Surgery in 6 hours
Comments
-
10 days post-op & unhappyDarrylPe said:Speedy recovery
Good to hear from you Jamie. I had you in my nightly prays. I'm glad that your kidney function is holding up . Girl your a fighter !!!!! Missed your posting you lighting the mood in here. Take care of yourself.
darryl
Well, I'm in a pretty bad mood right now. So, I wasn't going to post, but then I decided that it's probably better for people to see the range of experience that can be had post-op, not just the "I ran a marathon a week after surgery" people.
Here's the deal. Even after open surgery, my improvement was really fast. I improved dramatically while in the hospital, and that improvement continued the first several days at home. The two biggest improvements lately have been being able to get in and out of bed without pain, and being able to lie on my left side (right side is surgery side) for a few minutes without (much) pain.
But 2-3 days ago, that improvement suddenly stopped, and I'd say I even digressed a bit. I always hurt, even on the pain med. The pain med just brings it to a (barely) tolerable state. And that constant pain 24/7 just really wears you down emotionally. I'm just tired of hurting. I'm tired of being tied to the 4 hour pain med window.
Objectively, I know that I'm still a week or more ahead of where I was for previous major surgeries. But that doesn't mean much when I'm still hurting and frustrated with the slow-down in improvement.
So, I'm kinda sad and weepy tonight. I want to feel better. : (0 -
10 daysJamie1.3cm said:10 days post-op & unhappy
Well, I'm in a pretty bad mood right now. So, I wasn't going to post, but then I decided that it's probably better for people to see the range of experience that can be had post-op, not just the "I ran a marathon a week after surgery" people.
Here's the deal. Even after open surgery, my improvement was really fast. I improved dramatically while in the hospital, and that improvement continued the first several days at home. The two biggest improvements lately have been being able to get in and out of bed without pain, and being able to lie on my left side (right side is surgery side) for a few minutes without (much) pain.
But 2-3 days ago, that improvement suddenly stopped, and I'd say I even digressed a bit. I always hurt, even on the pain med. The pain med just brings it to a (barely) tolerable state. And that constant pain 24/7 just really wears you down emotionally. I'm just tired of hurting. I'm tired of being tied to the 4 hour pain med window.
Objectively, I know that I'm still a week or more ahead of where I was for previous major surgeries. But that doesn't mean much when I'm still hurting and frustrated with the slow-down in improvement.
So, I'm kinda sad and weepy tonight. I want to feel better. : (
Jamie I am sorry you are having so much pain. I know what it is like to have high pain levels. Have you talked to your doctor about it yet? Right after they took the staples out I had some pain levels that were over the top too. It seemed to me that the improvement came after some pain levels. I am hopeing that you will see a lot of improvement soon.
Just remember to rest when your body tells you to, and please do not over do. My thoughts are with you.0 -
pain 10 days post-opcandoredo said:10 days
Jamie I am sorry you are having so much pain. I know what it is like to have high pain levels. Have you talked to your doctor about it yet? Right after they took the staples out I had some pain levels that were over the top too. It seemed to me that the improvement came after some pain levels. I am hopeing that you will see a lot of improvement soon.
Just remember to rest when your body tells you to, and please do not over do. My thoughts are with you.
Yep, the doc agreed that considerable pain at 10 days post-op is perfectly normal. He warned that I might be uncomfortable right up to 3 months. The more active I am, he said, the pain levels will rise. Or, if I don't keep ahead of the pain, it can be harder to then bring back down.
He put numbing goo on my staples and replaced them with sticky steri-strips.
He said my tumor was <2cm, but didn't get more specific than that.
We scheduled my follow up ct scan for late December, though I could have waited a year if I wanted.0 -
10 days post opJamie1.3cm said:pain 10 days post-op
Yep, the doc agreed that considerable pain at 10 days post-op is perfectly normal. He warned that I might be uncomfortable right up to 3 months. The more active I am, he said, the pain levels will rise. Or, if I don't keep ahead of the pain, it can be harder to then bring back down.
He put numbing goo on my staples and replaced them with sticky steri-strips.
