Finally had enough pain

[marieltha]

Have you considered a sleep study for your snorer? Very easy. Many now use a home study first. Insurance/medicare covers. If diagnosed w sleep apnea, which is the most likely cause of such snoring, you are prescribed a small device that sits on a nightstand (travel versions available), and wear a small silicone strap w a little cushion under the nose (not the old things that looked like gas masks ), and the snoring instantly stops. Mine did. Quality of sleep usually dramatically improves. Mine did. Medicare rents the device for you for 13 months, and then you own it. Untreated sleep apnea overtime damages the heart (recent example is “Princess Leah” actress). Just a thought.

 

[Barbaraj]

Well, @enoughpain, you sound like you're entirely capable of being a good advocate for yourself so you go, girl! But I agree with others than when you're in pain and fuzzy headed you might not be as effective as you would be otherwise. I think I am not a very good advocate for myself and my darling husband, while also an attorney and you'd THINK would be good at this, has never been able to step it up in hospital situations. Okay, here's a funny story to illustrate this and put a smile on your face:

When I gave birth to my son, in 1995, my plan (as it had been for the previous two children) was that I wasn't going to breastfeed him and so following exhausting labor and not enough sleep, I wanted to ship darling baby off to the hospital's nursery so they could take care of him, feed him, etc. That's what happened with the first two and I got a couple of hours of merciful sleep as a result. Well, with my son I asked them (after I'd thoroughly checked him out, cooed appropriately) to take him away and they told me (and this is a large, metropolitan hospital, mind you) that the nursery was CLOSED and he'd have to stay in my room! Now, this would have been the time for my husband to have stepped in and made a stink, as in "can't you see she's exhausted and needs some sleep, and this is a maternity ward, your nursery isn't closed". But he didn't, I was too tired to complain, and thus no sleep for the weary mother. My plan at that point was to get home as quickly as possible so I could turn over my precious bundle to his dad and then crawl into bed for a few hours!

Anyway, anything you can do ahead of time to alert your husband to what you think you might want and need is a good idea.

 

[enoughpain]

@mainegirl1 I will make a list for my husband of his "jobs" while he is in the room. Mostly keeping track of meds and making sure I get the right ones on schedule. Will set alarms on my phone for the overnight doses, in case I'm lucky enough to fall asleep.
@marieltha He has had three sleep studies over the years - no apnea, and he has rejected the minor, in-office surgical solutions offered by three different ENTs on the grounds that he doesn't want to be "cut". We are seriously the stronger sex.
@Barbaraj Thank you for taking the time to respond when I know you are not feeling well. I have been following your thread every day, silently cheering you on, and hope that your lunch was wonderful. Don't know how to tell you this, but we might be married to the same man. I am actually more concerned about his ability to take care of me than I am about the surgery.

Had my pre-op at the OS office yesterday with the PA and then a PT meeting. Tried to make me take oxycodone even though my file clearly states that percoset makes me retch. Stood my ground, ignored the grumbling and got my Norco prescription. Good news is that the surgeon does the surgical site numbing injections described by @Layla. In addition to Norco, got a prescription for Celebrex 200mg/day, as well as Zofran for nausea. They took x-rays of my lumbar spine in order to help the OS plan the implant placement and I was greatly relieved to see that it is straight, with good disk space. I had been concerned that my limping might have caused permanent problems in that area.

Next I went to what I thought would be a pre-surgery PT evaluation, but turned out to be a sweet twenty something taking me through a detailed packet of about a dozen exercises, complete with illustrations, which she advised me to begin immediately after discharge, working up to sets of 10 of each, three times a day. I really wanted to ask her if she would have advised me to immediately begin abdominal exercises after my caesarean section, but held my tongue. I did tell her that my surgeon does not believe in PT, other than heel pumps and walking, for 4-6 weeks after surgery. It stopped her cold for about 30 seconds, then she continued with her pre-set speech. I have now labelled the exercise packet "Josephine's no-nos" and put it in a drawer to be retrieved when I am ready.

 

[marieltha]

My “funny” rating was to your comment about being stronger and to B’s that you share a spouse.
Sorry your h’s issue was not an easy or desired fix.
My OS does not send patients to PT (unless or until they absolutely will not do anything at home on their own). He does provide a set of 10 exercises plus 200 steps of slow walking to be done 3x a day. And the home care agency RN (must be an RN, not other) he sends is trained to supervise you doing the exercises and records your progress in the feedback to the OS. If it were me, I would show the sheet of exercises to the OS and ask what s/he thinks. Doing mine really helped. Gentle. Easy pace. I think doing those kept me from overdoing on my own.

