ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: Tamara on July 10, 2008, 01:53:10 pm
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Ok, I'm not usually a wuss, but I've got about 25 staples in my head, not to mention numerous sutures AND a liberal (and I mean liberal) application of glue. I THINK I'm getting the staples removed tomorrow by the otologist, and the neurosurgeon (seen on Tuesday) says he "thinks it might be quite a project". Does it hurt to have staples removed?? My husband does a lot of woodworking and all I can think of is "staple puller". The neurosurgeon suggested trying to pick off as much glue as I can, so I've been doing that, but even that hurts :-\ as I'm pretty much pulling out my 1/2 " hair along with it....
Ouch,
Tammy
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I hope you get a reassuring answer on this soon... I only had sutures, and getting them removed wasn't uncomfortable at all. Literally all I felt was a sensation of tugging.
Maybe the "project" comment referred mainly to the length of time the process is likely to take (25 staples is a lot!)
Keeping my fingers crossed for you,
Carrie
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Tammy
When I had staples taken out for my first brain surgery in 1996 I was very worried. I told the neurosurgeon that I was scared and he said "Well, we've already taken out the first one while you were talking." I was very relieved. It went a-okay after that!
Kathleen
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I had stitches (spitting and regular as it turned out) and was completely freaked out when I went to get them removed - I felt nothing! Perhaps the overall head numbness serves a useful purpose after all. Strangely, though, I could always feel my hair pulling when I took the dressings off my head. Weird that I could feel hair being yanked out, but not stitches.
If it turns out to be at all uncomfortable, though, he can probalby give you a shot of Lidocaine to numb the area. My Neuro did that for me when he cleaned out the incision when I got the infection.
Let us know how it goes, okay?
Debbi
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Hi, Tammy
I had 15 staples removed, and it didn't hurt at all because the area was numb. It hurt more to remove the rubberband that held up my hair during surgery. Relax, it'll be ok.
Syl
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I had dissolvable stitches, so I can't speak to that directly. But, when I had my c-section, I was terrified to have my many staples removed--and I didn't feel a thing :)
I hope you don't either ;)
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It doesn't hurt hardly at all. If you remember how you feel when your leg falls asleep and the blood rushes back and you get that pins/needles feeling. At the worst it may feel like that for a split instanteous second. normally, it doesn't even hurt at all. I had alot of staples, I'm thinking around 40+ staples. Fretting over it was more stressful than the actual procedure. Bottom line, don't even worry about it.
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I had a lot of staples too, and I was worried about getting them out, but I have to say, if I ever have a choice when getting put back together, I'd would chose staples over sutures anytime. I have always hated the pulling feeling of the sutures coming out but with the staples, I didn't feel a thing. Now, mind you, I didn't have any crazy glue or other crazy stuff in there, but I'm sure they took into consideration when they patched you up that they'd have to eventually take the staples out.
Good luck! You'll do fine!
Lori
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Gday
I had 40 plus staples removed eight days after surgery did not hurt one bit, a little sting on a couple but nothing to worry about, i was more interested talking to the good looking nurse that was taking them out LOL take care
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Staples, stitches, and glue are gone! :D That's the good news. The bad news is that, while the unglued staples weren't particularly painful, the glued stapled hurt like....well, like the d***ens. Are any of you old enough to remember Dan Ackroyd's impersonation of Julia Child on SNL (Oh, that hurts like the d***ens!)?? Fortunately (or not, haven't decided), that was only about a third of them. I think the glue was what made this a project (about 40 minutes) - sort of like a craft project in reverse...
Stapleless, Stitchless, almost glueless (a few remnants),
Tammy
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I'm glad it all (well, almost all) came out well for ya. That must feel better. I know it felt good when I had my sutures out finally! It stinks that some of them hurt coming out, but you are best for it all. Congrats on this milestone! Continued healing!
Brian
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Sorry it turned out a bit more painful than you were anticipating, Tammy. Hope the upgrade to a shampooable head makes it worthwhile in the end, though, and that those glue remnants are soon a bad memory!
:)
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Hey, what I typed in wasn't obscene - but I got astericks when I spelled out D I C K E N S - hope this comes through, otherwise what I wrote makes no sense...
Hmm, we'll see what posts this time
Tammy
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Are you saying that your computer censored your post when you didn't use caps for "d***ens"? (I just typed it in myself, experimentally!)
If so, what a highly proper machine! :D
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I just got the asterisks, too, Tammy!
That is just hilarious...
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So what happens if one wants to make a reference to charles d***ens?
Tammy - glad you survived the "de-stapling", but sorry that it wasn't quite as easy as we'd all told you. Isn't it just great to be a trendsetter?? > :o
Debbi
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OK, now I'm curious to see what happens when I type in *****willow and cockle... that's p u s s y w i l l o w and c o c k l e in case they don't come through...
bein' naughty,
Tam
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Hmm, you don't even get a partial on the first one, yet the second comes through fine. Who made up these rules??
And as far as the trendsetter business, I figure I won't ever get arthritis or heart disease because everyone gets those...I just get this weird stuff...not even your "normal" AN, but an adipose one. Then the "almost unheard-of" CSF leak through the incisinon. The other weird things I have are cold urticaria (I get hives in cold weather, and I live in Wisconsin!), and a massive yearlong inflammatory response to a tetanus shot (also extremely rare). And my daughter's condition doesn't even have a name, though there are a couple that sort of fit...
Rarely,
Tam
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Yes indeed, the automatic censoring program is a bit primitive. It reminds me of that "Unnecessary Censoring" bit they do on the Jimmy Kimmel show - it tends to emphasize the words it is trying to censor out. It would probably be wise not to test it out too thoroughly, please. ;)
Steve
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Don't worry, Steve, those are the only ones I could even think of ;)
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i had 13 staples in the stomach , a couple in the head and one on the lower spine.
the only one that tweaked was the one on the spine. kinda like a pinch.
i found it helped me alot to not watch him do it though LOL
i'm a wuss.........
Dr. said i had an extreme tolerance for pain drugs but i have no tolerance for pain........
the removal shouldnt hurt a bit!!!!!!!!!!
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Tammy,
Glad to hear you are glueless stapleless and suturesless! I hope the resut of your recovery is uncomplicated to the point oif being boring -- you've been through more than Gour share of trials and tribulations. Sorry the experience was somewhat painful but hopefully all AN related pain is now behind you. On with the healing!!!
Wendy