ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: MikeS on March 15, 2009, 08:32:41 am

Title: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: MikeS on March 15, 2009, 08:32:41 am

Headed into surgery tuesday morning, St Patty's Day, (retrosig approach) with Dr.'s Leonetti and Anderson at Loyola in Chicago.  Wish me luck and have a green beer for me!

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: EJTampa on March 15, 2009, 08:43:03 am

Lots of prayers to you during your surgery!  Maybe they would be willing to put a green dye in your IV fluids? :)
 
No green beer for me either, I gave up alcohol for the Lenten Season.  What was I thinking?
 
Ernie

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: leapyrtwins on March 15, 2009, 10:30:35 am

Good luck, MikeS. 

I'm not a beer drinker, but perhaps I'll have a green whiskey in your honor  :D

I had my surgery with Battista/Kazan (Ear Institute of Chicago) so we must live somewhere around each other.

Jan

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: cin605 on March 15, 2009, 10:57:53 am

I will have a green tea....If i have one beer it will taste like another & proble have to get a bodyguard to hold me up sooo tea it is..
Damn!
lots of luck w/ your surgery.Irish eyes will be smilin' at cha! ;D

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: sgerrard on March 15, 2009, 01:35:49 pm

Lime green Powerade for me, thanks. Mike, maybe you can wear green sunglasses in the hospital?  8)

Best wishes for the surgery.

Steve

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: MAlegant on March 15, 2009, 01:55:48 pm

I'll go for the green tea as well, but am sending best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
Marci

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Jim Scott on March 15, 2009, 03:40:38 pm

Mike:  Green beer is over-rated, anyway.  :)

Many good vibes and prayers will go with you on Tuesday (17th).  May your AN removal surgery be successful and your recovery, quick and complete.  :)

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: lori67 on March 15, 2009, 06:44:59 pm

Alright, ya' lightweights - if someone needs to have a green beer for Mike, I guess I'll have to be the one to do it.  It's quite a sacrifice on my part, but I like to do what I can to help out!   ;)

Mike, the luck of the Irish to you on surgery day!  Don't be alarmed if you see wee green folks as you drift off to sleep in the OR!

Lori

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Kaybo on March 15, 2009, 08:35:41 pm

I'm in with Lori - I guess we are the big LUSHES in this group!!  Funny thing is that I really don't drink much...but I'll sure do this!!

Good luck and prayers for you Mike...try to keep a PEACEFUL heart until Tuesday!

K

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Sue on March 15, 2009, 09:28:59 pm

Sorry you have to spend St. Paddy's Day in the hospital.  No fun.  But, next year that means you can have twice the green beer, 'cause you missed a year!  I think that's some old Irish tradition.  ;)

Sue in Vancouver, USA

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: wendysig on March 16, 2009, 05:08:11 am

Mike -

Good luck to you on Tuesday -- I'll gladly raise a pint of  green beer to you on St. Patrick's Day!  I'm wishing you good luck tomorrow and that aint no Blarney!   Will someone be posting for you?

Best wishes,
Wendy

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: MikeS on March 16, 2009, 06:19:00 am

thanks all!  i'm a big fan of Green Tea as well but had to have a few cold ones last night (i assume they won't be allowed with the magical painkilling combo they'll be serving up).  probably won't hear from me for a week....wife isn't posting for me in the next few days (she gets to juggle the kids and all).

take care, thanks for the kind words and see you on the other side!  still hoping for 'stereo' afterwards but will take 'mono' if it means this is all over.

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Mickey on March 16, 2009, 07:28:13 am

Best Wishes Mike! I never had a green beer but will definately be looking fowards to one. Prayers are with you, Mickey

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: lori67 on March 16, 2009, 10:40:51 am

Mike, one advantage to "mono" is that the kids are no longer in stereo!!   :D

Lori

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: stoneaxe on March 16, 2009, 06:54:39 pm

I'm with Lori too....a round of green Guinness (breakfast of champions) in Mikes name. Good Luck tomorrow.

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Jackie on March 16, 2009, 07:17:00 pm

Hey Mike,

The very best of luck to you and a speedy recovery!!! That's no Blarney!!!

Jackie in Oregon

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: cin605 on March 17, 2009, 06:27:22 pm

All leprcauns gather round....anyone hear an update from mike??

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: leapyrtwins on March 17, 2009, 08:58:13 pm

Quote from: MikeS on March 16, 2009, 06:19:00 am

probably won't hear from me for a week....wife isn't posting for me in the next few days (she gets to juggle the kids and all).

