I’m back – but a bit unfit

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malcolmc

Forager
Jun 10, 2006
245
4
73
Wiltshire
www.webwessex.co.uk
Well I’m back after a few weeks in dock having a bit of internal reconfiguration carried out.

At the present rate of progress, getting fit again, it looks as if I will not be heading for the hills this any time this year. Still I’ll have no excuse if my kit isn’t in good order when I do.

This was my first experience of using the National Health Service in any major way. It did seem more process centred than person centred. Take pain control; ward rounds are at roughly 6 hour intervals and the medics idea is to dispense strong pain killers, with associated medicine to counteract the side effects, at those times. The approach I wanted was to take less powerful pain killers, with no side effects, more frequently but only when I could feel the previous dose wearing off. The professional concept was to prevent any sensation of pain at all; I’m not sure that’s necessarily a good Idea – (how do you know when to stop taking the pills?) pain is my body's way of telling me to stop what I'm doing. Having discussed this and explained the approach that I felt was right for me I was told “not possible due to the implications on nurses’ time”.

They do seem to have a resource problem at the moment. There was I expecting a physiotherapy department to guide my rehabilitation. The only input they gave was to watch me going up and down a short flight of stairs and say it was safe for me to go home. For the rest, I’m left to my own devices. I did have a shufti at the army fit web site (offer of a personal fitness plan?) but it’s not aimed at people as unfit as I am at present.

It’s good to be back, though. :)
 

Pablo

Settler
Oct 10, 2005
647
5
65
Essex, UK
www.woodlife.co.uk
Great to see you on the road to recovery.

I can't really comment about hospital because (touch wood) I've never been in a UK hospital. I can only imagine what it's like though nowadays. I did feel the same after having sciatica a couple of years back. After visiting the GP he basically said, "...Yep. That's sciatica ...and here's a number of a good friend of mine who does physio at reasonable rates."

I refused to pay and set myself a program and fixed it myself.

Take it easy. Don't rush the recovery.

Pablo.
 

Gailainne

Life Member
Thats interesting, I remember seeing in hospital a year or so ago, a self doser set up, basically like an iv drip with a computer system in the middle, it was set by the doctor, max dose per shot , how many per day etc, so when the patient felt the pain was getting to them, they gave themselves a hit, all the nurses had to do was check the supply was topped up.

I'm trying to remember where, I think it was at the Royal in Edinburgh, but I'm not sure.

Take it easy,

Stephen
 

JohnC

Full Member
Jun 28, 2005
2,624
82
62
Edinburgh
Glad youre on the recovery road,
I'm a research nurse involved in clinical trials & we often have issues with pain control. You highlight a real issue with teams here. From research, and from experience delivering pain control, I see a lot of people waiting till the pain is "as bad as it can be" before taking prescribed treatment (either rest or drug or TENS) either because they want the best "value" from the treatment, or not wanting to get addicted, or troubled about taking drugs in general (I fall into this category, I dislike taking medication).
Sometimes this approach leads to more pain, for longer and a general decrease in quality of life. The rise and fall of the levels of the drug dont allow effective pain relief with an associated feeling of "these dont work". The pain has a depressing effect in general on all aspects of life.
I agree with your view of "pain being the bodies way etc..." Once its done that it becomes useless pain and pain killers taken regulary and monitored carefully can be of use.

Its not much comfort to you, but I understand why the team couldn't easily fall in with your plans. We're often guided and restricted in how we give out drugs and deviating from them can be dangerous or uncontrolled, for example someone unused to drugs taking doses outside of "normal times" may be offered the same dose at the next drug round. Its happened before and it'll happen again.

Have you checked with your GP/Primary team if there is a community physio? or any self-help support groups in the local area?
Best of luck with it....
 

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