fell off mine 2x the first week).
Good luck!I'm glad you finally got over that baby gate. I was wondering where you were.
Ginger
Ha! Yesterday it was a Flipping Out marathon for us. I never can see why people put up with his drama but it just draws me in like bugs to a lightbulb.
I told hubby "Ginger says I should keep my foot up" and he looks at me and says "who is Ginger?"
I reply by pointing to the computer and saying "ginger62."
He says "well husband47 says that your doctor said 72 hours was all that was needed."
I'm going with what you said since it feels a ton better to have my foot up. Plus if we had a cuss jar it would be full if I tried to keep my foot down...
So good to hear from you Grumpstress! Glad your surgery went pretty well. The pain will get better and be a little less day by day. Sometimes there is a bad day here and there. Your cat story kind of cracked me up. It's amazing what you can do when no one is around and you really want it.
It is starting to get pretty cold here in Ohio. High is only in the 40's today. I am not liking this cast now! My toes are FREEZING! haha Right now I have a sock stretched over the toe of my cast. Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe I should get some of those hunting socks that have a battery pack that warms them. I'm sure come winter time I will look like some podung country bumpkin.
