1-15-2022 Linda is recovering

(Tricia)

Linda's surgery yesterday got off to a rocky start. As Marilyn mentioned in her last post, they had told me that her surgery was scheduled for 12:30 pm.  I got here at 10:30 am expecting to offer Linda support, sign the consent forms, and even discuss the surgery in more detail with the doctor.

Instead, I arrived at 10:30 to find Linda's empty room. A nurse let me know that Linda had already been taken to surgery 30 minutes before. I hurried down to the surgery floor and arrived just in time for them to bring me back to see Linda in pre-op. Only then did I speak with the orthopedic surgeon doing the procedure. 

The day prior, I had spoken with the orthopedic doctor on call at the time, who advised that surgical intervention was the best way to stop Linda's pain and for her to regain her mobility. He said that she would likely be able to restart her rehab in earnest after two weeks of doing targeted occupational therapy specifically designed to help her recover from this surgery. All this was true. But he gave a very positive spin to the surgery and recovery process. That tone changed significantly when I arrived at pre-op, where the orthopedic surgeon immediately told me that Linda's partial hip replacement would limit her mobility and she likely would be confined to using a walker for the rest of her life. Only when pressed did he soften slightly to say that some patients do recover enough to use a cane.

So, I had gone to the hospital thinking that the surgery would help Linda return, over time, to her previous recovery trajectory, only to be told 10 minutes before they wheeled her away to the OR that her mobility is likely to be far more limited. Moreover, had I been 15 minutes later, they would have taken Linda to surgery with no family present, and without me there to sign the consent forms. 

I was very upset about how it all was handled--that said, I don't think we could have made a different decision regarding the surgery. From everything we read (after the fact), the partial hip replacement was the best option for Linda. 

She was officially in surgery at a little after 11:00 yesterday, and she was in recovery just before 2:00.  The surgeon came out to let me know how the surgery went, and I let him know that I was upset that I wasn't called to be informed of the change in time!  He (sort of) apologized, but said that "surgeries get moved around" as needed. And when I told him I really needed to be called so I could sign the paperwork, he said that they "knew there was a sister, but they weren't sure where I was 'in the mix.'" That was particularly unbelievable, because the pre-op nurse told me my name and cell phone number was on the paperwork as guardian.

Linda spent the rest of the day sleeping--because of her age and condition, it took longer for the anesthesia to clear her system than it would for a younger person with no other issues. She was still mostly asleep when I left around 8:00 last night (although she did respond with a very weak good-bye!). I got a call at 6:45 am this morning from a nurse saying that Linda was "wide awake," but confused and scared. But she calmed down and reoriented after we spoke for a few minutes.

After I got here this morning, Linda worked with both the physical therapist and occupational therapist, who worked with her hip and leg and gave instructions for how the new hip should be cared for over the next few weeks (no crossing her legs!). The OT came back in the afternoon to use a mechanical sling (attached to a contraption in the ceiling) to lift Linda out of bed and get her sitting up in the recliner next to her bed. Of course, she's already upset that she can't get up and walk right now! As much as she'll hate it, she'll continue to work with the therapists for as long as she's in the hospital (should be two to three more days). Then, she'll return to NHC to continue therapy.

The only very small part of good news in all of this: This "qualifying event" resets her insurance, so that her insurance company will now once again pay for the skilled nursing facility and skilled physical therapy . At least for the next 20 days.

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