 

[Ptarmigan]

My pre-op orientation class handbook included a list of a dozen or so exercises to start in the hospital and continue at home in the immediate post-op window. I asked my PT to look at those exercises, and he told me not to do them. He’s in favor of walking and what BoneSmart calls “activities of daily living,” starting with short frequent periods of activity interspersed with long periods of rest/icing/elevation, and very gradually increasing the periods of activity while decreasing the periods of rest. I was really glad to hear this, because that’s the same advice I get here at BoneSmart.

Here’s how he explained it to me: he said that walking and activities of daily living will make me use my muscles in groups, the way they’re accustomed to being used, and that will protect them while they are vulnerable after surgery. He’s seen post-op patients injure themselves when they do exercises that target isolated muscle groups, because that’s not the way we normally use our bodies, and we can inadvertently strain muscles that aren’t yet ready for that kind of workload. Exercises work out okay for some people, but he just wanted me to do the recovery activities that would benefit me the most, and pose the least risk of injury in the beginning

 

[Layla]

I really wanted to ask her if she would have advised me to immediately begin abdominal exercises after my caesarean section, but held my tongue.

Hahaha! That's funny. I'll bet she would have been dumbfounded.

I have now labelled the exercise packet "Josephine's no-nos" and put it in a drawer to be retrieved when I am ready.

Smart move!
Not long now, wishing you comfort as you await Monday. I look forward to following your journey!
@enoughpain

 

[Barbaraj]

Wow, you are super close to the Big Day, @enoughpain, and you've now run the gauntlet of all those appointments and tests and lectures. I am still shaking my head at what your PT thought you were going to do post-surgery in terms of those exercises. I had a young man in the hospital, who looked about my older son's age, try to put me through my paces and handed me a sheaf of papers with various exercises. I blinked, smiled cheerfully and "somehow" didn't take that set of paperwork home with me! I agree with Bonesmart and just about everyone else who's been through this surgery--no PT until/unless you feel ready for it. Early days in recovery should be spent vegging out, some forays to the bathroom (a lot of those given the unconscionable amount of liquid they think I should be drinking) and brief trips down hallways or through various rooms in your house. I think maybe the first day I did those "point/flex" exercises with my feet but nothing after that and--no surprise--I did just fine the first time around and once I get through this early struggle with hip #2, I'm sure I'll have no problems. Maybe our husbands are one another's dopplegangers?

 

[enoughpain]

@Ptarmigan So happy for you that you have a brilliant PT. I'm sure he will be a great resource in your recovery. Wish there was a way of finding someone that good on my side of the country.
@Layla Time seems to have sped up and I am in the pre-op frenzy that I seem to remember @Barbaraj describing. Everywhere I look, I see things that "must" be done and panic that I will be out of commission for at least several weeks. Have pre-paid all bills that will come due in the next three weeks, as I think narcotics and a checkbook may be a dangerous combination. I weeded flower beds for 2 hours this morning and intend to repeat the process every day for the next 4 days. Will be getting my money's worth out of this hip before I give it up!

 

[Elf1]

@enoughpain just wanted to share with you that while the surgeon and I had agreed to Norco instead of oxy the hospital gave me oxy though I complained constantly. They seem to have a one size fits all protocol and that's all they know. When I saw doc morning after surgery and asked what my pain levels were and I told him he seemed puzzled. I said the reason is you and I decided on Norco and they keep giving me Oxy. Needless to say next dose was Norco and that's what I took home. Also, tramadol and Norco do well together in you usually take tramadol during the day and Norco at night or when pain is more than usual. Of course I'm someone that has been dealing with chronic pain issues for years so these meds don't tend to zone me out like others and I've had a few surgeries so know what works for me. Don't sweat all the "must do" items around the house, it seems to have a way of sorting itself out.

 

[enoughpain]

@Elf1 Thanks for the "heads up". I have told everyone at OS office and hospital that I am allergic to percoset, but did not specify no oxy. Will make sure I tell that to everyone I see on Monday. I asked about Tramadol and the PA said that they don't use it. Unfortunately, I am in charge of 95% of things that need to be done here and the thought of being unavailable for several weeks is a little scary, but I am doing my best to be very prepared.
How do you feel at just over two weeks in recovery? Are the pain levels tolerable? Can you sleep for more than 2 hours at a time? Are you still using a walker, cane, nothing? I hope that you've had rapid improvement.

