Hospital Stay

The hospital stay started out with some problems. My left leg had gone numb from the ankle to my thigh, but I could wiggle my toes, as the nurses asked, so it wasn't until they tried to have me move a bit that I discovered that my leg was numb. They tried to reduce the dosage of epidural but it didn't help, so eventually the put me on a different pain med (Dilauded) with a pain pump.

This caused me to lose a day and a half in the recovery process, as I couldn't stand for two days. I also had a bladder tube and a tube in my nose and stomache. My surgeon was in to see me every morning and evening while I was in the hospital.

I eventually got up walking and pushing my IV stand around the corridors while holding a pillow against my abdomen (as it felt like my guts were going to fall out!). The hospital staff was very helpful during my stay but after four days, I really wanted to get out of there.

I had been on the IV and only ice chips after that, so it was a real treat to have some toast and juice on the fifth day for breakfast. Soon after I ate, my surgeon came in and asked me if I wanted to go home. I said that I did as long as he thought I was ready. he said that I've been walking, had bowel movements and had eaten and felt that I could be discharged.

My wife came and picked me up with a prescription for oxycodone and discharge instructions. One of the nurses had me sit in a wheelchair and took me to the pickup area. It was about 95 degrees outside, but I felt no pain.