This Jiffy Knee procedure didn't go as expected. Instead of a spinal the anesthesiologist did a general anesthesia because my spine is messed up. So I ended up in the hospital for 9 days. 9 days because my bp was low(even though I told them it's always low!). Of course being a big medical facility they have their rules so low bp means they didn't let you out of bed enough for PT to do much with me.
It was so frustrating!
There was a scare the day after surgery as I was bleeding from the incision site. I narrowly avoided a blood transfusion. Dr. a wound vacuum on me and that fixed the problem. I think I ended up with three different wound vacuums by the time they discharged me.
The caseworker was suppose to be finding a facility here in PA where I could rehab at but she hadn't found one by day 9(and I was deemed medically able to be discharged on day 6)so Hubs drive me home on the evening of day 9. Boy was that a mistake! I had a hell of a time getting into the house and ended up falling slowly to the floor at the threshold.
Hubs called the Rescue Squad to get me off the floor, into a wheelchair then into the bed.
I stayed in that bed for two or three days as I was so weak.
The hospital had put a Foley bag on/in me and that had caused an infection so I was on antibiotics now as well. rah.
Things didn't start turning around until Home Health took the Foley catheter out of me.
Hubs had to buy a portable ramp to get me up two of the front steps and then stacked two paving stones at the front door to make the 9" step into a 5" step and a 4" step instead.
I made it the the surgical follow-up appt.(2.5 hours away each direction)the beginning of Nov. Didn't fall into the house when we got home this time but boy, was I tired.
So I've been working the Home Health PT program and next week I start outpatient PT and we'll see how that goes. The last TKR seems to have gone better but what do I know.
We got snow 2 days and here is tail end of it. Chester the chihuahua enjoyed it.
So that's it from here. Trying to get from the bed or chair to the bathroom and talking pills is my life right now. I hope everyone is doing better than me. 8-)
Sluggy