He said my tumor was <2cm, but didn't get more specific than that.
We scheduled my follow up ct scan for late December, though I could have waited a year if I wanted.</p>
Jamie I bet you are as happy as I was when those came out. They didnt put the goo on me to take mine out. I still have the steri strips I guess they will come off on their own. My doctor wanted me to have a ct in 3 months, but said he got it all. Today has been one of my bad days I have had some pain and discomfort most of the day. I went without the band all day yesterday and that is why I am hurting so much today. I wish you the best and hope the pain levels come down soon.
Jess0 -
doing better todaycandoredo said:10 days post op
Jamie I bet you are as happy as I was when those came out. They didnt put the goo on me to take mine out. I still have the steri strips I guess they will come off on their own. My doctor wanted me to have a ct in 3 months, but said he got it all. Today has been one of my bad days I have had some pain and discomfort most of the day. I went without the band all day yesterday and that is why I am hurting so much today. I wish you the best and hope the pain levels come down soon.
Jess
I didn't know you were using the band. It really can help. I stopped using mine a few days ago when it became more uncomfortable, but I may go back to it and experiment.
Yes, I got the staples out and am now sporting some yellow steri-strips. Looks like a crime scene. : ) But those staples were definitely ready to come out. They were getting ouchy and starting to grow in, etc. In the waiting room afterward, I pulled up my shirt and had a show-and-tell session. LOL.
As you guys know, I had been having a rough 3 days, and the dr appt was on that 3rd day, so he got to see me at a pretty low point, which is good. He needs to see the bad days as well as the good, imo. I got a good refill on my pain meds. I have not increased my dose, and in fact, I'll probably start tapering in the next couple of days if things continue to go as well as today.
I felt better today. The only achey time was when I had to go get a new remote for the cable, and even just 20 min in the car was NOT comfortable. My brokey ribs really did not like that ride.
Previous surgeries taught me that you can have a string of bad days, and that does not mean you won't make any more improvement. I kinda forgot that and let it get me down. I'm doing better now. I'm going to try to do some light tidying up around the house tomorrow, Sunday.0 -
Perspective.Jamie1.3cm said:doing better today
I didn't know you were using the band. It really can help. I stopped using mine a few days ago when it became more uncomfortable, but I may go back to it and experiment.
Yes, I got the staples out and am now sporting some yellow steri-strips. Looks like a crime scene. : ) But those staples were definitely ready to come out. They were getting ouchy and starting to grow in, etc. In the waiting room afterward, I pulled up my shirt and had a show-and-tell session. LOL.
As you guys know, I had been having a rough 3 days, and the dr appt was on that 3rd day, so he got to see me at a pretty low point, which is good. He needs to see the bad days as well as the good, imo. I got a good refill on my pain meds. I have not increased my dose, and in fact, I'll probably start tapering in the next couple of days if things continue to go as well as today.
I felt better today. The only achey time was when I had to go get a new remote for the cable, and even just 20 min in the car was NOT comfortable. My brokey ribs really did not like that ride.
Previous surgeries taught me that you can have a string of bad days, and that does not mean you won't make any more improvement. I kinda forgot that and let it get me down. I'm doing better now. I'm going to try to do some light tidying up around the house tomorrow, Sunday.
Those of us RCC survivors diagnosed with small tumors are a very lucky group. Yes, we had to have the surgery. Yes, it hurt. Yes, the recovery takes longer than we want and has its ups and downs. But here we are with potentially a full recovery. If our tumors had been allowed to grow and spread many of us would not be here or we would face a more difficult journey. That is why I tell the newcomers that you can not sugar coat the surgery, but it sure beats the alternative. That is why I try to prod the newcomers to get the surgery behind them when they are scared. That is why I try and put their fear in perspective. That is why I occasionally use humor and sarcasm.
To everybody's good heath and well being,
Icemantoo0 -
keeping it all in prespectiveicemantoo said:Perspective.
