THR JB's (beachgal) Joyous Journey 7/25/14!

[beachgal]

Day Six- post op. Maybe what I needed was a little time to get all crazy meds out of my system and analyze exactly what I needed meds for, in particular. When I came off the Percocet, the constipation issues went away along with the jitters, so that was two huge items solved. It also gave me some time to clearly evaluate my pain level so I would not be over medicated. I'm finding that is much less than originally thought so less is more, right? A clear head is my best asset so everything looks rosier.

I have slept almost all night straight through the past two nights. I would try to sleep in bed but laying flat unevenly distributed the pressure along my spine and would trigger a muscle spasm in my upper back so I ended up in the recliner. Last night I tried a different approach (clear head!) and tried elevating my op leg just a bit and it worked. It kept the pressure off just enough for me to settle in. Relief!!

So I made coffee this morning for the first time since surgery. I'm careful about drinking too much as I'm still babying tummy but ah! Familiar taste!

Housekeeper coming today so I'll be happy to have a fresh home. Just feel like I'm walking among surgery and hospital cooties that need to go away!

I tried to bribe my PT gal to let me get a shower if I wrapped myself in a Glad wrap and she said. "No way". I really don't know how I'll make it another week but I've come too far to turn back now. And we are going to have a communal bonfire for compression socks, walkers, canes, elevated toilet seats, reachers, and whatever else I can find when all this is over!

Feel like I've turned a corner this morning.



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[rans0m00]

@beachgal are you on shower restriction or so that?

 

[insexec]

@beachgal, awesome!!! It sure does seem that you have turned the corner. Proud of you. Keep it up but don't go crazy doing stuff you are not supposed to yet. I used the "Glad Press and Seal" product over my dressing for shower purposes and it sure sticks to your skin and makes it water tight. Now that my dressing is removed I am still using it as a precaution until all my incision scabs fall out.

 

[beachgal]

@rans0m00, yes. No shower until two weeks out. Yuck.


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[LoyalD]

I was on shower restriction for two weeks, became an expert with body wash, wash cloth and towels on the floor. Once the shower restriction was lifted, I put the handicapped bathroom chair in the shower and literally took a 30-minute shower...lovely. Actually, I don't know where I would found the energy in the first two weeks to shower. As it was, during week 3, any shower wiped me out for hours!

Last day of the work week, on Week 5 of my recovery. I have been working from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sorry for my bummer-tent yesterday on by blog.

So, beachgal, what medications are you actually on?

 

[Chessie]

@beachgal , man that stinks about the shower. I could shower immediately - I wonder what the difference is. Do you have stitches? I had a glued incision.

Are you saying that you were going to bed, sleeping without elevating your leg at all??? OMG I could never have slept like that. Did they not tell you to elevate??

 

[beachgal]

@LoyalD, as of today, I'm actually taking one 325 mg aspirin daily, two Tylenol every six hours or more just as needed, and that's all. My OS switched my pain meds to Tramadol, 50 mg, every four to six hours as needed but I've not taken any yet. The Tylenol is doing the trick so I'm leaving well enough alone.

@Chessie, I've used a pillow between my legs to assure no midline crossing but didn't elevate to sleep. I guess that was dumb on my part. Also iced hip while sleeping.




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[Chessie]

@beachgal , Wow. I am amazed you got any sleep at all. I couldn't even think about sleeping on my side this fast...much less sleeping without my surgical leg elevated!! I elevated using the pillow stack method - I never would have slept without that. Sleeping on my side was not possible for me until a week ago. But now, yes I definitely do use a couple of pillows between my legs, when I sleep on my (non-surgical) side. I still feel more comfortable, when sleeping on my back, with one pillow under my surgical leg. I imagine that will change after a while.

 

[rans0m00]

@beachgal definitely try the elevation while sleeping. I don't always do it but it has been a huge help with swelling and the leg just being uncomfortable.

Yesterday I bought a cheap body pillow from Walmart and with that I have enough pillows I actually slept on my side last night which was an awesome change from the non stop back sleeping.

I'm sorry to hear about the no showers. As with Chessie I have been able to shower from day one. I have only recently had the confidence to navigate my all tile floor though. So more showers are happening but not daily like I would prefer. Before the surgery I assumed I wouldn't be able to take a shower for a bit so I stocked up on sanitizing wipes and use those quite a bit especially around the bandage covering my incision.

The not needing pain meds is really nice. I don't fault anyone for taking what they need to take but if you can get by with just Tylenol or aleve I think it's better for a smoother recovery. If nothing else you don't run the risk of mild opiate withdrawal... Which is always a bonus.

 

[Mountain Momma]

@beachgal I just read through your last few days on your recovery thread. Sounds like you have navigated a few bumps in the recovery road (meds, BMs, sleeping, showering ). I had some , but not all of those issues. The strongest pain meds I had were Tylenol with codeine (NORCO). I supplemented with Tramadol as needed. I had a high tech, water proof bandage that allowed a shower as soon as I got cut loose from the catheter. YEAH ! Glad to hear that you have housekeeping support. Clean surroundings always lift my spirits as I'm sure it will for you. You have a great group of advisors and cheerleaders on this forum. Reading your recovery thread reminds me that we are all unique in mind, body and spirit, but there are common needs we have and we can all support and encourage one another even though we may see things differently.
Enough of my blather. Get well.
LTHR, 7 July. 2014, posterior

 

[rans0m00]

@Mountain Momma just a heads up since it might matter in the future. Norco is Tylenol with hydrocodone. No big deal but I am a firm advocate for people knowing what meds are going in for safety reasons.

