Cramp and Spinal Blocks

Hong Kong c1984

I connect this persistent cramp, which I don't remember last time, with the very tight tourniquet my young Surgeon put on me this time.  As I think I said, he seemed more aware or more worried by my being a Jehovah's Witness this time - though he was always very nice about it - and I think took extra precautions.  A knee replacement can be a bloody business.  I mean that literally by the way, I'm not swearing.

The spinal block did not take so well this time and wore off just as he was putting in the staples.  I couldn't feel the stapling, thank goodness, but I could feel a terrible pain from the tourniquet.  I moaned and groaned and said it was hurting a lot - and, yes, now you ask, my application to join the Stoics Society has been turned down.

"Hold on, he's nearly finished", they urged me.  I  must have prayed a lot at the point, as I did hold on. Although with both legs unmovable I couldn't really have made a break for it.  But I didn't get praised for being the perfect patient this time.

Its odd that the block didn't work as well as last time, as they took a lot of trouble over it, even ultrasound scanning me on the operating table first.  It took ages to get the needle in last time and in the end someone else had to be called to do it. So they must have made a note of it.  I think its the arthritis causing problems again.   Yet I could feel it had taken differently from the start - my legs were not as lost to me as they were the first time.

I am still waiting for that feeling of relief at its all being over.  But feel full of fear and apprehension and worry.

There are many of us sick at the moment.  And in hospital.  But we also have a new congregation baby due any day now, which is lovely.

Col has been looking through some old pictures of Dhahran, and of the (comparatively) young us on our first Hong Kong trip.  I find looking at old photos almost too sad these days.  But he has some great black and whites of the desert reminding me of what an amazing place Saudi is.

Yesterday, I did shamefully little.  My outing to the Library seems to have exhausted me.  I did manage to provide meals for us - fishcakes new potatoes and peas, and soup and rhubarb crumble in the evening. Tinned soup mind you. Homemade is much nicer, but I am not doing a lot of actual cooking at the moment.

Col posted the letter to Vera.  I looked at paperwork mountain which is now sorted into things to do and things to file.  But I am still at Base camp.