Those of us RCC survivors diagnosed with small tumors are a very lucky group. Yes, we had to have the surgery. Yes, it hurt. Yes, the recovery takes longer than we want and has its ups and downs. But here we are with potentially a full recovery. If our tumors had been allowed to grow and spread many of us would not be here or we would face a more difficult journey. That is why I tell the newcomers that you can not sugar coat the surgery, but it sure beats the alternative. That is why I try to prod the newcomers to get the surgery behind them when they are scared. That is why I try and put their fear in perspective. That is why I occasionally use humor and sarcasm.
To everybody's good heath and well being,
Icemantoo
Icemantoo. thank you so much for your knowledge on the subject. I didnt know what to expect until I came here and began reading, I had no fears about the surgery and I have little fear on the healing times. Some heal faster than others, and some have more pain that others. I too try and let others know how I am doing and I try and use humor with it too. the more we let people know what to expect and what is going on with us may ease their fears. I am so glad that I have both of my tumors out now. and I can look forward not having to have the alternative. I thank you so much for helping to keep it in prespective.
candoredo
Jess0 -
perspectivecandoredo said:keeping it all in prespective
Icemantoo. thank you so much for your knowledge on the subject. I didnt know what to expect until I came here and began reading, I had no fears about the surgery and I have little fear on the healing times. Some heal faster than others, and some have more pain that others. I too try and let others know how I am doing and I try and use humor with it too. the more we let people know what to expect and what is going on with us may ease their fears. I am so glad that I have both of my tumors out now. and I can look forward not having to have the alternative. I thank you so much for helping to keep it in prespective.
candoredo
Jess
yes, you're both right. That message hits home especially when I'm on my kidney cancer support site in the UK. Because the NHS uses things like ct scans so rarely, my "survivor" friends there end up with enormous tumors that have spread everywhere. Prognosis is so grim when it's spread that far.
Well, I didn't feel well enough to do much of anything today, other than ride the couch, and I'm giving myself permission for that to be ok. I mis-timed my pain meds and went about 14 hours without one, so it's hard to play catch-up. But, the couch is fine. Nothing wrong with a "down" day, right?
On another note, I'm eating. I promise I am. But I lost about 15 pounds. That's ok, it's just weird to be eating and lose weight so fast. Four days on clear liquids before and after surgery I could understand, but I'm eating now!0 -
One day at a timeJamie1.3cm said:perspective
yes, you're both right. That message hits home especially when I'm on my kidney cancer support site in the UK. Because the NHS uses things like ct scans so rarely, my "survivor" friends there end up with enormous tumors that have spread everywhere. Prognosis is so grim when it's spread that far.
Well, I didn't feel well enough to do much of anything today, other than ride the couch, and I'm giving myself permission for that to be ok. I mis-timed my pain meds and went about 14 hours without one, so it's hard to play catch-up. But, the couch is fine. Nothing wrong with a "down" day, right?
On another note, I'm eating. I promise I am. But I lost about 15 pounds. That's ok, it's just weird to be eating and lose weight so fast. Four days on clear liquids before and after surgery I could understand, but I'm eating now!
Jamie,
I am almost nine months post-op (Oct 8, 2010) and I just started feeling almost back to normal at eight months. I still have incision pain and nerve pain, which I wasn't expecting this late in the game, but nonetheless it is what it is. I still have tightness in my diaphram area which still makes any kind of deep breathing difficult but it's slowly improving.
I too tried to compare this to previous surgeries and discovered it's like comparing apples and oranges. It just plain and simple takes time and that amount of time is different for everyone. I had days when I felt great and would accomplish goals and then feel fatigued and sore for two days after. I was walking hunched over for about six weeks...I tried not to but it hurt to straighten up. I had no ill after affects because of it though I was told by friends I would stay in that position forever if I didn't straighten up.
I had fatigue for months, a lot of it was due to anemia from blood loss and a B12 deficiency, but a lot was due to the surgery itself. My early days home from the hospital had a set back due to catching a horrible stomach flu the day I had my staples out - I was vomiting and had diahrrea for 72 hours and lost 13 pounds of fluids. ER just sent me home. The stomach pain from the flu was made worse from the incision. It was like going through labor with no drugs (needless to say I couldn't keep any pain pills down, they presribed me a suppository but how does one manage that on themself with a foot long incision and diahrrea anyhow?).
