[Leica] thank you all

[Frank Filippone]

My wife had a scheduled hip replacement a few years back.  We have a 2 
story house with the bedrooms on the second floor.

She checked with her Doctor to see what special equipment she would 
need.... he said nothing, that she would be able to climb the stairs 
right after surgery.......  She insisted the Doc was right and she would 
need nothing at home. She told me not to order anything, especially a 
bed for the ground floor.  After almost 50 years, I had learned to take 
a direct order.

Barbara went through the surgery fine.  No problems.  She was allocated 
a few (2? 3? 4?  I forget) with PT every day.  She could hardly walk.  I 
asked her again about the stairs..... and she checked with the Doc 
again.... Nope, not necessary.

About the day before she is set to be released, SHE realizes, after 
speaking with the NURSES, not the Doc that stairs would be impossible 
for her.  I get told to order a bed. ( I had not entirely listened to 
her, and had found the correct service to supply what she might need).  
I called, and had it delivered the day before she got home.  Catastrophe 
avoided.

It took her 3 weeks to get the ability to climb those stairs...... and 
back to her own bed.

So we are ready to leave the hospital, and the Doc had left a set of 
directions...... and the nurses had a list of stuff to get...... which 
they hand us 5 minutes before GO time.  This included strange bandages, 
narcotic pain relief, and a set of to dos.  It took me 3 different 
pharmacies to fill the pain meds order.... and the only place I could 
get the bandages was at a special drug store ( only 1 in Long Beach).  
Docs and hospital staff have no idea of planning..... or of how to make 
the overall experience less stressful.


My heart goes out to you and Victoria.  We had time to prepare.  You are 
doing this on the fly.  It takes a lot.

All you can expect is that the results will put her as good as new.  You 
will forget the rest.

Vent here.  Hang in there.

>
> I must spend the day today seeing to the rental of a medical bed, a 
> wheelchair, a walker, and other such "durable medical goods" that we 
> will need for her convalescence. The layout of this house is such that 
> she will need to sleep in the living room while she requires the 
> motorized bed.
>
>
-- 

Frank Filippone
BMWRed735i at Gmail.com