Re: Hospital efficiency

it was decided last year I needed operations on hands and elbows on both arms, I asked how would I manage as I live alone ,so they decided to do 1 at a time. I take warfarin so that had to be stopped 3 days before op, so would have to have heparin injections instead. I was given 10 ready filled needles and told inject it in your thigh. Imagine giving yourself an injection with your left hand when you're actually right handed.

Re: Hospital efficiency

Hi Hazel

Thing is, I was asked if I'd "like" to give myself the injections to save me going to the clinic every day, but there's no way I could inject myself.

Anyone that can has my greatest respect, but I can't even watch a nurse injecting me, let alone do it myself. Okay, so I'm a coward.

I've been given 40 needles of Fragmin.

Hope both your arms are okay now though, lass.

Re: Hospital efficiency

No one asked me if I would like it done for me, i was asked had I done injections before I said no , nurse said Just stick the needle in and press the plunger. byee. It was only when I went back for the other hand 5 wks later that a nurse realised I might have had a problem. No ops didn't work.

Re: Hospital efficiency

I'm also a needle coward, thats nothing to be ashamed of. But I have just had hip replacement surgery and was told I have to self-inject daily in the stomach with Heperin for three weeks. I was as white as a sheet with fear and had the nurses spend an hour with a dummy showing me how to do it. I thought I could never do it. But I found I could do this quite easily because its virtually painless and only hurts if I leave a drop of heperin visible on the needle which causes the skin to sting a bit.

Having done it now for a couple of weeks, I actually feel quite proud that I have learned to self-inject myself. Yes, sometimes I do hesitate just before I do it, but i count to three, push it it in, gently squeeze and out. If i do it nice and slowly, you can't even see where I've done it. No blood, no briusing or anything.

I would honestly say if someone were to give me my injection while I was asleep, I wouldn't even notice it. Its that painless.

Re: Hospital efficiency

Graham matey, how are you getting on with your new hip??? Are you still on elbow crutches???? - are you having visits from the physio-terrorists???

Re: Hospital efficiency

Its been a hard slog, to be honest. I average 3 hrs sleep a night and its catching up with me. It aches something awful and I'm in worse pain now than before I had it done. But it is getting better. I'm still on crutches, although more for balance than to take weight. I've started my physio-torture last week which I have for the next six weeks.

Re: Hospital efficiency

Graham matey, sorry to hear you're still in so much pain.A few tips from me - firstly at night sleep on your side (opposite side to the hip replacement), put a pillow between your knees and use that to rest your leg and hip on. For pain relief - get yourself some Zapain (Paracetamol & Dihydrocodeine), plus a bottle of Oromorph. Take this medication at four-hourly intervals spaced two hours apart. You need a raised chair in the lounge (I presume your Hospital O.T. talked to you before your operation about this), and get yourself a high footstool too (you'll find this a lot more comfortable). If there are any other issues you need advice about - don't hesitate to PM me - I'm here to help.

Re: Hospital efficiency

Thanks for all that. I've been told flatly I'm not allowed to sleep on my side, as it will put me at extreme risk regardless of pillows etc. So I think I'm going to have to lump it. I am cocodamol (sp?) four times a day. It really only hurts when I sit or lay for a long time. If I'm moving about, its not really a problem. I have been given a chair to sit in adjusted for my height, as all the other chairs and sofas in my house are far below permitted height. But this chair sits me bolt upright and I think it used to be an electric chair in a previous life (minus straps and wires). After a while, its a pain to sit in. I have a footstool which I can use, but its hard to get really comfortable in because my seat is hard and shallow. I could really use one of them reclining seats so I can have a nap in.

Still..hopefully its not for too much longer...

Re: Hospital efficiency

Graham matey, when I had my hip replaced the first time, thew Hospital OT came to see me prior to admission and brought a number of things with her. One of them was a chair raiser - a metal block with four adjustable struts. Having removed the casters from my armchair, the struts slotted into the holes and the struts were raised according to the measurements taken by the OT. It wasn't perfect, but it was certainly a lot easier getting in and out of that armchair. I only handed back this piece of equipment earlier this year after I purchased my riser/recliner chair.

There is a company (helpinghand.co.uk) which can supply a number of disability aids too, like for instance a long-[handled shoe horn, an aid (Soxon) to help you get your socks on and off, and a helping hand itself - a strut with a gripper at the end to [pick things up off the floor and stopping you from bending over.

Re: Hospital efficiency

Thanks for that Uncle Joe,

My sofa has the wrong type of feet to fit riser blocks (already tried that ) I also have a handy gripper - I think I would have been in trouble if I didn't already have one, as well as the shoe and dressing sticks. I also spent time on electronic remotes so I can control most things in my house without bending over for plugs, nightlights so I can get around my house without disturbing lights on, wireless controls on my PC, a swivel on my TV so I can watch it from any angle, headsets to keep speaker sound down and a handy carry bag I have on my crutch which I keep my emergency phone, Kindle, Ipod and my emergency sweet stash. All I'm missing is a comfy chair.

My chair and my loo seats were lent to me from the hospital, but I think for now I may have to put up with it for a few more weeks, or at least until I can find a way of laying down on my sofa without "popping out".