Oh Lord Give me some relief

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hip replacement from the side, 8 Days ago in France.

Extremely traumatized when the day after surgery my IV was connected wrong resulting in my pain meds ending up soaking my bed and on the floor. B*tch Nurse Ratchet at 5am when promised she would run the next bag into the other side, which already had the needle in it, refused. She was no doubt tired of hearing me scream in pain all night as I had NO PAIN MEDICATION the second day after my surgery. Instead she popped me 2 paracetamol's and said I should ask the nurses at the 7am shift change for pain meds in the IV. The pain of course gave me the dry heaves, which down below involuntarily made me pee the bed. So what does she do? She rolls me on my NEW unmediated incision to change the sheets. I fought her and won, but then of course at 5am she had her revenge.

This has left me completely traumatized. Then came the holiday where the orthopedic docs didn't work, then the week-end. Nobody told me I could bend my leg at the knee while on my back, thus relieving the extreme pain in my right butt cheek and the front of my thigh. Not until Monday, thus I laid basically immobile from Wed to Monday, never helped to put a pillow between my legs and roll on the un operated side to get relief. It has been Hell, pure, Hell.

I am on paracetamol and tramadol, and I hate both of them. Paracetamol doesn't cut it and OMG I spent 3 Days in Tramadol Hell having horrid dark paranoia dreams. At least the Tramadol let me sleep, but it was a dark and ugly sleep. Now I am weeping many times a day, determined to bear the pain and not take that mind f*cking Tramadol. Today is Thursday, I had the hip replaced Wednesday last (8 days) when, oh when is the pain going to become bearable so that it can be controlled by paracetamol? How many days? That is my question?

I have a walker and have no problems putting full weight on the new hip, that walking does not really increase the existing pain by much. I can walk from the bedroom, down a long hallway, through the living room and into the bathroom by myself, and then go back. I can get in and out of bed by myself, and chairs also. The food in the French Hospital was simply I edible, it was disgusting. Soup? Vinegary, everything was horrible. My husband made food and brought it in and I was able to eat a small bit of his food daily. Since I got home yesterday afternoon, he has made me two suppers, and one lunch and I am already feeling stronger having some fuel in me now.

I have a nurse who comes in daily to give me a shot to prevent phlebitis, and tomorrow a physical therapist will come daily. My ONLY issue is the PAIN, the pills, and the depression. How long is this going to last? I'm 59 years old, fatter than I would like but not obese. Please Help!

2

Wow Judi..this does sound like a real trauma...I can only say that my experience was quite the opposite . I came home after 3 days and on one dose of paracetomol and ibuprofen per day for a couple of weeks after that... I presume when you say by yourself you mean on crutches? I only had 2 crutches and could not weight bear for 6 weeks. Your physio should let you know how much you should be doing! Did you have stitches, staples or glue....my staples came out after 10 days so that was more comfortable. Side sleeping was not reccomended till after 6 weeks and its inly the last 2 weeks I can sleep on op side but still have a small pillow between the knees.

There are lots of post op care websites if you google them for some stuff you should be doing gently even now.

Hope things improve for you.   12 weeks for me now so back to work!

3

Oh no sounds really awful, poor you,  i also live in France, were are you? i will be going into the Clinic De General in Anncey 74 district on july for my RTHR, Hope its better there, my French is pretty bad.

 

4

Hi Jodi, really sorry to hear your bad experiences. What kind of pain do you have, mine was mainly muscular but I only got pain when I moved my legs or stood up at the 8 day stage.  I know it sounds impossible at this stage but push through the pain and try to get your movement and strength back, I was doing my exercises 3 times a day (even though my knee and groin muscle stiffness was causing pain). I came off of my morphine based meds at 10 days and then used paracetamol and neurofen when I felt particularly sore.  As you will see on this forum, everyone has different experiences but in most cases things start to improve dramatically after a couple if weeks. I really feel that pushing through the pain and planning my progress through exercise really helped me...even if I just walked 50 yards further every day, or did a few more reps than the physio told me to do, it gave me a sense of achievement. I would also try to get out if at all possible, I was feeling a little low at week 3 and forced myself to get in the car (as a passenger) and go to my brothers 40th party, stayed a couple of hours and it really lifted my mood having talked to many family members and friends (and a sneaky can of lager...don't tell the wife !!).  Have faith, it WILL get better...and we're all here to help out if you need comparative experiences :-)

All the best !!

5

What a story!  why did you have it done in France i wonder?

6

Oh dear Jodie..you've had a bad time alright,but once you get back in your own surroundings things will improve a lot.

The pain can be quite tough to handle,but take the painkiller..I was on 500 mg paracetamol three times a day for the first two weeks at least.

As said make sure you get outside every day,if only for a short time..sitting indoors looking out of the window is a recipe for depression.

good luck.

