THE AFTERMATH, RECOVERY AND THE NEW NORMAL

This is post three of a series about surgery. We’ve looked at how people have felt when approaching big health procedures and the reality of what is undergone during surgery. The stories provided by our sharers have shown the importance of taking personal responsibility for your health, how keeping informed of your own situation is vital in managing well with the process and how both hospital policies and the underpinning administration can transform your overall surgical experience.

How does it feel to be getting back to the new normal after surgery? Let’s compare Pat and Marion who both had knee replacements.

Pat had both knees replaced. Here’s how she felt after the first:

“The pain was quite intensive for the first few weeks, and I was lucky to have someone at home to look after me. However, things quickly improved and I was walking with just one stick outside after 4 weeks and back driving after 6 weeks. I was back at Pilates after 12 weeks. I continued using one stick for a while when I was walking outside only because I did not want to trip up if I was on uneven ground.

The pain I had been experiencing in my knee before the op had gone and although there was some post op pain it was controlled reasonably well with the painkillers and I knew that it would gradually improve.

I did my exercises every day and gradually they became easier and I was aware of the improvement in my knee both in strength and flexibility. The follow up from the hospital was good and I received a phonecall after I got home and a discharge video call after 3 months. My own health centre dealt with dressing my knee and removing the staples.”

Even the best outcome is going to involve an element of pain during recovery.

And for Marion:

“I found a private physio who helped both my physical and mental state. I persevered with all the exercises but have been one of the unlucky ones where the op has not transformed my life.

I am now 4 years post op, still pain with the nerve damage and find bending, stairs etc difficult. However I am still fairly active, playing some tennis, some walking, Pilates(!) so it could be worse.”

As I’ve said before in this series, the women behind these stories are strong willed and active which comes through in their writing. There’s a great name for this – the Internal Locus of Control. It’s the belief of one’s ability to influence outcomes rather than be subjected to fate (which would be the external locus of control).

Marion’s knee surgery has left her resolute that she won’t get the other knee done. In her words, “Would I have second knee done? I think not. My replacement knee is at the same level of pain as the other so what would be the point?” Remember, this hasn’t stopped her playing tennis, walking and coming to Pilates.

The adage ‘old age ain’t for cissies’ especially comes to mind when considering Caroline’s life transformation after colon cancer. Having a stoma bag fitted must change some of your day-to-day but she doesn’t let it slow her down.

“It took a bit of trial and error to find a bag that suited me and of course it took a while to get used to changing it.  My skin does get a bit sore and red at times, but, so far nothing I can’t cope with.  

I haven’t allowed my condition to affect my life, but do worry about when I go gaga and am unable to cope myself.

You might be amazed to know how many people have a stoma. I have a friend who got one in his 20s and he gave me a lot of help and encouragement. I also met someone who had had a stoma for about 50 years and she told me about the difficulties there were in the early days and how awful the bags were.

We are so fortunate in this country to get all our prescriptions free, as stoma bags are very expensive. Also ours are the latest in design.  When I stupidly went short while in Jordan I had to go to a pharmacy there.  Not only was it expensive, but the two piece they produced was a nightmare to use. 

I was also lucky to get treatment so quickly.  I fear people these days may have to wait much longer to be seen, with consequently a far worse outcome.”

Even when there is still an element of medicalisation long-term such as Caroline contends with, it’s possible for many to put it aside and continue at the same pace as before.

Throughout this series I’ve added a little about my experience of back surgery and you’d have thought that back surgery to high impact aerobics would take a while. The road to recovery was extremely smooth for me as 7 days afterwards I was sitting at a wobbly trestle table at the Edinburgh Fringe. After 4 weeks I was back driving and teaching classes albeit without taking part at first and finally running after 4 months.

I still have regular, probably annual back pain incidents but not with the degree of nerve pain I’d dealt with before and not enough to significantly impact work or fitness levels. It’s been a positive experience for me.

Not everyone has a smooth return, so I want to end the last of this little newsletter series with Carolyn who had triple bypass surgery in April 2019. You can see her full interview by clicking HERE where, in essence, she describes the difference between having been previously fit and subsequently finding a safe road back to fitness when you don’t quite fit in the NHS rehab pathway. Her story encapsulates the difficulties in staying safe and also staying healthy after major surgery.

Thank you to all the people who have contributed to this series of newsletters. I truly hope that if anyone is reading this while waiting for a procedure that you’ll feel informed and comforted about what might happen. No-one is going in expecting miracles and when it comes to your health, a dose of reality may be the greatest reassurance. Best of luck to you.