After my operation the first couple of days that followed were long and difficult. I did not get much sleep. The eating part was not too bad I was hungry and I ate what I was served regardless of how it looked. The nurses that worked at the beginning of my stay were simply put amazing. They really made my stay an enjoyable one as odd as that may sound being that I was staying at a hospital. The gentlemen who was assigned to me to help me do my physio was great as well he really helped me get back some strength in leg and gave a great set of exercises to help me along in my recovery. He also pushed me and helped me stay positive.
So come Wednesday night it was decided that they were going to take me off the IV, the morphine and take my catheter out. So the removal of the catheter was a very different feeling, in that it's as thought I was going for a pee but a hose was being pulled out. Now the real fun part is the nurses wait to see if you can pee on your own and check on you every 30 minutes or so. Well being that I was unable to do this I got the privilege of having the "In Out" procedure performed on me. So basically what is done is they take at hose not as long as the catheter but long enough to reach your bladder and you take a deep breath, bite down on a pillow and yell! Once the this hose reaches your bladder the wiggle it in there and make you go pee. Now thank god that I only had to go thru this lovely experience once. So the other thing that they wanted me to do was a bowl movement. So the nurse that just poked and prodded me brought over a commode on wheels but what he did not know was the extensive damage that my leg had gone thru. He plopped me on the chair and took me over to the washroom. Now I am sitting on this commode and nothing is happening except for a ridiculous amount of pain and I realize in my drug like state that I am sitting on the fractures. I buzz him and have him bring me back to my bed. I am in sheer agony and calmly ask him to get the doctor. Me with my amazing luck the doctor is almost home and has to turn around and come back to the hospital. 30 minutes later he shows up, he asks the nurse to leave us for a moment. I really tried to stay calm but I was not impressed with this nurse from the beginning of the night as he could care less about his job performance let alone the patients. So explained to the doctor that I am dying of pain here and it's clearly because the staff is not educated about the patients. He got me a couple morphine shots to help with the pain along with some percocept. This doctor by the way was one of 2 residents that were watching over me and both residents were truly a great doctors and took the time with their patients regardless of how busy they were.
Now my first roommate was a good guy we got along right from the get go. Being that I never ordered cable we would watch the Olympics from his TV all the time and chat about all kinds topics. He really helped me thru some tough times. My second roommate was this kind and sweet older gentleman that could make me laugh at the drop of hat. He truly helped me thru my last days at the hospital before being released. He also tried finding me a girlfriend at the hospital with a vacuum cleaner. Which was always a good laugh. To this day I still visit him at the hospital being that he was in surgery a week and a bit after I was released. Unfortunately for him, he is going to be in the hospital for at least another 2 months. My next visit with him I plan on bringing in some real food as would not want to eat the items they seem to call food?
Now my only complaints about my stay would first be the morphine with drawls that gave some freaky nightmares for 48 hours. Second would be the 2 nurses that really should not be nurses, as mentioned above the one does not seem to really care and the other was two faced. It was funny because when my parents would be visiting she was all bubble gum smiles and full of pep. However the minute they would leave for the night her head would turn like in the Exorcist and the she devil would come out to play. I had her as a night nurse for 3 nights and tried so hard to turn the other cheek but I just wanted to ring her neck! Now my last complaint was about a certain resident that simply put belittled me, could not be bothered to hear what I had to say and ended the conversation by saying "Life is Pain" then walked away. Now the irony of it all it happens that this clown ended up be the resident to the specialist that was going to operate on my second roommate, so I got the privilege of seeing him one more time before being released.
Overall it was a decent stay. I had many visitors that came to see me which made things easier and I would like to thank you for taking out the time to see me and bringing me flowers, fruit baskets, magazines and treats! I also received phone calls from all across Canada from family and friends which was also great and allowed me to keep my sanity.
I would also like to thank all the staff at St. Joseph's hospital for doing such a great job in my recovery and the specialist for doing a great surgery on me.
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