A side effect of the surgery was that I developed thrombophlebitis in my arm where they had inserted the IV drip in hospital.
What it is: Basically, your vein is irritated and unhappy from the general anaesthesia and all the strong drugs that went though it from the IV drip.
What it feels like: Your arm hurts, specifically, the line of the vein hurts from wrist to elbow. It hurts even if you touch the vein. For me there was no redness or swelling, it looked normal from the outside, but it hurt all the time. It feels like your vein will tear or snap if you stretch your arm. I couldn’t stretch my arm or hold things in my hand.
What can you do to ease the pain: Hot compresses – I used a heat pack. Exercise – everyday try to move or stretch it a little further than the day before. Use a squeezy ball in your hand. Some kind of gel or cream for thrombophelbitis prescribed by your doctor.
How long does it last: For me it lasted 3 weeks. For the first week it was sore and I couldn’t move it much. The second week it improved, I could hold things and use my arm a little. By the third week it was almost back to normal, except for a little twinge now and then.
Life on one leg 