Surgery on my shoulders (hemi-anthroplasty)

Any additional health problems have in my experience, an enormous impact on cerebral palsy. Especially when going into hospital. I started having arthritic pains in my late 40s. First, back pain, which spread to my neck and shoulders. The pain in my left shoulder became so excruciating that even though I knew an operation would be quite an ordeal. I had to have it. I couldn’t live with such pain.

I went into hospital on the 12th December 2005 and was duly prepared for my trip to the theatre the next day. I was first on the list and was ready very early. As I waited to be collected my surgeon appeared on the ward looking a bit perturbed. “I’m very sorry Joan, they haven’t sent me the right tool, and we will have to cancel the operation”. Later, a few of my D.I.Y friends said they could have provided him with one of their tools!

If only they could have lent a tool because I just felt numb with shock. My head was spinning round as I thought about having to undo all the arrangements that had been made for when I came out of hospital. I had to re-start all my care at home. There would be a lot of phoning to do! I asked if I could stay in the hospital for one more day while I made the necessary arrangements to go home. It wasn’t easy to use the hospital’s telephone by my bed. I had to use a special card with a pin number, which meant a lot of extra numbers to dial. I had to make several attempts at dialling the numbers partly because of my disability and the state of mind I was in! One of the patients helped me, also a nurse; but there were so many calls to make. If only I could use a mobile phone.

My sister had a terrible time that day too! She was told that my operation was cancelled but nobody could tell her why? It was only by phoning me direct on my bedside telephone that she finally found out what happened. Margaret didn’t really want to phone me because she knew it wasn’t very easy for me to answer my phone. First, she phoned the ward number to ask if I could be ready to take her call.

It was good to go to my family on Christmas Day after all. I was admitted into hospital early in the New Year. What an experience that was! I should have been in a orthopaedic ward with special equipment and specially trained nurses. Instead, I was in a general ward, not an orthopaedic ward as I had hoped. Not even an adjustable bed to sit me up to be fed with my breakfast. There was only one nurse who was able/willing to put the back-rest up. The others just gave me extra pillows; which were no good at all. With one shoulder out of action, I just flopped to one side.

I was happiest when I was sitting in a chair with a table in front of me. I had to be hoisted out of bed to protect my shoulder. Much as I hated the hoist I insisted that they used it. Some nurses said they couldn’t find it. Was it too much trouble for them? I couldn’t risk dislocating my new shoulder! I stayed in hospital 8 days.