my-pao-journey

[my-pao-journey]

13/01/2023

Day 2

I was still incredibly thirsty most the day and so glad I had the catheter because of it

I finished my third and last lot of IV antibiotics Yay

My blood pressure was really low and when physio came round to help me learn to walk on the zimmer frame I passed out while walking and had to have an oxygen mask for a few minutes while a flood of doctors ran into the room

As I lost blood during the surgery ( which is apparently quite normal) they did a blood test to check my haemoglobin and salt levels to make sure they didn’t need to do a transfusion- luckily they didn’t and the amount of drugs made me calm enough not to worry to much about the blood test

I spent a lot of the day in bed sleeping whenever I could

The canula was removed in the evening

At this point I was on regular medications and having long release morphine as well as oramorph to manage the pain so I was doing quite well

[my-pao-journey]

12/01/2023

Day 1

Got up around 5:30am to get to the hospital for around 7:00am

My anxiety was acting up pretty badly so I was given a sedative after I was admitted

I was fitted for surgical stockings to help prevent blood clots ( felt like trying to put on opaque tights after swimming )

I spoke to the anaesthetist, my consultant from ROH and the young adult care person who is really amazing and accommodating particularly in relation to my needle phobia

I was taken down to the anaesthetic room with my mum and I was given gas and air before a canula was put in I went into the operating room.

I had an epidural during the surgery so I wasn’t in too much pain when I came round

I came around in recovery and my mum was there and I was buried under a heated blanket - I remember trying to figure out where all the wires were going and I kept asking for more water because my mouth was so dry

I ended the day on the ward with a catheter (which honestly isn’t that bad) a canula for IV antibiotics (they are freezing by the way) and also over my super cool surgical stockings (detect the sarcasm yet?) what I refer to as squishy leg warmers. - They are sort of like really long blood pressure bands around your calves that constantly inflate to help prevent blood clots.

The sleep wasn’t great the first night but I was maxed out on pain meds and entertaining my mother who was staying with me by babbling like an idiot most the time.

[my-pao-journey]

Hi everyone, my name is Natasha and I am 16. I was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia as a new born and after more than two years of physio I have just had a PAO on my right hip. I’m going to document my journey here and I hope my experience can help anyone else who is in my position.