"Hip replacement"

Fasted from midnight. I arrived at Fremantle hospital the following morning as I was told my surgery was booked for a morning slot.

I was left waiting in the nurse’s waiting area for around 9 hours with no explanation as to why I’m still waiting, and wasn’t allowed to eat anything or have a drink of water according to my anaesthetist. I was dehydrated and ended up with a severe migraine.

Finally I was wheeled up to theatre’s waiting area and waited there for another hour.

When I finally got wheeled in the room next to the theatre to get my epidural, I was feeling nauseous and very dizzy so my anaesthetist assistant examined me and they said to hold on as I was dehydrated and I needed to be put on a fluid drip. After the drip went in everything needed went ahead.

I was taken to my ward that evening. I was hungry and nurses gave me some sandwiches.

The doctor’s assistant came to see me the following morning and I believe they said they gave me some extra length in my leg, but I won’t even notice it. I believe the doctor already knew that I had 1cm extra length on my leg to my other leg. Why give me extra length when surgeon was fully aware of the length discrepancy. Now I’m limping or tip toeing with my other leg to walk.

Back to hospital care…..

I was left in my bed till afternoon on the following day after op, cause my physio never showed up that morning cause I believe they forgot about me.

So another physio was called in by the nurse and I was up and about 4 times in 2 hours.

By that evening I was in excruciating unbearable pain in my whole leg and back.

Nurses followed protocol and tried all sorts of meds till the right one was given to me and I fell asleep. I believe I was in all that pain for 2 hours because pain meds weren’t given to me prior to physio getting me out of bed 21 hours after my surgery. I felt that was all so wrong and unacceptable.

The next day was a better day for me due to less pain as meds were given to me every 4 hours after the incident the day before.

I had physio and OT visit me and they gave me the ok to go home the following day.

That morning I started getting ready to go home and the nurses were very helpful. I was supposed to be given a new waterproof dressing and pharmaceuticals prescribed medication to take home, but I was told they didn’t have any supplies to give me. So I was given scripts to buy them myself.

All in all my experience wasn’t comfortable and easy, I felt it was unacceptable but the wonderful nurses were very friendly helpful caring and nice to me. They could only do what they could do as their hands were tied due to hospital procedures and lack of supplies.

Thank you