7

Hi Jodi,

It sounds like you have had a terrible time.  I would write and complain to the hospital as behaviour like that is totally unacceptable.  As for your pain can your GP not assess you and treat accordingly?  You are bound to be uncomfortable after this operation but I am sure it can be controlled.

I wish you luck and hope that your pain subsides soon and you get the treatment you need.

8

Horrible scary experience.  I was told I would be on Oxycontin (an oral long-acting morphine derivative) for three days then 'step down' pain relief.  For the first few days I could request extra tramadol and oromorph (a liquid short acting liquid morphine) as 'top up'. They not only told me I could request it, they kept coming round and OFFERING it.  I didn't need it somewhat to their surprise.

I tried Tramadol for step-down - not as bad as I feared - but it made me dizzy and sick and very disorientated so it was discontinued after one tablet.  I went on to high dose Diclofenac + paracetamol which was fine, then down to Ibuprofen + paracetamol. I'm still on that because I'm waiting for a new knee.

In my experience the knowledge that your pain will be acknowledged and treated actually reduces the pain you feel and that fear of more pain and disregard of your reported pain makes the the pain much harder to cope with. So you were treated badly in both ways and I would contact the management and inform them of your experience. After all, you may be saving some other soul from the same experience.

Try to find some support, friends or family who will praise your progress and reassure you when you have the odd bad day - and most of us get a day now and then when nothing goes well, you feel achey, you are tired and you wonder why you bothered. Then next day your feel better again and progress is resumed.

I found that sleeping with a pillow under the knees and keeping the legs apart was surprisingly comfortable post-op.  The snag was that night time trips to the loo were quite frequent for the first few weeks and the pillow kept getting in the way when trying to get out of bed still half asleep.

I'm sure that things will improve, I was lucky with pain and good pain control.  I also had a good physiotherapist in hospital so was discharged ready to get on with rehab. Try to do the walking, preferably on a good surface and straightish line so you build up a rhythm.  If you have transport shopping malls at quiet times are a good option in bad weather and the two crutches help to make people dodge you. I hope that in a while you too will be heading off down the road with a light heart and the hospital experience will seem like a bad dream.

9

Thanks ros007. How many meg Diclofenac may I ask?

i didn't even write the part where I had a huge negative reaction to IV morphine, thought I was going to have a heart attack. OxyContin, I would hsvey given a million dollars for that. 

The pain in my operative front thigh is now almost gone. The pain seems to be coming from the bone, the surgery, deep inside my right but cheek.

I can lay on my back and pull both legs, slide them on the sheet until my ankles are practically on my butt. So yeah that will give me some temporary pain, but manageable. I'm going to have my GP make a house call and see me on Monday, so I will ask about the Diclofenac. This paracetamol I am taking 1,000 every 6 hours Does.Not.Cut.It

now that I am getting nourished if I could sleep pain free for eight or ten hors I would be okay. The lack of sleep because of pain is making me so tired. Does massaging that butt check help or hurt do you think? I don't want to make the pain worse. OxyContin, oxycotin, oh how I wish I could have that for one day, or night even.

10

Hi Jodi,

...I'm going to mention the pain meds I was given at the hospital for pain - all of them a lot stronger than morphine. 

Dilaudid - contains the active ingredient hydromorphone and is 10-15 x stronger than morphine. 

It can be given through the IV, or pills. 

(I have pills at home now)

Oxycodene - comes in ...

Instant/fast release (for breakthrough pain)

Regular release

Timed release 

I was given the Timed release, and then I could take the Instant release whenever I needed. 

(I have the instant release pills at home now)

I threw up a lot the first day post op - it could've been a reaction to the morphine I had in the anaesethic, and/or could've been the dilaudid. 

I got switched to oxycodene and did a lot better. 

I tried tramadol one day, but didn't like it. 

Im now down to Xtra Strength Tylenol when needed - Im 4 weeks post op now. Hope this helps, and good luck!

11

Almost 2am and only pain, no sleep. I have the Tramadol pills right here on my table but I am not going to take them. I mean I had really dark evil dreams and even semi awake dark thoughts on thatvTramadol. I am afraid to take it, I don't know what I might do to myself if I took it. 

Forget Monday, tomorrow (which is already here at 2am actually) tomorrow I am calling the surgeon back and getting something + the paracetamol. The thing is the pain is NOT a 10, more like an unrelenting 5 or 6. Oh God I'm so bad tonight. 

12

Did anybody take any antibiotics? I wasn't given any, however my blood pressure & temperature was regularly taken, I was just wondering if it is typical not to take any antibiotics after hip replacement surgery.

13

I live in California and doctors here are trying to stay away from antibiotics for a reason, they are not as effective as they used to be due to overuse and abuse

.