Looks like we'll all be kept hanging for a little while.

Hopefully things went well for MikeS today and he's on his way to a speedy, uneventful recovery.

Jan

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: MikeS on March 23, 2009, 11:49:43 am

Hey gang! Back amongst the living (sort of).  Been six days since surgery and all is well (whew!).  Went in last tues as scheduled (3/17) and Dr's Leonetti and Anderson were awesome.  Surgery lasted six hours an by 2:30pm i was in recovering a new definition of 'pain and discomfort' that i had never imagined in my wildest dreams.  They are sure they got it all and i actually awoke with a wee bit of hearing (which they say may improve as swelling goes down).  I was out of bed on thurs and came home friday...the old saying that a hospital is the worst place to get some rest is so true.

Headaches / neckpain / general discomfort is still overwelming but taking is very very slowly.  i can't thank all of you enough for the well wishes and the countless tips / advice i've read over last few months on these pages.  i definitely felt better prepared going into it, especially the quote "the first 28 hours after surgery don't count".  boy, that was the roughest period i've ever endured.

take care

mike

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: EJTampa on March 23, 2009, 12:03:37 pm

Hello Mike, and welcome to Postie land!
 
How wonderful that they were able to save at least some of your hearing!  I had an easy recovery compared to others, but yours sounds just about normal.  I pray that your headaches and neckpain subside soon.  How are you doing as far as balance and focussing?
 
Ernie

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Kaybo on March 23, 2009, 12:51:59 pm

Good to hear from you Mike - take it easy!!

K

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: lori67 on March 23, 2009, 03:13:07 pm

Well, it sounds like that green beer I had in your honor did the trick!  Glad it went smoothly ( the surgery, not the beer) and I'm sure you'll be feeling better soon.  Slow and steady.

I'lll keep my fingers crossed that the hearing improves!!  That's great!

Lori

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: joebloggs on March 23, 2009, 05:14:13 pm

Mike and Ernie have both seemed to totally rocked the swift exit from hospital!  Good one Mike!  Hope you feeling heaps better... it's amazing how much better you get after hospital... something to do with getting some sleep and food that doesn't smell and taste like cabbage?

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: texsooner on March 23, 2009, 05:39:56 pm

Mike, congrats on making it in good shape to postie land. Also great to see you may have retained some hearing. Do some walking if you're up to it and stay positive.

Patrick

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: cin605 on March 25, 2009, 09:08:32 am

Welcome to postie land.Hope your  recovery is smooth.Know when to rest. :)

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Mickey on March 25, 2009, 04:19:31 pm

It`s great to hear your doing well!  Mickey

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: MikeS on March 27, 2009, 12:48:30 pm

just a quick check-in....surgery D-Day Plus 11.  feeling much better but, as many of you have repeatedly pointed out, this is not a linear recovery. had a 'backwards' day yesterday which was probably good in the grand scheme of things to kick me in the back side and remind me to take it easy.  headaches are still whoppers but i've weened off the crazy stuff and am getting by on tylenol alone.  no progress on hearing front in terms of improvements but Dr said it would take weeks/months for things inside to settle down and stabilize.  the walks outside are helping but, being in Chicago, not always an option this time of year. 

biggest issue is sleeping....can't get comfortable easily and am up much of the night.  but taking lots of naps during the day.

have any of you had the post-op arm and neck pain?!  they must have really twisted my head and strapped me down hard....my neck and arms a quite bruised and sore.  every day a bit better though.

to anyone considering their options, i'm more than willing to help out.  i wasn't in a dire situation as my tumor was just starting to cause symptoms and had all 3 options (wait, radiation, surgery).  i wanted to move quickly to avoid the hearing loss, since they were all amazed i had great hearing with a 2cm x 1cm in my hearing canal.  in retro-spect i think i made the right call...time will tell.

thanks to all for your continued support and kind words.  this forum has been a God-send.

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: EJTampa on March 27, 2009, 02:49:24 pm

Mike,
 
Funny you should mention the sore neck.  Prior to surgery, when I asked my surgeon about headaches after surgery, he said that when he was on another team, he couldn't believe how far and how hard they cranked peoples necks over.  He vowed not to do that at his place (thank goodness).  I didn't have any issues with neck pain at all, but do get a slight headache here and there that tylenol seems to dispatch without trouble.
 
