Thank you all for the kind words! I wanted to write in detail exactly how I felt leading up to the surgery. There is no sugar coating it, it is a daunting and tough process.
One major piece of advice. You will need some sort of support system for the first week ATLEAST. It is mentally and physically exhausting. I had gone into the surgery without telling a single soul and I regretted it. Even a diary like this could be your support system. A group of others who are also doing LL currently could be a support system. Reach out to people here in the forum and if you can, have your parents or close friends who you can trust in on it. Trust me on this.
On to the experience…
The first week was hell. The most pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. I thought it was never going to end.
The very first day after the surgery was completed, I was stuck in bed for the entire day. Legs were heavy and every movement was agonizing. What made the process easier were the nurses who were beyond helpful. Exceeded my expectations with always being on time and friendly with any requests. It felt as if they genuinely cared for you and was not just “doing their job” for the sake of it.
Dr. Giotikas walks in and greeted me early on the second day. He helped me attempt to move my legs and the motions I should be practicing but my legs were throbbing in pain. It was a solid 8-9/10 pain. The motion was to bend you knees up to 90 degrees from a straight position. It was apparently supposed to be doable but not for me. He advised me a physiotherapist would come later in the evening to help me walk. Time passes by as I’m staring at the ceiling drowsy with the pain killers that the nurses give. There is no willpower to look at your phone or do anything but try and sleep. Literally. The next few days felt like this. You’re lying in bed just surrounded with thoughts. This is why I mention having a support group who you can reach out to and talk to. Dr. Giotikas and the physiotherapist walk in to help me walk. They sit me up on the side of the bed for the first time and man it was PAINFUL. The motion from having your legs straight to then having them bent 90 degrees sitting on the side of the bed felt as if your muscles were ripping apart. I attempt to stand up and hold on to the walker and it was possible but a sharp throbbing pain shot up my right leg and I apparently passed out standing. The pain was a solid 10/10 even more if I could rate make a higher scale. I wake up and Dr. Giotikas and the physiotherapist are standing over me as I’m back to lying on the bed. He tells me that I passed out and that we will try again tomorrow. I was filled with disappointment thinking I’d be superior in recovery because of my flexibility and leg strength from before but man was I wrong.
The day goes by again staring at the ceiling, checking my phone a couple times and looking around at the other patients in the room. One thing was that, no offence to the Greek community, but they are extremely loud. It was tough sharing a room at times when they would have family over. It would get very loud and impossible to sleep. Maybe the sounds are exaggerated since I was in such a weak state but it was constantly loud and the lights would be left on. They would watch TV late at night at max volume which would then again affect my sleep. I might be nitpicking here but I would like to list my experience on how I truly felt during my stay. Today is the day I try to walk again. The physiotherapist helps me sit on the side of the bed and lets me stay there for about 10 minutes. This helps me to warm up my legs. Then as soon as he comes back, he makes me stand with the help of the walker. I stood there as my legs were shaking with 90 percent of my weight on my triceps. As I slowly put more and more weight on to my feet, I feel the sharp pain rushing up my right leg. I start to feel light headed all of a sudden with the pain and inform the physiotherapist. I could see myself passing out again. He quickly sits me back in bed, raises my leg back into a sleeping position and I fall into a deep sleep exhausted from the very little movement that was performed. A way to describe the exhaustion is for anyone who works out. After a very big leg day, you often feel very light headed and exhausted to the legs. This was the exact feeling but 10 times that. And you feel it instantly for the smallest task such as standing up on your feet.
At this point I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was progressing very slowly. I was not walking yet nor was I even standing for 10 seconds. There were two more hospital days before I get released back to my AirBNB.
On the 3rd day, skipping all the dull parts of lying in bed eagerly waiting for the painkillers. Unable to move my legs much even at this point. The physiotherapist comes back to help my walk. I do the usual where I sit on the side of the bed for 10 minutes, then attempt to stand on the walker. I finally was able to do it. I was standing on the walker, still with most of my weight held by my triceps. I managed to take a few steps but the sharp pain of someone stabbing a knife into the right leg was still there. I tried to put all my weight onto my left leg so it would reduce the pain on the right and it was working. However, after taking about 5-6 steps I was feeling dizzy once again. I quickly returned to bed and fell back into a deep sleep. As the evening approached, I still in the last few days have not went to Number 2 yet. At this point I needed to and called a male nurse to help me go to the bathroom. I had felt confident and strong at this point that I was able to get out of bed and go to Number 2. The nurse brought a rolling commode toilet seat and attempted to transfer me directly from the bed to the seat. This transfer was another one of the most painful experiences in my life. I was shaking vigorously as he was transferring me due to the pain and as soon as I sat on the hard plastic commode toilet seat, it was unbearable pain. I passed out again apparently. I woke up in bed with a 3-4 nurses surrounding me calling my name to make sure I was awake and alert. I answered them and they did a few checkups and took bloodwork. I hated how it felt. To be completely useless in bed. It was almost depressing how much pain it was and how useless I felt. Once again, the nurses are godsend. So friendly and always there for you. They were one of the things keeping me going.
Quick recap of day 4. I still could not walk the whole day. I think pain was gradually getting better as today I could go to the bathroom for Number 2 by taking steps from first into the walker then sitting in the rolling commode toilet seat. The pain today was still 8-9/10 for every movement and was consistently 9/10 while sitting on the toilet seat. For the next day you had many option on how you could go home.
1. You can go home alone in a taxi.
2. You can hire a nurse to help you go home and setup and any other tasks. The nurse was there at your service for however long you would like to have them and they could help you with anything you need.
3. Stay in the hospital for additional days until you are ready to go home.
I was actually recommended by the doctor that I could take another day in the hospital due to the slow progress I had made. I instead decided to hire a nurse to take me home. This was something I regretted later on. I wished I had stayed in the hospital for an additional few days until I could independently walk. Or at least had a nurse with me during the day to help me with food, water and going to the bathroom. The essentials. If I had to do it again, I would FOR SURE stay in the hospital (especially if you are doing this alone) or have the nurse with you full time until you can walk. The additional amount of money you pay is almost negligible compared to the cost of the surgery. Please do not make the mistake I did. The first few days at home after the hospital is a whole other story on its own. I’m not sure how I’ll take this diary. I might just be writing quick recaps of the days or so.
The one thing to keep in mind is after the first week to week and a half, life gets tremendously better. It went from the worst pain of my life and feeling useless/semi-depressed to feeling amazing with very little pain in comparison. It felt like the days at the hospital were never ending but It really does get better fast. Just give it a week.
Also another note is that I’ve spoken to quite a few patients here and not everyone experienced the pain I did. More than half the patients did not experience much pain the first week and were able to walk normally. I guess everybody is different and how your body reacts to the surgery is unique. Mine was for the worse but now I’m glad it’s over.
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Topic: Dr. Giotikas Femurs Stryde - Pain (Read 3663 times)