I didn't start putting weight back on until about 8 weeks post op. I felt the same frustrations as you. It just seems like things should be moving along on our schedules and they just don't. It's taken me MONTHS to realize I have to listen to my body and stop beathing myself up for not being further along in my recovery. I spent my day in the jammies and it was bliss - nothing wrong with having a down day at all. Hang in there it will get better in it's own due time.
Rae0 -
3rd week post-oprae_rae said:One day at a time
Jamie,
I am almost nine months post-op (Oct 8, 2010) and I just started feeling almost back to normal at eight months. I still have incision pain and nerve pain, which I wasn't expecting this late in the game, but nonetheless it is what it is. I still have tightness in my diaphram area which still makes any kind of deep breathing difficult but it's slowly improving.
I too tried to compare this to previous surgeries and discovered it's like comparing apples and oranges. It just plain and simple takes time and that amount of time is different for everyone. I had days when I felt great and would accomplish goals and then feel fatigued and sore for two days after. I was walking hunched over for about six weeks...I tried not to but it hurt to straighten up. I had no ill after affects because of it though I was told by friends I would stay in that position forever if I didn't straighten up.
I had fatigue for months, a lot of it was due to anemia from blood loss and a B12 deficiency, but a lot was due to the surgery itself. My early days home from the hospital had a set back due to catching a horrible stomach flu the day I had my staples out - I was vomiting and had diahrrea for 72 hours and lost 13 pounds of fluids. ER just sent me home. The stomach pain from the flu was made worse from the incision. It was like going through labor with no drugs (needless to say I couldn't keep any pain pills down, they presribed me a suppository but how does one manage that on themself with a foot long incision and diahrrea anyhow?).
I didn't start putting weight back on until about 8 weeks post op. I felt the same frustrations as you. It just seems like things should be moving along on our schedules and they just don't. It's taken me MONTHS to realize I have to listen to my body and stop beathing myself up for not being further along in my recovery. I spent my day in the jammies and it was bliss - nothing wrong with having a down day at all. Hang in there it will get better in it's own due time.
Rae
Well, I had another series of bad days, just didn't feel like talking to anyone. But as someone mentioned above, I think I'm starting to see a pattern of a few bad days, and then a really good day or two. Today was a good day.
I'm down to 3 pain pills a day. I'm sleeping in the bed throughout the night now, but I do take a 2 hour nap in the morning, and another 2 hour nap in the afternoon. I try not to nap in the evening so that I can sleep better at night.
I haven't tried the abdominal binder again because, as I mentioned above, it had started to be more uncomfortable than not using it. And I was concerned that it was bothering my ginormous hernia (for an old surgery) in a serious way. I think part of my bad feelings were fear, fear of the unknown, of a possibly misbehaving hernia, which can be serious. I just had trouble dealing with that on top of the kidney surgery pain. Anyway, I should try the binder again, but I'm just scared it's shifting and squeezing the hernia too much.
Rae, you mentioned a pain in your diaphram. Can you tell me more about that? I've developed a weird pain, 5 or so inches above my belly button, right at the bottom of my chest/rib cage. Is it "referred pain" from the surgery, which is further to the side? Is it just my achey ribs deciding to ache there for awhile? Is it a new problem, like pancreas or gall bladder? I hate not knowing. It's as painful as the surgery site pain.
Anyway, I'm trying not to do too much anymore, and so far, I seem to be more comfortable.0 -
I took a LOT of naps forJamie1.3cm said:3rd week post-op
Well, I had another series of bad days, just didn't feel like talking to anyone. But as someone mentioned above, I think I'm starting to see a pattern of a few bad days, and then a really good day or two. Today was a good day.
I'm down to 3 pain pills a day. I'm sleeping in the bed throughout the night now, but I do take a 2 hour nap in the morning, and another 2 hour nap in the afternoon. I try not to nap in the evening so that I can sleep better at night.
