Message from StraightGrandmother

Rob Tisinai

May 9th, 2014

StraightGrandmother posted an update on her condition as a comment to a thread, but as many of you might not see it, I’ll reprint it here:

I can’t find the sweet article where so many of you wished me well on my hip replacement. Your kind thoughts are appreciated.

I wish I could say it went well, but it didn’t. Today is day 10 and the first relatively pain free day. The surgeon was great, did a fine job. But the nursing and patient support staff not so much, shall we say. It’s all a horrid story I would at this point rather not share the details of. Well one, I stiff armed the nurses aid who insisted on rolling me over on my incision the day after surgery, the day which they gave me NO PAIN MEDICATION, the day after my surgery. Nurses aid now claiming workmanship comp, but I did NOT get rolled over. When I say “No” I really mean it.

Today is the BEST day, my primary care stepped in and prescribed me proper pain meds which I took this afternoon, so bottom line I’m better. And I hope every day better. I haven’t decided if I should take the Xanax the Primary care prescribed for me to take tonight. It was a completely traumatizing ordeal. But now, after 10 days, now I have hope and manageable pain.

We’re wishing you the best, SGM. Hope things continue to improve.

Jim Burroway

May 9th, 2014

Take the Xanax!

And feel better soon!

Jim Burroway

May 9th, 2014

Also, here’s where you can find everyone’s best wishes for a speedy recovery:

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2014/04/30/64303

CPT_Doom

May 9th, 2014

Proper pain management is absolutely vital to appropriate recovery. Unfortunately too many clinicians believe pain is character-building and should just be endured. Sadists.

Keep well SGM we need you in this fight for a good deal longer.

FYoung

May 9th, 2014

Straightgrandmother, I’m so sorry that it has been so painful and traumatizing.

I hope things go better from now on. While there yet may be some more setbacks, I hope they are short-lived and that you will progress quickly and without further trauma. You have been through enough already.

Rob Tisinai

May 9th, 2014

If any grandmother is going stiff arm a nurse for not treating her right, it’s going to be our StraightGrandmother!

ebohlman

May 9th, 2014

StraightGrandmother: There’s news out of Arkansas that should boost your endorphin levels and speed your recovery at least a little.

Brad Montgomery

May 9th, 2014

Take the Xanax. :)

Ray

May 9th, 2014

Keep exercising that stiff arm move. We need it in the days ahead.

Hugs to you, Granny.

cowboy

May 9th, 2014

On the road to recovery…that’s good news.

Pilates next? You’ll be riding horseback in no time.

Lucrece

May 9th, 2014

You’re not the only one to come across savages in the “care” industry, sad to hear your story. Hopefully you taught them a lesson and things will really get better for you.

Merv

May 9th, 2014

I was worried when you didn’t check in earlier, and now I see the fears were founded. However, I’m glad to hear the pain is finally under control. Hang in there.

mitchw7959

May 9th, 2014

Straight Grandmother, you have been such an inspiration and great ally and friend to the LGBT communities, and we have missed your presence in so many online forums.

I am sorry to hear about you having to endure an early rough road to recovery, but the fact that you are still your feisty, engaging self, and demanding relief from poor healthcare service is welcome news.

May the coming days be easy on your body as the healing progresses, and your spirit uplifted by our prayers and good wishes. Sending you love and a boatload full of patience!

Have a blessed and peaceful Mothers’ Day.

Eric Payne

May 10th, 2014

Dear, dear StraightGrandmother,

In the past year, I had to drop my cardiologist. He and I had a great rapport (and, having supported himself through college and med schools as a male model for Belk, he was fantastic eye-candy), but his support staff absolutely sucked. From prescription follow-through to billing, they were incapable, seemingly, of doing anything correctly. So I empathize with you.

If you need to strong-arm a nurse’s aid to get your point across… then lock that elbow and go for it!

But, if you need a pain pill… put it off as long as you can; only take it when the pain becomes unbearable… especially Xanax. From what I understand, that drug can be especially insidious.

