Leg, knee and wound pain

dreamdaisy

Well done on contacting the hospital mike, better safe than sorry! I agree with you about the NHS, it can be fantastic and very often is. The best nursing I have ever had has been in NHS hospitals, the worst was in a private one. Never again. DD

frogmorton

Excellent plan Mike.

You did right to ring with it being a friday. Hope you get some more ressurance when they call in.

Take care

Love

Toni xx

dorcas

that's great Mike

It's really good they have an outreach service. :!:

let us know what they say when they call in..... and pain always disappears the minute you make the call!!
a bit like having toothache and going to the dentist you always 'think' it's gone.

glad you're having it checked out... wounds can be a bit unpredictable and you need to know it's aok.

Iris xx

mjking

Hi Everyone

Hospital Out Reach guy came about an hour ago and gave me the OK. Apparrently knee and groin pain are very common after a hip op. He saw no signs of DVT and said I'd know if I had any problem there as leg goes very red and very hard.

Also said that being as mobile as I am (ie not in bed and not spending all day in a chair) meant chances of getting DVT were very low.

I've never smoked either, which is good.

So I'm just to rest the leg, do my exercises (but no more) and take over the counter pain killers.

It was good to get it looked at - really am impressed with the NHS service I'm getting in Birmingham!

Mike

dreamdaisy

That is good service - right, let's all move to Brum! I'm glad he could put your mind at rest, Mike. DD

mjking

Yep, he certainly did!

I felt I was kind of wasting their time but he said absolutely not, which made me feel better.

I know the NHS gets a lot of stick from some people, but I couldn't ask for more myself!

Mike

marion1952

That's very reassuring Mike.. such an excellent service - and he came so quickly too - no messing about there!!

I had heard from several people that the pain from a DVT was very severe indeed and that redness and hardness in the calf was the key symptom.. (A work colleague had one last year after breaking her ankle and she said she certainly knew there was something very wrong!!)

Enjoy the weekend..

Marion

speedalong

Hi Mike,

glad you feel reassured, was the outreach service part of the Royal Orthopedic hospital or a community based programme?

With pre-op pain we know what it is and with it being chronic it is familiar (if excruciating,) the new aches and pains post op are less familiar and it easy to worry .... Probably would be helpful if more info was given on what to expect and also advice on how to recognise a DVT as well as the advice on how to avoid one ....

Speedy

mjking

The outreach service is provided by the Royal Orth. Hospita, Speedy.

My cousin is a (Psychiatric) Sister Marion, and she's just told me the same as the guy today, that a DVT make's your leg very red and very hard and you'd know something really bad was happening!

I guess if I could fault the hospital at all it would be there didn't really give me enough info on DVTs.

(don't want to complain though, cause overal the service has been fantastic!)

Night everyone!

Mike

dorcas

That's great news Mike

and of course you weren't wasting anyone's time! it was really important to have it checked out and get reassurance.

what a great service...good old nhs!

have a restful weekend and don't be doing any heavy duty exercising!

Iris xxx

mjking

Thanks Iris

Trouble is I'm not really used to this and don't know my own body that well (probably a man thing?) so I seem to veer from thinking its nothing to I've got full blown DVT or worse!

I'm starting to drive my wife mad!

Have a good w/end.

Mike

dreamdaisy

I feel tempted to post a VERY CHEEKY reply to that, but I shall show some maturity and go to bed instead. Sleep well mike, I'll post here tomorrow. DD

marion1952

Hi Mike

Yes - I would have liked more post-operative information from the hospital too - that's the only criticism I have ...

I would have liked some rough guidance on how long to stay on the painkillers too ... I'm 11 weeks post-op now and today have not needed to take any Paracetamol (yippee) but I don't know if that's a 'normal' length of time to need painkillers!!


Marion

frogmorton

Mike

I am glad you are A-ok!!

It is a bit of a man thing you lot do sometimes ignore stuff and then panic

I know what you mean too Marion - When I had my back opp I had no idea what was the right length of time to be taking meds....felt such a wimp!!! :oops:

11 weeks and back on paracetamol sounds pretty good to me

Love

Toni xx

dreamdaisy

Surely you take pain meds as and when, because if it hurts you want to stop it hurting! I suppose the problem is EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! What is a mild niggle for one person is total agony for someone else - giving guidleines is therefore nearly impossible. Do what suits you, be responsible tho, and all will get sorted in the end. I reckon that mike, speedy and marion have all done the right thing to suit them, and they're all making wonderful progress. That's the important point. DD

mjking

Morning .....

Into my 3rd day of taking pin killers thru out the day & consiously resting my leg and the pain is less. Still quite acute from time to time but less often.

I think the key is to take the pain killers on a regular basis rather than wait or the pain to start/get worse.

Hope for gradual improvement each day ........

Mike

dreamdaisy

And that will happen if you take it steadily! You are doing OK mike, keep up the good work. DD

dorcas

morning Mike ,

and morning too to your long suffering other half...

(you know Mike you've left yourself wide open to some heavy duty teasing don't you?)

how's the leg this morn?

Iris xx
ps..just seen your post!

Yes taking the pain meds regularly to prevent the pain breaking through is what the docs advise. xx

mjking

Hi Iris

R "you know Mike you've left yourself wide open to some heavy"

I'm sure I have but where??

Mike

PS Leg pain almost gone at the moment!

marion1952

Hi Mike

Glad that the leg pain is better at the moment.. I did find that my leg/hip pain fluctuated quite a lot in the first 6-8 weeks or so and now (11 weeks) it's settled down to occasional discomfort /stiffness..

Silly me had expected to be totally pain-free after the operation, but it doesn't work like that!!

I remember now that one of the nurses had said to me just as I was discharged ... 'Don't forget to take your painkillers , YOUR'E GOING TO NEED THEM (she was right)..

best wishes

Marion

speedalong

Hi, I agree with DD - EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT, which makes giving guidence difficult.

In the early weeks I took my pain meds religiously. I was on paracetomol and codeine combo - I wanted to get off the codeine for the sake of my digestive system - so I started cutting down on the codeine during the day. Bit by bit I reduced until just on the paracetomol. Then I'd find myself forgetting to take them ... so realised I could switch to a as and when needed approach - which is what I'm on now. So if I overdo it I take them or if I'm going out and want to prevent pain I take them as a precaution.

Speedy

mjking

Thanks - as always - for the positive comments!

I think my problem (apart from scaring myself by reading up on DVTs ) is I was in almost no pain by the time I was discharged from hospital and very little for the next 10 days or so.

Then - about 15 days from the op the pain started. Made me thing something had gone wrong!

Just had my first visit to our local shopping centre since my op. Got on OK though tired and leg hurting but not to bad.

Having a rest on my bed now (wife's orders )

Mike

speedalong

Hi Mike,
if a lot of walking is involved - could always use shopmobility scheme for a few weeks rather than overdoing it again. Or take both crutches with you to give you a bit more support.

Speedy

mjking

Hi Speedy

I did use both crutches.

My wife estimates I walked for no more than 10 mins though she doesn't know I sneaked into Curry's for part of the time she thought I was having a coffee in McDonalds!

Mike

dreamdaisy

Such a boy thing! When is the new flat screen 52" telly being delivered then? DD