I haven't tried the abdominal binder again because, as I mentioned above, it had started to be more uncomfortable than not using it. And I was concerned that it was bothering my ginormous hernia (for an old surgery) in a serious way. I think part of my bad feelings were fear, fear of the unknown, of a possibly misbehaving hernia, which can be serious. I just had trouble dealing with that on top of the kidney surgery pain. Anyway, I should try the binder again, but I'm just scared it's shifting and squeezing the hernia too much.
Rae, you mentioned a pain in your diaphram. Can you tell me more about that? I've developed a weird pain, 5 or so inches above my belly button, right at the bottom of my chest/rib cage. Is it "referred pain" from the surgery, which is further to the side? Is it just my achey ribs deciding to ache there for awhile? Is it a new problem, like pancreas or gall bladder? I hate not knowing. It's as painful as the surgery site pain.
Anyway, I'm trying not to do too much anymore, and so far, I seem to be more comfortable.
I took a LOT of naps for weeks - naps are good! The only time they offered a binder for me to wear was when I was in the hospital. I wore it a couple hours and found I felt more comfortable without one - but I am sure that is different for everyone.
I have an incision right under my sternum and below my rib cage like a hook that then goes down my left side (my tumor was pushing against my pancreas and spleen and they accidentally cut off the tail of my pancreas and nicked my spleen during surgery) which is why I have pain and tightness there, but I think referred pain is also common.
Every time I ate a couple of bites of food my stomach hurt terribly. Even now if I laugh or cough it still hurts under my rib cage. It could very well be referred pain and/or ribcage pain and just plain ole incision pain you are feeling. I've had gallbladder attacks and had it removed and it's a pain you don't forget (it felt like someone putting their fist in my front and coming out my back, then twisting a bit just for fun).
I am glad to hear you are taking it easy - it truly is good to rest and it's ok to allow yourself time to heal (physically, emotionally and mentally). It is an ordeal to go through.
Rest well,
Rae0 -
4 weeks post-opJamie1.3cm said:10 days post-op & unhappy
Well, I'm in a pretty bad mood right now. So, I wasn't going to post, but then I decided that it's probably better for people to see the range of experience that can be had post-op, not just the "I ran a marathon a week after surgery" people.
Here's the deal. Even after open surgery, my improvement was really fast. I improved dramatically while in the hospital, and that improvement continued the first several days at home. The two biggest improvements lately have been being able to get in and out of bed without pain, and being able to lie on my left side (right side is surgery side) for a few minutes without (much) pain.
But 2-3 days ago, that improvement suddenly stopped, and I'd say I even digressed a bit. I always hurt, even on the pain med. The pain med just brings it to a (barely) tolerable state. And that constant pain 24/7 just really wears you down emotionally. I'm just tired of hurting. I'm tired of being tied to the 4 hour pain med window.
Objectively, I know that I'm still a week or more ahead of where I was for previous major surgeries. But that doesn't mean much when I'm still hurting and frustrated with the slow-down in improvement.
So, I'm kinda sad and weepy tonight. I want to feel better. : (
I'm trying to drop my percocets to 2 a day (1 every 12 hours), but after about the 8th hour, I'm just too uncomfortable!0 -
5th weeks post-opJamie1.3cm said:4 weeks post-op
I'm trying to drop my percocets to 2 a day (1 every 12 hours), but after about the 8th hour, I'm just too uncomfortable!
I'm down to 1 pain pill a day. I'm still not able to sleep on my side without paying for it with much more discomfort that day. The swelling on that side of my body is clear. When I had read about people mentioning the swelling, I didn't know what they were talking about, but I do now! That whole side of my body is swollen, making me asymetrical if I look at my naked self. I hope that goes down, eventually.
Some nights I sleep with the heating pad and that helps.
