body

Body Transplants

As we go through life many of us experience problems that involve our legs, hips, knees, hearts, just about any part of our bodies. We should all be thankful that there are parts available to us, to replace them, because it certainly makes our lives easier to live, especially as we grow older. And when it comes to the heart, kidney, and other internal organs, transplants have made it possible for people to live who would otherwise have had their lives cut short. These are available for individuals of all ages, from infancy to the elderly. What a blessing!

We should also be thankful for those men and women who did the research to make all of this possible, and the doctors who determined that they would learn about the procedures, and were trained to perform transplants. These procedures need special equipment for doctors to use so they can be successful and we are thankful for those who where able to determine what should be done and designed what was needed for these procedures, then worked to perfect such equipment for others to use. I am sure we all know someone who has benefitted from the expertise of some of the people I mentioned, in making it possible for them to enjoy life to the fullest.

I believe we all know someone whose surgery did not progress as well as they had hoped for so they make sure everyone knows that whatever doctor did the surgery was ill equipped to do it. This may not be the reason for some so called failures. The body of each individual is different and it may not be the success that even the doctor performing the procedure hoped for. Of course, then it depends on the individual who had the surgery whether he or she will admit that there are differences, or whether they take it on themselves to let everyone know that it was the fault of the doctor -which is most often not the case.

Having had two different hip replacements by the same doctor, in a 5 year time span, I can attest to the fact that even the same body acts differently. The first one was done and, after three days, I was moved to a different part of the hospital and went home on the sixth day. Even, while in the hospital, the nurses seemed amazed at how much I did for myself and the surgeon said the nurses were commenting on it. This being the first replacement, I asked if not everyone did what I was doing and found out that this was definitely not the case. I heard it mentioned that some feel they should be waited on, some think their pain is too severe, even using pain killers, and other reasons for people not trying to do as much as possible on their own.

After the second day in the hospital, when I could get up to walk with a walker, I took a sponge bath by myself and continued doing that. Any exercising they told me to do with my feet, legs, or whatever could be done in bed, I did. The second week at home I walked with the cane, leaving the walker behind and, by the third week I felt I could go back to work, however, my husband suggested I stay at home another week. Receiving written permission from my doctor that it was okay, I returned to work the fourth week. Being a secretary, I did not have to do physical work and that worked fine. Going to rehab twice a week, and doing the same exercises in my home, apparently was beneficial because they canceled the last two sessions.

Now, being four to five years older, which can have an affect on a surgery, when it came to being released, it was just 3 days after the surgery and I chose to come to my own home. I will admit that was probably a mistake but it did not dawn on me that I had been in the hospital 3 days longer the first time. Once I thought about that difference between the two times, I decided I would tell everyone to be sure and ask to be taken someplace for those extra days. I was given the choice and I chose to return home, however, will admit that I felt, later, that I made the wrong choice. At this point I tell everyone to get the extra days of care where trained personnel is there to help.

Another factor, which I had not considered, was that I either did not know, or had forgotten, that I had bursitis. Again, into the fourth week after surgery, I was doing so well and even ventured out to help plant a small garden. The following day I began to suffer with pains and returned to my doctor who informed me that it was the bursitis that was causing the discomfort. I received a shot for the bursitis and, with only one rehab session left, my doctor wrote up a prescription so they would continue. This time they geared it toward the bursitis and it helped tremendously. Also doing the exercises at home, they recommended that I slow my pace at home because that apparently was part of the problem. I was just doing too much. It did go away and, after four to five months, I can do everything I did before, without pain, although I do make sure that I do not do more than I should.

Knowing someone who had knee surgery a week after I had my hip replacement, the gentleman was not healing as well as he should. He refused to take his pain pills and probably did not do the exercises as he should, because of the pain; this told to me by his wife. That is not the way to deal with a surgery. When we have something major done, we should follow the instructions given by our doctor. He certainly knows what can help us. The rehabilitation of this gentleman is slower and longer, however, one wonders if that could be because he would not take the prescribed pain killer and would not do the exercises because of the pain. He made the choice so he was in control of his recovery.

Also knowing someone who, since that time, had replacements done on both of her knees at the same time and is doing real well, I feel the comparison is there because she did as she was told to do. Knowing that some medication is addictive, and not wanting to become addicted it, she took a milder pain killer, which is what I also did and it worked for both of us. But we both took pain pills so we could do the exercises recommended that we do.

There are many factors that can affect healing after a major surgery. Some factors are weight, bad eating habits, smoking, among other things, but if one follows the instructions given to us by our doctor and there are no other complications, healing should follow. When we do not do what we are told, we suffer the consequences and really have no one else to blame but ourselves. We certainly cannot blame the surgeon if we do not continue with what he recommends. Some, however, like to place the blame elsewhere, which is unfair.

Just remember that what others complain about at times may not be the norm because we are all different. Being optimistic about having surgery to correct a problem, and believing all will be successful after time has passed, has much to do with how we recuperate. Be thankful that there are these procedures to correct what we suffer from, and that there are those who are trained to do them. Many years ago people had to live with what they were afflicted with because transplants were not known about, or were rare and, probably, only the rich could afford them. I thank God for the recovery I have made after both replacements.
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