The back of my leg was bleeding through the bandages for 2 days. There was a puncture wound where the clamps were holding my skin apart to see the knee area clearly during surgery, and on the 3rd day the surgeon put stitches in to stop the bleeding. Maybe this was why my hemoglobin was low, as the nursing staff had to change the bloody sheets multiple times, waiting for the wound to scab over.
Also on day 3, I was able to stand and walk down the halls of the hospital with a walker and an aide. The pain was still out of control though. I had so many different pain medications going through my system and nothing was helping me. The staff kept asking me what number he pain was from 0-10. It was always 8-10.
The anesthesiologist came by to see me. He said that because of the delay in recovery from the epidural and nerve block, the next knee surgery would have to be general anesthesia. I smiled and said, "Doctor, I don't have 3 knees! I am not planning on any more knee replacement surgeries!" This was the first good laugh I had in days.
Then on the next day, a Saturday during Memorial Day weekend, the staff decided to send me by ambulance to reside in a skilled care rehabilitation center for a while in order to get the pain under control and have physical and occupational therapy twice daily. The ambulance took me to Pacifica, California, to a lovely place overlooking the ocean. We actually saw whales through the ambulance windows on the way there. This gave me a sign of hope that things would improve.
Stay tuned for Part 3, next week!
In Gratitude,
KJ Landis
Also on day 3, I was able to stand and walk down the halls of the hospital with a walker and an aide. The pain was still out of control though. I had so many different pain medications going through my system and nothing was helping me. The staff kept asking me what number he pain was from 0-10. It was always 8-10.
The anesthesiologist came by to see me. He said that because of the delay in recovery from the epidural and nerve block, the next knee surgery would have to be general anesthesia. I smiled and said, "Doctor, I don't have 3 knees! I am not planning on any more knee replacement surgeries!" This was the first good laugh I had in days.
Then on the next day, a Saturday during Memorial Day weekend, the staff decided to send me by ambulance to reside in a skilled care rehabilitation center for a while in order to get the pain under control and have physical and occupational therapy twice daily. The ambulance took me to Pacifica, California, to a lovely place overlooking the ocean. We actually saw whales through the ambulance windows on the way there. This gave me a sign of hope that things would improve.
Stay tuned for Part 3, next week!
In Gratitude,
KJ Landis
RSS Feed