I think the pain med is giving me horrible dry eyes and dry mouth. When I wake up in the morning, sometimes my eye lids feel sealed shut!0 -
It takes a whileJamie1.3cm said:5th weeks post-op
I'm down to 1 pain pill a day. I'm still not able to sleep on my side without paying for it with much more discomfort that day. The swelling on that side of my body is clear. When I had read about people mentioning the swelling, I didn't know what they were talking about, but I do now! That whole side of my body is swollen, making me asymetrical if I look at my naked self. I hope that goes down, eventually.
Some nights I sleep with the heating pad and that helps.
I think the pain med is giving me horrible dry eyes and dry mouth. When I wake up in the morning, sometimes my eye lids feel sealed shut!
It takes a good long while to get feeling OK after being sliced open. After a year and a half, I am still feeling the affects of the surgery in my side. You will have referred pain for some time as the wound heals internally and the areas of tissue at the ends of the wound will be painful as all of the area that is numb from where they went through the nerves will be placing their pain signals where you can feel it.
The swelling will take a while too but slowly, you will feel better and better. I got to the point where I could go most of the day without pain meds and then by 4 or 5, I needed some relief. I was working full time after 4 weeks so some afternoons at work were a little interesting. I was on tylenol and hydromorphone for about a month after that. They stopped supplying me with it after about 8 weeks and the pain was manageable but still very much there. Plain tylenol does nothing for me so... I had shooting pains every now and then once they stopped allowing me to use the pain meds.
The pain meds do have their set of side effects so coming off of them sooner is a better thing all around even though you will have some level of discomfort.
Sleeping on my back for so long was difficult since I am a side sleeper. It was really good to finally be able to sleep on my side again after about a month and a half. It takes a good long while to get "Back to normal" but in reality, it is better to describe as the new "Normal" because it isn't really the same as it used to be, just different.
Good luck in your journey. Sounds like to you getting there...0 -
new normalejneary said:It takes a while
It takes a good long while to get feeling OK after being sliced open. After a year and a half, I am still feeling the affects of the surgery in my side. You will have referred pain for some time as the wound heals internally and the areas of tissue at the ends of the wound will be painful as all of the area that is numb from where they went through the nerves will be placing their pain signals where you can feel it.
The swelling will take a while too but slowly, you will feel better and better. I got to the point where I could go most of the day without pain meds and then by 4 or 5, I needed some relief. I was working full time after 4 weeks so some afternoons at work were a little interesting. I was on tylenol and hydromorphone for about a month after that. They stopped supplying me with it after about 8 weeks and the pain was manageable but still very much there. Plain tylenol does nothing for me so... I had shooting pains every now and then once they stopped allowing me to use the pain meds.
The pain meds do have their set of side effects so coming off of them sooner is a better thing all around even though you will have some level of discomfort.
Sleeping on my back for so long was difficult since I am a side sleeper. It was really good to finally be able to sleep on my side again after about a month and a half. It takes a good long while to get "Back to normal" but in reality, it is better to describe as the new "Normal" because it isn't really the same as it used to be, just different.
Good luck in your journey. Sounds like to you getting there...
Thanks for the post, ej. It reminds me that my recovery is going normally. I need not to pressure myself to feel better than I actually do.
I'm back at work as well all last week, my 5th week post op. I'm just doing easy desk work, but by the end of the day, I'm hunched over and feel every bump on the ride home.
Asking me to sleep on my back is like asking someone to sleep while standing up: I just don't get good quality sleep on my back. I'm definitely a side-sleeper too. Some nights I can sleep on my non-surgical side for just a few minutes. How long was it before you could sleep on your surgical side, do you remember?
I am now down to 1 pain pill a day. And sometimes I do sneak in an Advil if I'm really hurting, though I know I'm not supposed to do that. Because the oxycodone already has Tylenol in it, I dont take that yet. But I will when I've finished this rx. The shooting pain definitely lets me know when I've done something I shouldnt have tried to do.
Thanks again. I need you to keep my expectations based in reality.0 -
Don't really rememberJamie1.3cm said:new normal
Thanks for the post, ej. It reminds me that my recovery is going normally. I need not to pressure myself to feel better than I actually do.
I'm back at work as well all last week, my 5th week post op. I'm just doing easy desk work, but by the end of the day, I'm hunched over and feel every bump on the ride home.
