Today was the last day that I would be woken at 6:00am, 6:15am, 6:30am, 6:45am, 7:00am and 7:15am at which point I would usually be kicked out of bed. Hospitals are like alarm clocks set by some evil person for an ungodly hour with a snooze button that keeps going until you are forced out of bed. Going home day is exciting as well as a little bit daunting. I was pretty confident that I was ready for it, though it is hard to know how I'll be able to handle everything until I got here and settled into a routine again. I think it might take a few days to get to that point.
Prior to leaving the rehab doctor came passed to ask about the drama that we had last weekend. Since I was actually at the point of getting out of there, I didn't see the harm in talking about the issues that we had. I didn't really want to get into it while I was still there as I didn't want to have to deal with people that I have had issues with if they knew that I had made a complaint about them. The doctor wants to address issues like these when they happen so that they can be fixed. I understand what he was saying and had I been at a fully fit and independent state, I might have done so but having to still have to stay there and be reliant on these people, I really didn't want to rock the boat. They were still able to identify the bad advice nurse since I knew what day I blogged about it. I also told them about the 'good chance to be normal' comment and the other things that happened during the infamous physio session. I'm not sure if there will be further training or what the repercussions will be but thankfully I won't suffer any consequences for it. The doctor asked us to speak to the head of nursing about the issues as well, and she said that many people feel the same in relation to 'retribution' and fail to comment which doesn't help them improve the level of service provided. Apparently it doesn't happen but I can't see how it wouldn't change the way that the spoken to person would react the next time that they had to deal with me. Anyway it is all done now and I'm home!
On the way home we stopped past the mobility place and got the last couple of things that we needed for me at home. I am now equipped with a granny wheely walker so that I can carry things around the house, specifically the kitchen and have a perch stool to sit in while I'm in the kitchen. The main issue in the kitchen was that I am physically able to cook or make a cup of coffee or whatever it was, but I couldn't actually carry something out of the cupboard or the fridge as I am using both hands to use crutches. The wheely walker means that I have a tray to put things on and both hands are still on the walker while I am walking. Problem solved.
Stopping on the way home meant that I was in and out of the car twice which was an achievement. Getting home seemed like an even bigger one.
Showing posts with label Mater Private. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mater Private. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
27 Days Post Op: I am so outta here in the morning
Tomorrow is going home day and I have finished my in patient rehab program. The goals have been met and I will be able to cope with being at home. There is still work to be done to get where I want to be and that will be under the care of the fantastic people at Body Leadership Australia. I don't mean to sound like an advertisement, I just miss them and this change over point really marks achievement (as in I've learnt the things I need to learn to cope on the outside) and a change in philosophy for my rehabilitation program to one that I am more comfortable with and positive about.
The things that I have learnt / reinforced from this hospital stay are:
Private cover is worth every penny: I think that if I was in a shared room I would have gone absolutely crazy. I also think that public might have discharged me sooner than now when I wouldn't have been completely prepared to go home. (This is based on some of the horror stories that I heard over morning tea in the rehab gym - absolutely crazy - they weren't about Mater Public but even so)
Don't book in for major surgery a couple of weeks before Easter or other holiday period: Even if you think you are going to be out before the holiday period, don't risk it. Not as many services are available during holidays even in hospitals. I hadn't really thought that I would be in here this long though if I had of been asked before hand, I would have expected something like rehab in a rehab unit to be an essential service. Apparently it is not. Even in a Private Hospital. Disappointing huh?
People who complain about TEDs have never had to wear Venosans: TEDs are a walk in the park in comparison. The policy of my rehab doctor is TEDs for night, Venosans for day. I'm sure they are excellent at doing the job of keeping clots at bay and are no where near as much difficulty as a clot but it doesn't mean that I have to like them. I certainly don't like them being put on me. (Hip restrictions means I can't do it for myself either so there have been times where I've been flicked or there has been a part that is overlapped and digging in during the process of struggling to get them up my leg.
