Day 17 - Hipless

Friday 25th September 2009

I didn’t sleep very well again last night but that’s to be expected.

Around midnight a nurse practitioner from ICU came to see me. Whenever anyone has been moved from ICU into the main ward, they always come to check to see how the patient is doing.

He examined me then asked how I was managing with the pain. I told him my hip was still hurting and that I was using the morphine dispenser quiet a bit.

One of the nightshift staff nurses came into the room and he asked her what had been planned in regards to my pain relief. The nurse replied that they were going to take me off the morphine dispenser and put me on oral painkillers.

He was not happy about that and said that the IV morphine had to remain in place. A bit of an argument took place then the nurse said he would have to take it up with one of the doctors.

Kermit popped in to see me just before breakfast. He was pleased with the way the operation had gone. I wouldn’t need a skin graft as he had been able to nip the skin around my hip together. However he wasn’t able to put in a replacement hip as there was too much infection. I gathered that was the case as I overheard it being mentioned when I was in intensive care, plus I didn’t have a bolster cushion wedged between my hips (the cushion is used to keep the new hip in place for 24 hours).

I asked Kermit how long before he would be able to put in a new hip. He replied that it would be several months as it couldn’t be put in while the infection was still there. He sympathised and said that it probably wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but it was for the best that he waited as long as possible.

A sister from the Pain Unit called to see me in the morning. She said that they were going to put me on stronger oral painkillers so the IV morphine would be removed. It looked like the ICU practitioner had lost the argument…

Two ‘central line’ nurses came to see me. They had come to check that the line was working ok.

Andrew, the microbiologist, also called and explained that samples of the infection had been taken during the operation. Cultures would then be grown to establish what kind of germs they were so they could give me the correct antibiotics. He should have some information in the next couple of days. In the mean time they would start me back on the IV antibiotics again.

Alicia and Lisa, the two ward physiotherapist, came to get me get out of bed. I couldn’t put any weight on my left leg as there was no hip joint to support is, so moving was extremely difficult and boy did it hurt like hell !!!!!! However I managed somehow to get to the chair and they were both pleased with what I had done.

I mentioned to John that evening that my time in ICU definitely wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, and that in a strange sort of way, I had actually enjoyed it.

John commented that when one of the nurses had come to take him to see me, they had told him I was doing well and that they couldn’t see why I had been brought in to intensive care as there wasn’t anything wrong with me…