 

14

I live on the west coast of Canada. My surgeon is very particular about how things should be done - I was on antibiotics for the first two or three days in the hospital. 

15

1 50mg diclofenac 3 times a day plus 2 500mg paracetamol up to 4 times a day.  I stepped down to diclofenac twice a day then paracetamol 3 times a day and went down to ibuprofen 400mg 3 times a day with the paracetamol and step down from there. If the pain feels persistent then use the 200mg ibuprofen and step down in 200mg steps. You can also get diclofenac in 25mg if you need a slower step down initially.

16

I asked about antibiotics. He gave me a massive dose of something which he did name but I forget it during surgery and antibiotic loaded cement. I had two showers with hibiscrub pre-op for skin prep. The wound was completely closed (no drains, subcuticular sutures and superglue) and I was monitored for wound condition and body temperature daily.

The ward was neurotic about cross infection. We had our own chairs which no one else could use, antiseptic wipes in the loo and boy did they clean the ward even the curtain rails were wiped down every day.

So no oral antibiotic, high dose local administration, closed wound and he reckoned that was the best option - so far so good.

17

Thank you. Out of everybody your description comes closest to my experience, including having to shower the night before and the morning of, with that iodine type product. Of course even though I asked for a private room, my bathroom did not have a shower. In the hospital I asked about anti biotics and was simply told you got some during your surgery. My drain only filled 125 cl after the first day, then there was effectively nothing.

My husband got up at 3am to find me ANY pain meds we had in the house, we didn't find any. I had some ,out of date paracetamol+codeine but I didn't take it since it had paracetamol in it and I had taken 1,000 mg of paracetamol 2 1/2 hours previous. This was from when I had shingles a few years back. What I found was a tube of topical volterene, my husband rubbed that on my butt cheek and it was just enough to let me sleep 5 1/2 hours. 

I called the hospital but my surgeon is off today. My GP will see me at home today, so today should be a better day. I am proud I stayed strong and did NOT take the Tramadol. Today WILL be a better day. It has to be.

18

Hope your GP can help. Good decision about the combined pain-killer, some people are incredibly sensitive to paracetamol. According to a friend of mine who does research on liver it depends on which version of an enzyme you have but one extra tablet can give some people real problems.

Now you have started to take control of the situation you will find it easier to build your rehab if you are anything like me. If the pain becomes your choice and you can manage it to some extlent it is easier to work with it and learn to pace yourself through it (I still have it in my knee which will be replaced in a few weeks time). When you feel it is imposed you resent it and this makes it harder to plan round it and get on with life.  If you aren't sleeping either this makes it worse because you are tired post-op anyway. I found that though I thought I was sleeping at night I was still napping in the late afternoon.

Hang in there.  It will get better, the pain will ease and you will get more mobile.

19

On my goodness what a terrible time you have had.  I was in and out of hospital in less that 48 and walking about a mile with the crutches two days later.   I found that taking paracetamol four times a day and Tramadol three times a day was fine for the first ten days and then gradually cut out the Tramadol until by week four I was taking paracetamol when I got up to ease the soreness from being in bed all night and before bed.

the depression will lift now that you are home  I hope.  I knitted scarves and did jigsaws and tapestry, to help with the boredom.   Also getting out is great.   I tried to get out for a mile at least every day as long as it wasn't icy underfoot.

imso hope that you feel a bit easier soon.  Hugs!

20

Ross, many thanks. Yes, I'm not one to take fate in my hands and ignore how damaging drugs that are supposed to help you can be when taken improperly. 

My GP just left. He gave some prescriptions to my husband but we can't read them, hid handwriting is so bad. But I did tell him directly that I worry that you will under prescribe me, he said he would not, he said he would give me something sufficient. I am leery of him because when I got tendinitis in both legs between my knee and my hip 3 years ago, I had already taken Aleve for 3 weeks before I saw him and what did he prescribe me? Aleve which is naproxen. After about a month of taking that prescription he gave me which was not doing any good, I looked closely at the box and saw it was naproxen. The level of pain I had described to him with my tendonitis, he should have given me something more than naproxen. So he has under prescribed me pain meds before so I am leery. 

My husband is at the pharmacy right now, I'm so happy. I told him since my surgery I have not had pain control, let's hope he comes through. Even though I suffered terribly last night STILL so proud I didn't take the Tramadol.  I hope, just dearly HOPE my husband brings back something that works for me. If I can just control this pain I can get through this. I am almost there, the muscle pain is gone, the sciatic nerve has calmed, if I can just wait for the surgery site, the bones deep inside that right butt cheek to heal by getting pain meds I'll be okay, I know it. 

Even that 5 hours of sleep, just 5 hours I feel so much better, less bone pain.    This morning walking to toilet I stopped putting full weight on the foot.