Asking me to sleep on my back is like asking someone to sleep while standing up: I just don't get good quality sleep on my back. I'm definitely a side-sleeper too. Some nights I can sleep on my non-surgical side for just a few minutes. How long was it before you could sleep on your surgical side, do you remember?
I am now down to 1 pain pill a day. And sometimes I do sneak in an Advil if I'm really hurting, though I know I'm not supposed to do that. Because the oxycodone already has Tylenol in it, I dont take that yet. But I will when I've finished this rx. The shooting pain definitely lets me know when I've done something I shouldnt have tried to do.
Thanks again. I need you to keep my expectations based in reality.
how long it took before I could sleep on my side again but it took a good long while. Sleeping on the wound is terrible and sleeping on the other side stretches the wound. Lose-Lose situation. I simply had to roll from my back from time to time to feel like I was sleeping but the pain made it unbearable after a while. That time lasted lnger and longer as the weeks went by. I am pretty sure that I was able to sleep on my side all night after about two months.
I will tell you that the bed makes a difference though... I have a feather bed on top of my mattress along with a foam topper too. I sink into my bed and the feather bed conforms to my body better than a regular mattress. I used to have back problems and woke up in pain every morning. Now, I do not. The feather bed did help to alleviate pain from the wound as it cushioned it.
I actually did better on the Oxycodone/Tylenol than on the hydromorphone as far as sleeping was concerned. It allowed me to get to sleep faster with less pain as I remember.
Steer clear of that advil. Don't even tempt yourself with it. I have pain now after working outside and that Motrin bottle calls to me but I work through the pain. Don't want to treat "Lefty" poorly.
Take care and you will be sleeping well again soon.
John0 -
Jamie,ejneary said:Don't really remember
how long it took before I could sleep on my side again but it took a good long while. Sleeping on the wound is terrible and sleeping on the other side stretches the wound. Lose-Lose situation. I simply had to roll from my back from time to time to feel like I was sleeping but the pain made it unbearable after a while. That time lasted lnger and longer as the weeks went by. I am pretty sure that I was able to sleep on my side all night after about two months.
I will tell you that the bed makes a difference though... I have a feather bed on top of my mattress along with a foam topper too. I sink into my bed and the feather bed conforms to my body better than a regular mattress. I used to have back problems and woke up in pain every morning. Now, I do not. The feather bed did help to alleviate pain from the wound as it cushioned it.
I actually did better on the Oxycodone/Tylenol than on the hydromorphone as far as sleeping was concerned. It allowed me to get to sleep faster with less pain as I remember.
Steer clear of that advil. Don't even tempt yourself with it. I have pain now after working outside and that Motrin bottle calls to me but I work through the pain. Don't want to treat "Lefty" poorly.
Take care and you will be sleeping well again soon.
John
It was seven weeks
Jamie,
It was seven weeks before I was able to start sleeping on my side, but even then it was only for an hour or two. I could make it through the day without prescription pain pills at that point but I unknowingly took ibuprofen during the day. My urologist never mentioned I shouldn't take them. I found out from reading this board a few months later.
I took Vicodin at night just so I could sleep. I had restless legs and sleeping on my back after week five became absolute sheer torture so sleeping was most difficult. The vicodin would knock me out so I could get a few hours sleep. I think by week nine I could comfortably sleep on my incision side but found sleeping on my right side (non incision) was more uncomfortable. I got a refill on Vicodin at my 12 week check up so I know I was still taking them at night after that.
HOnestly it's been 9 months and I still have incision pain, especially when I try to sit up while laying on the couch. I also have a lot of nerve pain - some days it's worse than others. One day I notice nothing, the next even my shirt brushing against the top incision site is painful. Deep breaths, coughing, sneezing, burping, hiccups have all become very painful again with my new left pain side - which my GP thinks is from the new tumor so I feel like I have gone backwards in the recovery process.