If the nurses have reason to ask you if you want a movicol, it's probably a good idea to take it. If you don't know what I am talking about, don't ask. I just hope that one day if you are asked you remember this piece of advice. Especially if you are being fed codeine.
If someone offers to bring you breakfast/lunch/dinner accept: Don't be a martyr. Too much hospital food has to kill you. It can't possibly be good for you. I have been told that this hospital has better food than the others in Brisbane. While this may be true, four weeks of it is far too much of it.
Stand up for yourself: You have to know what your medication is, what your treatment process is going to be and anything you are supposed to or not supposed to do and if anyone tells you otherwise, correct them. It could be dangerous not to know. People make mistakes. Don't be the one to suffer from them.
Accept that you can't do it all and accept help graciously: This is a hard lesson to learn for the independent and stubborn like me. I'm in hospital for a reason and that reason is stopping me from being the independent person that I am. I hate being reliant on others however that being said, I am grateful for those that helped me and didn't make me feel like I was a burden to them. I am especially grateful to my husband who helped me at least maintain some dignity and the little sanity that I have left. I could have done this without him and survived but I would have been somehow less me at the end of the process and very probably on anti-depressants and in worse physical shape. I don't know how people do things like this without the kind of support that I have and I hope that I never have to find out.
I'm probably still a little close to the situation since I'm still here so I may not have figured out yet all of the things that I have learnt out of this experience.
The things that I have learnt / reinforced from this hospital stay are:
Private cover is worth every penny: I think that if I was in a shared room I would have gone absolutely crazy. I also think that public might have discharged me sooner than now when I wouldn't have been completely prepared to go home. (This is based on some of the horror stories that I heard over morning tea in the rehab gym - absolutely crazy - they weren't about Mater Public but even so)
Don't book in for major surgery a couple of weeks before Easter or other holiday period: Even if you think you are going to be out before the holiday period, don't risk it. Not as many services are available during holidays even in hospitals. I hadn't really thought that I would be in here this long though if I had of been asked before hand, I would have expected something like rehab in a rehab unit to be an essential service. Apparently it is not. Even in a Private Hospital. Disappointing huh?
People who complain about TEDs have never had to wear Venosans: TEDs are a walk in the park in comparison. The policy of my rehab doctor is TEDs for night, Venosans for day. I'm sure they are excellent at doing the job of keeping clots at bay and are no where near as much difficulty as a clot but it doesn't mean that I have to like them. I certainly don't like them being put on me. (Hip restrictions means I can't do it for myself either so there have been times where I've been flicked or there has been a part that is overlapped and digging in during the process of struggling to get them up my leg.
If the nurses have reason to ask you if you want a movicol, it's probably a good idea to take it. If you don't know what I am talking about, don't ask. I just hope that one day if you are asked you remember this piece of advice. Especially if you are being fed codeine.
If someone offers to bring you breakfast/lunch/dinner accept: Don't be a martyr. Too much hospital food has to kill you. It can't possibly be good for you. I have been told that this hospital has better food than the others in Brisbane. While this may be true, four weeks of it is far too much of it.
Stand up for yourself: You have to know what your medication is, what your treatment process is going to be and anything you are supposed to or not supposed to do and if anyone tells you otherwise, correct them. It could be dangerous not to know. People make mistakes. Don't be the one to suffer from them.
Accept that you can't do it all and accept help graciously: This is a hard lesson to learn for the independent and stubborn like me. I'm in hospital for a reason and that reason is stopping me from being the independent person that I am. I hate being reliant on others however that being said, I am grateful for those that helped me and didn't make me feel like I was a burden to them. I am especially grateful to my husband who helped me at least maintain some dignity and the little sanity that I have left. I could have done this without him and survived but I would have been somehow less me at the end of the process and very probably on anti-depressants and in worse physical shape. I don't know how people do things like this without the kind of support that I have and I hope that I never have to find out.
