ANA Discussion Forum
Treatment Options => Microsurgical Options => Topic started by: Jeepers on July 08, 2009, 05:57:10 am
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This time tomorrow, I'll be pretty close - if not entirely - zonked out, awaiting my fate.
Thanks to sweetie pies Jan and Lilan for reaching out to me. As I mentioned to Jan, I will not have anyone posting during the hosp stay, but I will definitely be back online as soon as I'm back home.
Thanks for all your wonderful information and support these last few months. You've been told this before, but bears repeating ... you're ALL the absolute BEST!!
:-* :-* :-*
Jeepers
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Jeepers,
We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers as you continue on your journey to postieland. Six years of W&W is a long time. All our best to you for a successful surgery, and a speedy recovery.
Rich & Scarlett
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Jeepers, thinking of you today and for the N3D (next 3 days) or so! :)
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Jeepers,
Prayers going your way for a successful surgery.
See you in postie land.
Maureen
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Jeepers ~
Many of us can remember the combination of fear and excitement that seems to be intrinsic as The Big Day draws close. You'll be in many thoughts and prayers tonight and tomorrow. May you have a smooth surgery and a rapid recovery! :) See you back here as soon as you're able.
Jim
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Thanks, you guys!! :)
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Good Luck Jeepers! I hope you have a succesful surgery and a speedy recovery! I now understand how wonderful it is to be a postie! Can't wait for for your postie notice!! Prayers and thoughts coming your way!!!
Take care,
Darlene
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Looking forward to hearing your story, and best of luck to you!
Nancy
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best wishes and a speedy recovery.
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Jeep -
Wow! I've been called a lot of things in my life, but never a sweetpie ;) :D Thanks ;D
You're probably already asleep in anticipation of your hot date tomorrow morning, but wanted to say good luck again.
If you happen to have insomnia and check out the forum, you'll see this message pre op - if not, you can read it post op.
Looking forward to hearing from you as a postie! You're in great hands.
Best,
Jan
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Hi Jeepers,
You're probably all done now? Welcome to postie land. We look forward to hearing from you when you're able.
I hope and pray all is well, as much as it can be right at first. It's amazing how time flies. The people I thought were new posties are already 3 or 4 weeks now post op.
Take care,
Keri
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good luck and have a speedy recovery!!!
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Good Luck, I cann't wait to hear your story! Just think, this time tomorrow-you will be on the way to recovery. Debi
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Jeep -
been thinking about you and hoping things went well. I'm thinking that by now you may be released from the hospital - or at least on your way towards it.
Anxious to see you back posting.
Best,
Jan
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You should be well on your way to feeling more normal by now. Congrats on becoming a postie! Hope the healing process is going well. We look forward to hearing from you again so we can get the scoop!
Priscilla
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Holy mother of pearl :o I am A-STOUNDED how the human body can bounce back. I don't know if I'm breaching any form of etiquette here, but those first days or so of "lost" days ... they weren't LOST ... I have NEVER felt SO miserable in my life ... I couldn't even IMAGINE feeling so miserable. I had nausea to the en'th degree. Constant and uncontrollable until finally falling asleep sometime Friday night and waking Sat morning. They stopped the pain med and just kept feeding me anti-nausea, but it had to run itself out of my system I guess. Fortunately the pain was not noticeable ... I was too busy wanting to die from the wretching. :'(
AHHH!!! The things we can LAUGH about now!!
I don't know how long I will last in this post, as I had some bad pain when I woke this a.m. and doubled up on the Vicodin, so I'm still pretty spacey.
Short version ...
Surg went exceptionally well per the docs on Thurs a.m. - only taking about 3-1/2 hrs. Got it all, no involvement whatsoever with the facial. I believe the tumor was a small 1.4cm. Both Drs. Battista and Kazan are as EXCELLENT as I anticipated. They visited early daily and were very reassuring.
[skip to feeling like a human being again ... Saturday morning]
Moved out of Neuro ICU. Double vision. Annoying but no big deal. Did I mention I was no longer nauseated?? ;)
Sunday - double vision gone and now only those little twitchy eye movements. Again, annoying, but knew I was rebounding.
Pain was incredibly minimal during all this time, but now started to increase because of the tightness of the bandage. Dr. B was due in later on Sunday to remove it. I had to add tylenol to the push pain, which helped, but was much relieved when he showed up at the door with a pair of scissors.