It's so different for everyone. All I know is you feel like you should be doing better but I have learned it's a slow and long process, different for everyone and you really have to listen to your body. This is the only place I can talk about my pains and frustrations without feeling like a hypochondriac. Others that have not gone through this probably think I am whining so I keep it mostly to myself.
Hang in there, it will keep getting better.
Rae0 -
still have troublerae_rae said:Jamie,
It was seven weeks
Jamie,
It was seven weeks before I was able to start sleeping on my side, but even then it was only for an hour or two. I could make it through the day without prescription pain pills at that point but I unknowingly took ibuprofen during the day. My urologist never mentioned I shouldn't take them. I found out from reading this board a few months later.
I took Vicodin at night just so I could sleep. I had restless legs and sleeping on my back after week five became absolute sheer torture so sleeping was most difficult. The vicodin would knock me out so I could get a few hours sleep. I think by week nine I could comfortably sleep on my incision side but found sleeping on my right side (non incision) was more uncomfortable. I got a refill on Vicodin at my 12 week check up so I know I was still taking them at night after that.
HOnestly it's been 9 months and I still have incision pain, especially when I try to sit up while laying on the couch. I also have a lot of nerve pain - some days it's worse than others. One day I notice nothing, the next even my shirt brushing against the top incision site is painful. Deep breaths, coughing, sneezing, burping, hiccups have all become very painful again with my new left pain side - which my GP thinks is from the new tumor so I feel like I have gone backwards in the recovery process.
It's so different for everyone. All I know is you feel like you should be doing better but I have learned it's a slow and long process, different for everyone and you really have to listen to your body. This is the only place I can talk about my pains and frustrations without feeling like a hypochondriac. Others that have not gone through this probably think I am whining so I keep it mostly to myself.
Hang in there, it will keep getting better.
Rae
Hi,
I remember it was a few weeks before I could lay on either side and think it seemed to hurt more lying on the non-cut side. I did cut out all pain relief pretty quickly because pain relief seemed to cause other problems.
12 months on and I still have trouble every now and then on either side, and need to cuddle in to my doona for support, which helps a lot.
It used to me that couldn't sleep because of hubby snoring, now I find it is me waking myself up snoring because I am asleep on my back all the time. :-)
take care and take it gently0 -
snoringJamie1.3cm said:4 weeks post-op
I'm trying to drop my percocets to 2 a day (1 every 12 hours), but after about the 8th hour, I'm just too uncomfortable!
Yes, I too wake up with a horribly sore throat from snoring caused by "sleeping" on my back.
Today the pain was really more than it should have been. I'm tempted to schedule an appt with one of my docs for a follow up, ultra sound or ct scan or something, to be sure everything is as it should be.
They did their big slice RIGHT above a very complicated hernia, so I'm concerned about that.0 -
snoringJamie1.3cm said:snoring
Yes, I too wake up with a horribly sore throat from snoring caused by "sleeping" on my back.
Today the pain was really more than it should have been. I'm tempted to schedule an appt with one of my docs for a follow up, ultra sound or ct scan or something, to be sure everything is as it should be.
They did their big slice RIGHT above a very complicated hernia, so I'm concerned about that.
Well I know the waking yourself up snoring. I am comfortable on my right side (surgery Left side) and I can lay on it for a while. I am scheduled for a ct in september and then go back to the doctor in October. I dont have the complications you have with the hernia so I cant say. but I have seen the surgeon now 2x since the surgery. If you are uncomfortable I would call them and see if you need to be seen. Healing demands a good mental attitude and no worries, so put your mind at ease and go see one of them. Good luck and stay possitive.0
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 CSN Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 121.8K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 446 Bladder Cancer
- 309 Bone Cancers
- 1.6K Brain Cancer
- 28.5K Breast Cancer
- 397 Childhood Cancers
- 27.9K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.4K Kidney Cancer
- 671 Leukemia
- 792 Liver Cancer
- 4.1K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 237 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.1K Ovarian Cancer
- 61 Pancreatic Cancer
- 487 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.5K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 539 Sarcoma
- 730 Skin Cancer
- 653 Stomach Cancer
- 191 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.8K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.3K Lifestyle Discussion Boards