I'm probably still a little close to the situation since I'm still here so I may not have figured out yet all of the things that I have learnt out of this experience.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Game Day
The countdown is over and we are here checked in to Mater Private in the 'Welcome Lounge' which seems to be the private hospital version of a waiting room. Pretty cool really. Internet access, tv, proper lounges, no overcrowding. You can even borrow an ipod stocked with movies and music. It's a little like an airport lounge just without the beer.
I am remarkably calm. The day has started out well. We got up at six to get the pre-op breakfast and coffee in before seven (at Two Cups) and then went home for a nap until about 9:30. I didn't really sleep but it was nice to curl up under the covers (on my side - which will be out for a little while after today) while it rains away outside. We were up, showered and out by about 10:15 and are now checked in and waiting. I'm not scheduled until 2pm this afternoon and before then I will be meeting with the nurse, anaesthesiologist and the surgeon. I think they might just keep you in here to make sure you don't eat.
Hahahaha... I was just commenting (ok bitching) that it wasn't fair that someone just brought coffee in here. I thought it was food and drink free. Apparently it is, it didn't take too long for the nurse to descend and tell her to get out as you can't eat and drink in here.
Not much more to tell at the moment. Will post again when I am out of surgery and allowed back online. I go to ICU tonight so not likely to be allowed to have access until tomorrow - probably going to be pretty druggy until tomorrow anyway so I shouldn't suffer too much with communication withdrawals!
About two hours to go!
I am remarkably calm. The day has started out well. We got up at six to get the pre-op breakfast and coffee in before seven (at Two Cups) and then went home for a nap until about 9:30. I didn't really sleep but it was nice to curl up under the covers (on my side - which will be out for a little while after today) while it rains away outside. We were up, showered and out by about 10:15 and are now checked in and waiting. I'm not scheduled until 2pm this afternoon and before then I will be meeting with the nurse, anaesthesiologist and the surgeon. I think they might just keep you in here to make sure you don't eat.
Hahahaha... I was just commenting (ok bitching) that it wasn't fair that someone just brought coffee in here. I thought it was food and drink free. Apparently it is, it didn't take too long for the nurse to descend and tell her to get out as you can't eat and drink in here.
Not much more to tell at the moment. Will post again when I am out of surgery and allowed back online. I go to ICU tonight so not likely to be allowed to have access until tomorrow - probably going to be pretty druggy until tomorrow anyway so I shouldn't suffer too much with communication withdrawals!
About two hours to go!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Pre-admission phone call from Mater Private
I just received a phone call from a lovely nurse at Mater Private in relation to my 'check in' next week to run through the process of what is going to happen next week. I am the last surgery of the day and need to be in at reception at 11am. I will then be taken to a welcome lounge where the anaesthetist and a theatre nurse will speak to me. When they are ready for me, I will get changed and off I will go. The afterwards process was also discussed. I'll get more detail from Dr Journeaux's nurse on Monday afternoon about this. I may go into recovery and then to a ward, or to ICU depending on what risk they assess me to be at the end of the operation. I was expecting ICU based on my last appointment with the doctor talking about what happens. ICU is apparently bright and loud and not as nice as a regular room but you have one on one nursing. I guess I'll leave it up to the experts to decide where I should go. If I am in ICU, I shouldn't panic if I wake up with a tube down my throat and shouldn't try to speak because I won't be able to. Apparently this isn't completely uncommon for long late afternoon surgeries if at the end my body temperature is low. It is just another precautionary measure. It was something that I hadn't considered though and is taking a little while to process.
Another thing that I hadn't considered is: That dressing gowns aren't necessarily the most comfortable thing to sit up in bed and watch tv in if it is a bit cool and maybe bring a wrap or cardigan. I'll need to process the whole 'cardigan' thing too.... :)
Another thing that I hadn't considered is: That dressing gowns aren't necessarily the most comfortable thing to sit up in bed and watch tv in if it is a bit cool and maybe bring a wrap or cardigan. I'll need to process the whole 'cardigan' thing too.... :)
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