 

[enoughpain]

@Elf1 The prescription I have is for Norco 5/300, the lowest dose. I can take 2 at a time if one doesn't work well enough. I have previously had small, widely spaced apart prescriptions of Norco for dental surgery and it worked well, but THR is so much more extensive and invasive that I'm worried if this will be enough. If you don't mind sharing, I would love to know your experience.

 

[Barbaraj]

Wow, I remember doing a bit of "power weeding" a few days before my surgery, @enoughpain, knowing that I wouldn't be getting down there and working for a good long while. Boy, I remember it was really hard getting down and then even worse trying to stand up. My hip was groaning and complaining and it's a good thing nobody was looking on as I occasionally staggered like a drunk woman. I agree with others that you don't need to run around like a crazy person trying to get everything done, but I also understand that staying busy, no matter with what, is helpful for pre-surgical jitters--distraction is the name of the game! Have a good Thursday!

 

[enoughpain]

@Barbaraj I knew you would understand! How does it feel to be 8 days out? Hope things are on an upward trend.

 

[Ptarmigan]

Speaking only for myself, I am definitely planning on taking 4000mg of Tylenol a day, in addition to prescription pain medication. So, I will be subtracting the Tylenol mg included in the hydrocodone formulation and supplementing. I will learn more about my OS’s protocol at my pre-op appointment on the 31st. Early indications are that he will use a combination of drugs that treat pain through different mechanisms, rather than increasing the strength of the opiate used for analgesia. The few times I’ve tried this recently, taking Tylenol (analgesic) and Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) simultaneously to get on top of a pain flare-up pre-op, I have been both surprised and relieved at how well they work together to do what neither has been able to do alone.

 

[mainegirl1]

Yep.. though I have Aleve . Tylenol and ibufrofen work well together.. I had debilitating bone pain during chemo from Taxol.. I was told to take them alternately.. That did not work.. AT ALL! So I wrote them both off as sissy meds. Then last Monday at preop the Nurse Practitioner said take them at the same time.. What a difference!

But I think @enoughpain you are in the window where NSAIDS are to be shut off pre op?

 

[enoughpain]

@mainegirl1 Exactly right - nothing but Tylenol since last Monday, and by itself, doesn't do much for the bone pain, but helps the surrounding muscle aches.
@Ptarmigan I will be very interested to hear the outcome of your pre-op appointment, although you may have to speak slowly and repeat yourself as I will be on day 3 of narcotics by then!

 

[Elf1]

@enoughpain the OS prescribed me 10/325 but that's all he sent me home with. Not to be Debbie Downer but told everyone, repeatedly, that I was not to be given oral NSAIDs of any kind as I have kidney disease (controlled) due to having been fed too many for my arthritis by the Army docs. Everybody kept trying to give me NSAIDS! The pre-op nurses even put a red allergy to NSAID band on me. The pharmacy sent the nurse to ask me why I was allergic/couldn't take them. It was ridiculous and they still sent me home with lower dose aspirin and on the next line of the discharge instructions it said NO NSAIDS! Not trying to scare you, I just had the hospital stay from! But please make sure you're keeping an eye on them. They also tried to give me some shot in my stomach for blood clots and I stopped them as the OS and had decided I did not need this. Again, I can't say this enough, my hospital stay was not anywhere close to normal!

 

[enoughpain]

@Elf1 Thanks for the info and warning. I have already told my husband that his main job at the hospital is to ask every medical person who enters the room with medicine what it is and whether it contains oxy, which is my nemesis. I hope to be lucid enough to question them when he is gone overnight.

 

[Layla]

Happy Friday!
Last weekend before your big day. I'm looking forward to following your recovery journey.
I hope you're able to relax this weekend and do something you love.
Thinking of you and wishing you comfort as you wait.
Hugs
@enoughpain

 

[enoughpain]

Thanks @Layla. I was doing a good job of being relaxed until I got the call 20 minutes ago telling me to be at the hospital at 5:30 on Monday morning for an 8:30 surgery. OMG it's real! Since I've already done 90% of the paperwork, what can they possibly need 3 hours to do? According to my OS the surgery itself only takes an hour, start to finish. The fact that the hospital needs 3 hours before that doesn't fill me with confidence as to their competence and efficiency. Sorry to vent, you were just the unlucky first person to message me after that call. After hearing the experiences of many other posters here, I don't want to be in their control one minute longer than I have to.

On the bright side, my surgeon does the numbing injections into the surgical site that you have described. I also received a little gift yesterday from a friend who is an amazing seamstress and quilter. She made a cover that will hold two of my ice packs, side by side, just as you described in an earlier post. It is made of really soft flannel with a pattern of cartoon penguins that reminds me of "Chilly Willy" from my childhood. So sweet.