We talked about at-home pain management and I was taken off the IV pain so that I could test which option I would tolerate best at home ... Darvocet or Vicodin. I started having significant pain about 930p and took the Darvocet. That was not successful and after a long bout of back and forth with the nurses' button, the nurses aide, and finally the nurse, I went back on the IV pain. If there was any bump in the road, this was it, as when I explained that I wanted to go back on the IV (I believe it was now hovering around 1am), the nurse suggested it might delay my expected release the following morning ??? Since this was not what Dr. B mentioned, I repeated to her that we were testing the oral meds, with the option of going back on IV if necessary (without ANY delay in discharge), she agreed ??? and I was comfy again in short order.
My discharge was brilliantly handled by Ana first thing Monday morning and I was back IN MY HOUSE by 9AM !! (the hospital is not far)The nurses I remember were Linda, Mary Kay and Ana. OUTSTANDING!! Attentive, compassionate and kind, with the warmest senses of humor.
My improvement is just as Dr. Battista indicated - noticeable each and every day for this first week home
... to be continued .... :)
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"Darvocet or Vicodin"
Life is warm and toastie- now you are a postie. Welcome to the other side!
The pain meds will constipate you- so be sure to take a stool softener... as you do not want to bear down after brain surgery. You are family now that you are on this side... know that we can talk about anything... even poops. ;D
Hang in there and know that are many of us on-line here to offer you support (yes even to talk "poop talk")
So glad your face was not involved. This is great news! :)
DHM
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Jeepers ~
Congratulations on a successful surgery! I'm sorry to learn your first few post-op days were unpleasant but you seem to have rebounded and left the nausea behind. I trust the pain will also be receding very soon so you can get off the pain meds. No facial issues is always good news as this is the biggest issue with AN surgery. Overall, your relatively brief hospitalization appears to have been bearable and your recovery well underway. I hope and will pray that continues. :)
Jim
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Home and recovering, one way or another. That's what we like to hear!
Glad you made it back, now rest often and take it easy, you deserve it.
Steve
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Jeepers -
WONDERFUL to hear from you ;D
Your post op experience was much like mine - extreme nausea and double vision - but gradually making steady progress daily. And I'm definitely with you on the "never feeling so miserable in my life" for the first couple of days. I usually like to say it was like being run over by a Mack truck. But either way, lots of us know the feeling.
I, too, found the nurses @ Hinsdale Hospital to be incredible - and you already know my opinion of Drs. Battista & Kazan. Glad your experience was a good one.
Don't worry, DHM, unless things have changed in the past two years, colace is part of the program with these docs - so the poop issue should have already been taken care of.
Jan
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Holy mother of pearl! You crack me up!
When you mentioned you had minimal pain, I was impressed! Until you mentioned about the pain pump.
You're the lucky one, except for the dry heaves from hell of course.
Have others received pain pumps post op???
I felt like hammered s!#@ after my surgery. Only words to describe it.
Improved to "road Kill" after a few days. And then just plain ole doo doo.
Take her slow and easy. Lots of rests, naps, walking, rests, naps, walking and pooping too ;)
Lots of water too.
Congrats!
Maureen
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Jeepers -
Don't worry, DHM, unless things have changed in the past two years, colace is part of the program with these docs - so the poop issue should already been taken care of.
Jan
I think we need to always let our newbies know, once they become posties, that we are a family that allows "bathroom talk" ;D... as inevitably - as even with our buddy Jeepers here ... it came up.
See...
http://ana.ngmwebteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=10099.msg115640#msg115640
I am realizing that many doctors/ surgeons are neglecting to have "the poop" talk with their patients... so we here on the forum give them the OK to talk "poops"... as even with the collace more than half of us get "clogged plumbing" due to pain meds.
"Keep moving forward!" (Gee that has a whole new meaning in this thread ;) ;D)
DHM (aka "4")
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"Keep moving forward" VERY amusing comment, DHM :D
No pain pumps for me - didn't even know it was an option @ Hinsdale Hospital. But I didn't require pain meds, which may be why I wasn't aware I could have one.
Sounds like a great idea, though.
Jan
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Jeepers, thrilled to hear you're doing so well! :D
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Great news and good wishes for continued improvement!
Keri