Re: my mother had knee surgery
- From: "Adelle" <adNOstavis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:21:38 -0400
<surfunbear@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1152901028.277649.37920@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They gave her percaset pin killers several times a day and she put ice
on it allot as well. The pain goes on and on. It seems to me if the
pain is that bad, they should back off on the therapy or go easy with
it, it seems like they feel you have to go forward with it regardless
of the pain. I asked if your knee is going to turn to stone if you back
off on the therapy, but I don't really understand all of this. If there
is pain, then something from the surgery is not fully healed, otherwise
you would expect to be in pain endlessly. I am just concerned about the
emotional strain on my mother with her age and all. She said her
hospital stay was really horrible and she is still very upset from it
all even though I brought her home yesterday.
Will it turn to stone? No
Will it be as stiff and unbendable as stone? Yes
The answer is not stopping the therapy.
The answer is better pain management.
Percocet is just plain not strong enough for most people in this situation.
We had another group regular who inadequate pain control after a knee
replacement and we all urged her to speak up. Maybe a different drug, a
larger dose or different interval? Also, hospitals wait until you ask for
pain meds. But pain management is often better achieved when you "stay ahead
of the pain" by taking the medication on a time table, before the pain has a
chance to build up again.
These are all things for your mother to talk to her doctor about (or at
least, the resident checking up on her).
One last thing, and I say this not knowing your Mom - Some people have a
tendency to become depressed after surgery. I forget whether its a reaction
to the anesthesia or the physical trauma itself. But by being depressed, a
person feels less able to cope. That doesn't mean they can't cope, only that
they don't have faith in themselves. Maybe that's part of what is happening
to your mom. If it is, the best thing you can do is empathize, but still
encourage her to keep striving and not give up. By telling her to back off,
you are trying to be empathetic, understanding, compassionate, and humane.
But we can't protect our loved ones from pain in this situation. You may
actually be undermining her faith in her own ability to persevere and
recover.
Be her cheerleader and protector. Talk to the nursing staff about how your
mom's pain is interfering with her ability to do the physio, etc. Be her
advocate. And then do everything possible to boost her confidence and
perseverance. We can't take away the immediate pain, but we can act to help
them recover as fully as possible so they don't spend the rest of their
lives in pain the surgery was meant to prevent.
Adelle
.
- References:
- my mother had knee surgery
- From: surfunbear
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- Re: my mother had knee surgery
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- my mother had knee surgery
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