 

[Mountain Momma]

@rans0m00 OK. I went to webmd to look this up. No wonder I didn't use it very much. I got a script for 40 pills, and I think I only took 5 or 6 in my first week post op. I just didn't need it. It's one of those that can be addictive. Well, I know others on this forum who have experienced severe pain for long periods of time so it's a judgement call for the doc to treat the patient's pain individually. With that said, I will check out every pill I pop in my mouth to make SURE I know what effects it could have.
I'm a little past the 3 week post op and not needing anything more than Tylenol now.

LTHR posterior, 7. July. 2014

 

[rans0m00]

@Mountain Momma I was just saying it since codeine isn't as strong as hydrocodone. If someone thought it had codeine they might have a different comfort level with it. Both codeine and hydrocodone are addictive. I'm glad you will Google your meds but a chunk of people don't Google their meds so didn't want any confusion when really the meds most of us take post op can be dangerous if we don't know what's in them and respect it appropriately.

 

[fulafoto]

@beachgal you sound like your doing really well but I can totally empathise with you about the BM's - makes you feel soooo ill doesn't it? I am still having some issues in that way.

 

[Poppet]

@beachgal - you are making good progress - good for you with the BMs, make sure you are drinking plenty of water along with your healthy fruits and veggies.

 

[beachgal]

Day Seven! One week ago I was being moved from recovery room to hospital room at this moment. To think of all that has happened since then boggles my mind.

I've had PT this morning and she has instructed me to do two more sessions today and each day this weekend When I see her Monday, she will take the bandage off my incision. The little bandage came off the drain site today but I won't look at it yet. Haha.

I had a restless night and plan to nap after I post this update. Hubby and dog have been on coast since Wednesday morning and are on their way up here so I would love to be rested when they arrive. Tough being without them but what would I do without my amazing sisters? Blessed beyond measure.

Still no pain meds except Tylenol. Tummy is certainly happier. My muscle spasm keeps reminding me of the changes in my body of late, making me behave.

I've begun the mental challenge of handling these next five weeks. With one under my belt, I see what tremendous changes can occur but also realize there is still a long way to go. I'm trying to keep "normal" out of the dialogue since that is too far off to see yet. A promise, tho!

Nap time.


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[Josephine]

It's one of those that can be addictive.

Both codeine and hydrocodone are addictive.

In my professional opinion, there is far too much emphasis on addiction and too little on sensible pain management. Truth of the matter is that it's very unlikely anyone will run the risk of addiction from taking any opiates for just a few weeks. However, they will run a very real risk of developing chronic inflammatory conditions caused by inadequately controlled pain. You pays your money and you takes your choice - subscribe to the myth of addiction or get long term pain. There is clinical evidence of this Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds.

 

[beachgal]

In my professional opinion, there is far too much emphasis on addiction and too little on sensible pain management. Truth of the matter is that it's very unlikely anyone will run the risk of addiction from taking any opiates for just a few weeks. However, they will run a very real risk of developing chronic inflammatory conditions caused by inadequately controlled pain. You pays your money and you takes your choice - subscribe to the myth of addiction or get long term pain. There is clinical evidence of this Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds.

@Josephine, when do you know it's time for a more aggressive pain control med? I had the inflammatory pain in my hip joint prior to surgery and don't want anything like that again. I don't have a benchmark for when to take a stronger pain med. I am not concerned with addiction. I simply cannot tolerate most of the side effects of narcotics. Can you offer up some advice as to what level of pain should be tolerable during PT?


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[Poppet]

In my own experience, I allowed my body and my post surgical level of mobility to dictate when I started to wean off the stronger pain meds. It is major complex surgery and and the body needs the meds help to allow us to regain our mobility. You will know when it is right Gabs

 

[rans0m00]

@Josephine this is where our professions meet. The meds in my opinion are a need for most of us. I take my oxycodone as prescribed and never understood the appeal. I constantly see clients that started their addiction with a surgery. I don't really understand it since pain killers for me ease some to a lot of the pain and that's about it. For others it's a new world and after they have had that med they always want to stay in that area.

When talking in the forums I could say that narcotics will form a physical dependence if taken long enough.... But when is that long enough line.... That just depends on the person. I usually say addicting because it's easier even though not entirely correct. Almost a blanket word that everyone will at least get the idea.

It's my opinion that the amount of education at least in my area is lacking when it comes to most medications. The Dr just says this will be good for them and they take it without giving enough thought or respect for the medication. We have too many deaths from a lack of education which brings on careless behavior. The biggest one is mixing their pain killers with benzos. I forgot the exact number but in one month we actually lost over five people due to this. I assume my area can't be the only one that is so poorly educated so I branch my opinion out to other areas without actual proof but it's a better safe than sorry type thing.

Without my meds I find myself not doing my pt as good as I could, trying to protect my new hip like I tried to do when it was injured, and sleep quality is very poor. None of this will help my recovery to resume a normal life. I have only been able to tolerate iv toradol and the occasional aleve. So keeping swelling down I have to go old school with just ice, elevation, and rest. So my meds even though they don't actually fix a physical problem such as inflammation they do allow me to train my body to move normally which is important to me.

I feel the odds of harm from not taking your meds is much greater than getting harmed from your meds. I still think it should be laid out the possible negatives too though. Most people I see never were informed about the negatives that happen from long term use or drug interactions. Still after all the possible negatives I feel the positives outweigh the negatives. Just know about the medications and that nothing comes without a trade off. I would like to have my cake and eat it too but no luck.

For me a physical dependency was developed a while ago so just stopping without a taper is not such a great idea. I research anything I take so I was aware of which road I was going down when the meds switched from a prn to daily. I wouldn't change my medication choices if I could go back to the start. The only thing that would have changed is how long I let this go on before I was in for surgery. The surgery would have happened last year if not sooner.