This is topic Leonard's Update in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on November 30, 2005, 07:00 PM:
Nancy sent me an E-mail earlier and asked that I let you all know that Leonard had a partial knee replacement under general anesthesia. All went well and he should be up tomorrow and home by Fri. or Sat.
Posted by varmit hunter (Member # 37) on November 30, 2005, 09:36 PM:
Great. Hope he got the model with the grease fitting.
Posted by Jack Roberts (Member # 13) on November 30, 2005, 09:47 PM:
General anesthesia is bad news. If you gotta do it you gotta, but for me it about equal to being run over by a loaded dump truck or maybe some LA street gang beating on you for a half hour.
Jack
Posted by Jay Nistetter (Member # 140) on November 30, 2005, 11:17 PM:
Here's wishing Leonard nothing but the best and a speedy (painless) recovery.
Posted by Crow Woman (Member # 157) on December 01, 2005, 02:15 AM:
Get Well Wishes Leonard! Hurry Back!
Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on December 01, 2005, 05:58 AM:
Jack, you are right, also a general increases risk substantially. A spinal was attempted unsuccessfully making the general neccessary.
Nancy took a lap top to Leonard so he can check in here. It would be cool to overwhelm his e-mail with well wishes.
Posted by Gerald Stewart (Member # 162) on December 01, 2005, 01:11 PM:
Now he is Bionic to go along with his dashing looks and cranky attitude. Sounds like a good model for a new action series on the TV.
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 01, 2005, 02:28 PM:
Leonard, Do what the dr says. Walk when he tells you. Don't go any further when the pretty physical therapist says to stop. Don't worry about the coyotes. The rest of us will take up thye slack. Just work to get back on both feet and soon.
I don't know, Jack. Despite the side effects that linger following general anesthesia, I think I would rather be "out" for the procedure versus the spinal or a local of some type. I've scrubbed in on knee and hip replacements back when I was in training for my EMS career and, quite frankly, if it's my extremity they're working on, I don't wanna see what they're doing. Bone chips flying everywhere as they go at you with this stainless steel, surgical grade pneumatic dremel tool-like doohicky prepping the bone ends for the prosthetic implants. All the stretching and pulling of ligaments,tendons and muscles to gain access to the work site really opens your eyes to why the pt is so sore afterwards. Definitely not for the squeamish.
Then again, if it was me, I'd wanna see the whole thing. Last time I was in the ER, I had a big laceration to my right hand stitched up. My doc knows I'm a taxidermist, so at my request, he got me and my hand positioned in such a way that I could watch and he took the opportunity to show me some really neat new stitches. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
[ December 01, 2005, 02:29 PM: Message edited by: Cdog911 ]
Posted by Bill (Member # 49) on December 01, 2005, 02:58 PM:
Leonard, best wishes and a full and speedy recovery.
Bill
Posted by Baldknobber (Member # 514) on December 01, 2005, 03:04 PM:
Leonard, here's hoping they still have limes and tequila in California. If you drink enough it will move the pain from your knee to your head. Take care and speedy recovery. Todd.
Posted by Bud/OR (Member # 450) on December 01, 2005, 04:50 PM:
Hey Leonard,
Have a speedy recovery and....don't forget to use your 'infirmity' as a tool. Your compassionate wife might just think a new ATV would keep you off that knee. Christmas is coming, you know. Have a happy one.
Bud
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 01, 2005, 11:45 PM:
You know how hard it is for me to do this? I have been trying to connect (off and on) all day!
This is miserable shit. Very uncomfortable, not going well, at all.
Talked to Rich this afternoon, watched his video.
Jack's right, general anesthesia sucks. They couldn't get a needle in my spine, but like Lance said, I really didn't want to see all that drilling and tapping anyway.
I'm really miserable. This better be worth it?
Good Hunting. LB
Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on December 02, 2005, 03:23 AM:
Leonard,
Good to see you back so soon.
Hang in there, we'll save a coyote or two for you to hunt later.
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on December 02, 2005, 04:19 AM:
Leonard, sorry to hear that it's not going well. Hope it gets better soonest!!!!
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 02, 2005, 04:25 AM:
Hang in there Leonard. I have an uncle that finally had both knees replaced about five years ago, fifteen years after they should have been done. Unfortunately, he waited too long and put it off for too long. Although his knees are now great, the muscles in the backs of his legs and lower back became so retracted from the compensatory posture he used for years to just be able to walk that he can no longer get around without a cane, and occasionally, a walker. His unwillingness to pay a high deductible and "suffer" through the recovery phase of the surgery years ago when it could have been done and when it would have fully restored his ability to walk and get around cost him his mobility. Today, he'll tell you that the discomfort from his recovery is nothing compared to the pain he feels knowing he cost himself the ability to get around normally because he waited too long. It gets better. Thoughts and prayers are with ya, man.
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on December 02, 2005, 05:39 AM:
Can't keep a good man down Leonard. You'll be up soon!
You're setting a good example, too. Very little doubt I'll be kneeding a knew knee or two myself at some point.
- DAA
Posted by scruffy (Member # 725) on December 02, 2005, 07:26 AM:
Get well soon Leonard!!! My wife's grandmother (who's alot older than you are) just had her knees done, one at a time over a years time. She had a hard recovery after each surgery. It's been almost a year since the second surgery and she can almost out run me now LOL!!!