Welcome back. Get lots of rest. Drink your water and juices — keep yourself hydrated; the trauma inflicted upon your body of surgery and replacing parts can take some time to fully heal. Don’t push yourself; you just have to let it heal at its own rate of speed.

Stephen

May 10th, 2014

If you need the Gay Mafia to come down there and go Hitler on their ass you just let us know. Get well soon.

Richard Rush

May 10th, 2014

StraightGrandmother,

While you didn’t go into the details, it begins to appear that you were not only subjected to incompetence, but also willful indifference and neglect. There should be consequences for that.

Pain management is not just an optional nicety that may be provided if the hospital staff has some extra time to make a patient’s hospital-stay more enjoyable.

But, I’m glad that things are improving for you now.

PS: Obviously, I don’t know where you are located and/or what people know about you, but I wouldn’t necessarily rule out the possibility that you may have been subjected to discrimination for “some” reason.

DJ

May 10th, 2014

I hope each day is better for you and you continue to heal! Sorry for the horrible care, but I’m really glad to know the surgery is over and done with.

As for the Xanax, it’s really up to you. Benzodiazepines are really great agents for reducing anxiety. They also have some muscle relaxant properties, so if you’re having any muscle tension making your pain worse, it would help with that. However, they do have some abuse potential. Generally, this is nothing to worry about – they don’t really have any more addiction potential than the opioid pain meds you’re likely on. You might be concerned about the additive abuse affects of pain meds and benzodiazepines. However, the fact that you might be worried about this would make me as a prescriber more comfortable giving them to you, because you’ll probably use them responsibly. It is true that among the benzodiazepines, Xanax probably has a little more abuse potential because it is the most rapidly absorbed, thus getting to the brain faster, and therefore most likely to give you a “buzz” of sorts. Plus, it’s more short-acting, so it’s more likely to give you withdrawal effects if you use it consistently for more than a few days. If that’s an issue, ask your doctor to prescribe something like Ativan (lorazepam) which doesn’t absorb quite as quickly and lasts a little longer (less chance of a “buzz” or “high” and less likely to cause withdrawal when you need to stop the meds).

Roger

May 10th, 2014

Sorry to hear that you had to deal with such poor care, but they sure enough didn´t not know with who they were dealing: the thoughest straightgrandmother of then all.
And keep in mind that we are all wishing you really a speedy recovery, we really miss your postings around the gay blogosphere.

JCF

May 11th, 2014

Hang in there, SG. My dad’s hip replacement kept him hiking another 12 years (he probably still would be, had not his knee gone bad, in his 90s).

Eric Payne

May 11th, 2014

StraightGrandmother,

I cannot give my mother best wishes on this day. She died in 2009… but, except for the most perfunctory tasks of parenting, she stopped being my mother over 40 years ago.

So let me just say to you: happy Mothers’ Day, StraightGrandmother. May your children and grandchildren fill your day today with love and joy.

I’m sure that will help battle some of the physical pain you are currently fighting.

And, hey, I think there’s some pretty good Mothers’ Day deals at Olive Garden…

:-)

Happy Mothers’ Day, StraightGrandma.

Regan DuCasse

May 11th, 2014

‘stiff armed the nurse’s aid’.

!!!
Girl, that gave me such a giggle. I’m sorry you went through this BS problem with getting the proper attention and meds.
But I’m seeing a full recovery in your near future because you are such a soldier about so many things.
Keep on that road to healing with the solid core I know is in you.
Love you dearly and wishing you a wonderful Mother’s Day! xo

Tor

May 12th, 2014

I am so sorry it did not go well. My mother had replacement in her late eighties. It went like a dream. There is no excuse for your suffering.

Scott

May 12th, 2014

Glad to hear you are on the mend, SGM! Sorry part of it went so bad. From what I hear having a tough and rugged attitude helps recovery. Keep ’em all on their toes.

Scott

jerry

May 12th, 2014

I am horrified that you had to experience shoddy care. I hope your future treatment is as good as a staff can give.

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