Ernie

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Jim Scott on March 27, 2009, 02:57:24 pm

Hi, Mike:

Just popping in to add my congratulations on coming through your surgery successfully.  Recovery differs for everyone and the arm & neck pain is not uncommon.  Heating pads seem to help. 

Don't try to set records for recovery, just let your body guide you on how much to attempt at any given time.  Naps will be a regular part of your life for some time, but likely not permanently.

Here's hoping your hearing was retained and that you'll regain normalcy fairly soon.  :)

Jim

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: leapyrtwins on March 27, 2009, 03:10:15 pm

Mike -

Stiffness/soreness in the neck and shoulders is very common due to the position you are placed in during surgery.  The stiffness/soreness can also be attributed to the fact that you are in this position for so long.

My retrosigmoid surgery was a little longer than yours (7 1/2 hours as opposed to 6) and I had this stiffness/soreness.  It will go away in time.  So will the fatigue. 

Patience, patience, patience  :)

Jan

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: lori67 on March 27, 2009, 03:23:28 pm

I didn't really have any arm or neck pain, but I did have a black eye!  I asked my doctor if it was necessary for him to punch me while I was in the OR and he assured me it wasn't him, as he is a righty.  I knew to be careful around the left-handed docs during that hospital stay!   :D

Lori

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: Captain Deb on March 27, 2009, 08:04:37 pm

Hey Mike,

Sorry about the neck and shoulder pain/stiffness.  Mine was so bad I broke down and invested in a Thermaphore moist heating pad for around $70 and it has been worth every penny.  You lay out bucknekkid and put it on top of you for around 25 minute intervals during the day--fix you right up!  Also a bit of baby shampoo in the shower will allow you to wash your hair with your eyes open and keep the spinnies from knocking you over if you get dizzy in there. 

You may not know it but I sent this guy in to check on you while you were in the hospital:

(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/drunken_leprechaun_lg_clr.gif)

Don't you remember him?  Oh yeah, you were in the midst of that first 24 hrs!

Continued healing thoughts........

Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/pirate-smiley-12.gif)

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: moe on March 27, 2009, 09:46:14 pm

Hi Mike,
So glad to hear things went well with surgery. My neck was very sore too. Motrin alternating with Tylenol works if you are trying to wean off the strong stuff. I used to alternate Motrin 800 mg, then a couple of hourse later (2- 3)   do the extra strength tylenol (2), so that I could take more motrin in 3 more hours,  and continue this pattern.
Unfortunately I had to get through a couple of bottle of vicodin to get to this point, so you are doing marvelous!
Maureen

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: EJTampa on March 28, 2009, 06:37:45 am

While Tylenol is probably ok, I would NOT take motrin without talking to your doctor first!  I was restricted from motrin until today actually.  No blood thinners at all.  Nothing with aspirin or anything like it.  I had to stay away for 3 weeks I think, plus I also was not to take motrin (no anti-inflammatories) until my steroid regimen was done.
 
Always best to ask the doc.
 
Ernie

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: moe on March 28, 2009, 11:05:38 am

good point Ernie,
I don't want to over- step my boundaries here!
I was all done with the steroids at the time, and it was a good 4 weeks post op at the time also.
Yes, check with your doc.
Maureen

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: cin605 on March 28, 2009, 02:45:04 pm

Capt.Deb,I could have sworn i saw this guy at Dartmouth the evening of my sugery...oh,wait...that was my Ex! ;D

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: wendysig on March 28, 2009, 09:20:33 pm

Mike -=
Glad to hear your surgery went well.  As for the neck/shoulder pain, my neck and upper back pain were just awful for quite a while.  My doc allowed me to go to a chiropractor for my back pain but didn't want her manipulating my neck.  I used Thermacare Heat Pads which were a big help --in retrospect, I wish I'd asked for  prescription pain killers or muscle relaxants or both.  If it's really painful, I would talk to your doc and see what he says.

Wishing you a speedy recovery,
Wendy

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: NancyMc on March 29, 2009, 08:33:23 am

Quote

(no anti-inflammatories) until my steroid regimen was done.

One less question for the doc on Thursday.  I take anti-inflammatory meds for my inflammatory arthritis.  I'm off them now in the run-up to my MRI tomorrow and will continue to surgery day.  He didn't say anything about post-op.

Thanks, Ernie.

Nancy

Title: Re: No green beer this year for me!
Post by: wcrimi on March 30, 2009, 05:32:19 pm

Congratulations on being a postie.