It's quite a site to see her jump out of the pew after church and litterally run over to my wife to see her great grand baby before my parents and my wife parents get there. (I just get out of the way!!!)
later,
scruffy
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 02, 2005, 10:45 AM:
I HAD abladder type thing that had cold water circulating and the purpose is to keep swelling down. Well, it leaked all night and the nurse kept telling me it was condensate. Soaked my dressing and my sheets and blankets. Eventually, she realized (4:30) that it had a hole in it and cut it out of the dressing. BUT. She never came back to wrap me up and I was fiddling with a pillow, for comfort, because I couldn't get any response, and disconnected a tube on my IV and didn't realize it right away, but blood was pouring out the tube and it still took fifteen minutes to get her down here. She decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to install another one because it was clogged, so now I get no antibiotics and instant pain meds.
So, there I am, knocked out, missed breakfast and here comes physical therapy, who thinks I'm going to do exercises with my dressing down around my ankle! Stupid chick. Why the night nurse didn't rewrap me, I don't know? I did get a little salty, probably building a rap sheet? Especially when I told them to either remove the catheter, or I would. God, is that an unpleasant sensation!
I just dumped part of the contents of the urnal between my legs. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
It's been going like that.
Good hunting. LB
Posted by scruffy (Member # 725) on December 02, 2005, 11:26 AM:
Hey Leonard, my wife is an RN/BSN, and I've had a couple of surgeries myself which really opened her eyes what a bad nurse does to a patients recovery.
My first surgery I had a really bad nurse, she gave me a pitcher of water to drink, I drank 1/2 of it or so, puked it all over myself (not pleasant, had a 2 hour surgery on my neck that time), she then told me it would dry and walked out of the room. My wife followed her out. A bit later I had another nurse assigned to me. Later on my wife and my father in law were outside and he had to restrain my wife when she saw that nurse in the parking lot after her shift.
After another surgery I got to my room after being in rocovery for over 9 hours waiting for a room and got wheeled in (another neck surgery) and the nurse was looking for someplace to put down her charting, looked over at the little table next to the bed which had an emergency airway kit (cut hole in neck...) on it. She said outloud, "What is this? Probably left from the person before." and lifted it up, put down her chart, and then proceeded to leave with the airway kit. My wife followed and returned with the airway kit. The nurse had thrown it away. Fortunately I didn't need to use it, but if my airway would have swollen shut that would have saved me. Oh, it wasn't long after that I got a different nurse.
If I were you I'd ask for the nurse manager or the charge nurse. Tell them you are not satisfied with the nursing care and want to file a complaint with the hospital. Hopefully that'll help.
Hang in there!!!
later,
scruffy
[ December 02, 2005, 11:27 AM: Message edited by: scruffy ]
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 02, 2005, 11:40 AM:
I'm with scruffy. No reason for that kind of care. Ask for hospital administration and explain to them what is going on. I have found that when you go to the boss's boss's boss, the shit starts rolling downhill a lot faster. Good luck and keep us posted.
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on December 02, 2005, 12:40 PM:
Leonard; You get what you settle for and you deserve what you get. Do NOT settle for that kind of treatment. Speak to management.
Posted by R.Shaw (Member # 73) on December 02, 2005, 02:02 PM:
Leonard,
I know you are tough enough to handle the situation you are in. If your treatment does not improve, try using some Magic Mist down the hallways. Start misting as soon as you press the button and don't stop until you receive assistance.
Randy
Posted by 2dogs (Member # 649) on December 02, 2005, 05:59 PM:
It rains on the good et bad. Sounds like your in a down-pour, Leonard. I'll pray for ya.
Posted by Az-Hunter (Member # 17) on December 02, 2005, 07:52 PM:
Leonard; sounds like your on the road to recovery my friend!, salty, grumbling about the accomodations,making threats to the staff about removing your catheter....yeah....your doing fine:)
Any time they mess with bone, it's an aching,gnawing pain, I know a bit about the discomfort your going thru. I just pissed and moaned when I had ankle reconstruction, that I needed relief, it came in the form of a needle, I cant for the life of me remember what it's called....but man, did it provide relief!
You hang in there, bite your tongue when delaing with those nurses, like a cook who spits on a complaining customers steak when returned, they have ways to screw you up:)
Good to hear all went well, no the work begins with therapy, your gonna love that!
Posted by canine (Member # 687) on December 02, 2005, 08:16 PM:
get well leonard.. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posted by huntress (Member # 322) on December 02, 2005, 09:32 PM:
Leonard.... sorry to hear about your crappy nurse, I'm a nurse too and that's down right un ethical, you shouldn't have to put with that!!
Az-hunter I bet it was a cotisone injection???
[ December 02, 2005, 09:34 PM: Message edited by: huntress ]
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 02, 2005, 10:33 PM:
Thanks again for the well wishes. I think I can go home tomorrow?
They are sending a "potty chair" crutches and a machine that bends my knee so many degrees for hours at a time, with a motor in a padded frame. I think they will send a psy therapist home with me but not sure when that will start?
Good hunting. LB
Posted by JoeF (Member # 228) on December 03, 2005, 09:50 AM:
Leonard, best of luck to you, buddy. I've been putting off what you're going through for quite a few years. Your progress reports are being monitored closely and my thoughts are with you.
I was told in 1992 that I would need my left knee done within 7 years. The good news is that they were a bit short sighted, the bad news is that they were right. Keep us posted on the recovery and end result - I know at least one chicken that is watching closely!
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