Day two

Not feeling quite on top of the world this morning. The spinal block has worn off  and I know that I have had hip surgery.  I have a small device strapped to my hand which the nursing staff call a PCA but I just call it my DP or drug pump.  I am supposed to push the button for instant pain relief.  No problems pushing the button (which I will probably wear out before too long), but the drug which comes out IS THE WRONG ONE.  I want the one I had immediately post-op, you know the one that made me sensation free below the waist.  It seems that no amount of pleading (or, for that matter mother/daughter talks) will convince the nursing staff to change it.

A side effect from the medication in my DP is that it makes me incredibly itchy.  I am scratching myself like a demented monkey with fleas.  I put my hand down to scratch and it gets tangled in the myriad of cables and cords that seem to be emerging all over my body.  It makes me think I am lying on my back under my computer desk at home.  You know what I mean - we all have spaghetti junctions under there, unless you have gone wireless.  I feel I should tell the staff about this concept called WiFi.  I also think that there might be a certain amount of hallucinating going on here as a further side-effect of my DP!!

It was a busy morning.  At one stage I had three people lined up wanting to either wash me, take blood, change dressings etc etc and THEN came a visit from the physiotherapist.  She had been to each patient in the room and had successfully got them out of bed so I was looking forward to my turn.  Well, let's just say I tried.  I got as far as sitting up and then my blood pressure plummeted, and fearful that I would too, the physio swiftly had me on my back in the bed again.  We did try again later in the day with no better results.  Oh well, tomorrow will be better.
 
I was taken on a little outing to the radiology department this morning.  I thought that was extremely thoughtful of the staff to give me a change of scenery and also to get me away from the snorers who were all having their morning nap.  When I returned to the ward, joy of joys, I was given my own room.

I spent the rest of the day dozing, revelling in the peace and quiet and pushing the button on my DP.  And, in case she is reading this, doing the bed exercises the physio had given me to do.