Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Discharge Day 5/13/09

Woke at 5:30 AM.

At 6 AM, the nurse removed my catheter and IV. Yeah! I have one tube left, the drainage tube, which had not done much draining since last evening.

Breakfast was at 8 AM. I had a piece of french toast without syrup, a small slice of sausage, oatmeal :--(, orange juice, milk, coffee. I put a little of the maple syrup on the oatmeal and choked it down. Eating all the food is part of getting out!

Later, my drain was removed, and I asked if I could walk. They made me use the walker, but I could walk fairly fast, and walked down all 4 halls of the cross.

At 11:30 AM, I was picked up for physical therapy. We reviewed my hip exercises to assure I was doing them correctly. We reviewed other important topics. I was taught the correct way to walk with a crutch. I went back to my room with a crutch.

Back in my room, it was time for more solid food. I had a veggie burger, fruit, raspberry custard, milk, and coffee.

At 1 PM, Occupational Therapy came to my room and did their training. We talked about things that used to be simpler, like getting dressed, picking up things from the floor, and sitting on the stool. They asked about safety features at home. They seemed impressed with what I had already figured out at home.

My surgeon came by and approved my discharge. He answered all my questions and wrote a prescription for pain pills. I received no blood or plasma during surgery. My hardware is a titanium alloy pin, with a steel alloy ball and a cross-linked plastic socket. I'll never make it through another airport magnetometer. Because I had not waited too long, and I am skinny and healthy, the surgery went quickly. There was no cartilage left. I declined a handicap parking pass.

I walked the halls again, by myself, with a crutch.

At 3 PM, I had my last PT. I had asked earlier for information about rehab PT that I could do at home on my own, and that is what this session was about.

The nurse removed the IV shunt from my wrist. I called Ann to pick me up after work.

Thanks to everyone at Methodist Hospital who helped me. Everyone was kind and went the extra step.

It is important to note that the usual stay for this surgery is 2 or 3 nights. I communicated clearly that I wanted to stay 1 night only. I was motivated and prepared and physically able to make that happen. Many of the nursing staff said they had never seen a hip replacement patient get out after 1 night.

I was required to leave in a wheel chair. After stopping at the hospital pharmacy for pain pills, we came home. I visited 2 neighbors, before supper. I did not have any heavy pain killer tonight, so I had 2 glasses of red wine. I will have an aspirin with toast later, and do my hip exercises at bed time, after Leno. I took 2 acetaminophen, extra strength.

I will post before and after x-rays, when I can figure out how to apply a water mark.

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