I made it!

[brianharte]

I am recovering now.  Trying my best.  1pm until 11:30 on the 10th dr cueva and mastrodimas removed my left 5 cm an via translab.  I am down here in San Diego at a hotel sitting around while wife gets some needed rest. They let me leave the hospital on the 12th in the afternoon.  Feeling pretty blessed but sleep is hard to find.   I can almost never sleep on my back.   On my iPhone now so writing this is tough.

[ANGuy]

Thanks for the update and I am glad you are doing so well!

[suethompson]

YEA Brain - keep your recovery going strong! 5 cm is a whopper, my 16 year old niece goes in Tuesday for a 4'5 cm and it is encouraging to hear an update from someone that just had a large AN removed. Take good care of yourself.  Sue

[trishy222]

Congrats and I pray that blessings continue to come your way!

[brianharte]

Thanks all. We are home now, came back yesterday. I feel like I'm doing really well so far. Went out to the store today to get some comfortable clothes, went on a walk around the neighborhood, just took a shower. Waiting for my doc. to call me back to see if he has any advice on trying to find sleep. It's getting annoying around for hours trying to fall asleep. I need a better way.
Any advice?

[jdamiano]

I am using a neck travel pillow and that seems to help with sleeping. 

[bjkivel]

The neck pillow worked wonders for my sleep. 

[Cheryl R]

I sent you a PM.   Cheryl R

[G8trdude]

I had essentially no quality sleep the week following surgery, and blame it primarily on the dexamethasone steroid I was on to manage swelling.  It took me forever to fall asleep (even though I was exhausted), and then I'd only sleep in fits.  Then I'd end up napping a few times over the following day...  My DR prescribed me sleeping pills to take at night, which I (foolishly?) did not use, thinking I'd rather tough it out than subject my poor abused body to more chemicals...

Anyway, when I finished the ~week-long steroid course, within a few days - I was sleeping much better.  Now (2 months post surgery), I have no problems at all sleeping.

The first ~two weeks post surgery are rough on a number of fronts!  Assuming your DR agrees... eat healthy, drink lots of liquids, do your vestibular exercises as prescribed, walk regularly, and nap at all other times 

And hang in there, you should (will!) feel better each day and before you know it this should all be a distant memory!

[Mimispree]

I'm so happy the operation is over and you're home!  Yay!

Mimi

[brianharte]

Cheryl I don't see a PM.    got 3 hours lat night with a prescription sleep pill.  I am utterly exhausted

[Cheryl R]

Sorry. I sent this post to the wrong person.    Cheryl R

[brianharte]

Thanks all.  Got some sleep last night.  Today I think is actually the first time I feel like I have my own brain in my head. Feeling positive right now!

[feline]

Glad to hear ur improving continue on and come back to the forum with updates please

[brianharte]

11 days post-op. Things are going well. Still looking to get my sleep cycle back in order. I am getting 5 to 6 hours sleep per night. I'm sure I'll get better little by little. I have my post-op upcoming on Tuesday. Hope the team is happy with my progress.

I have a feeling that my hospital stay is the reason my sleeping got thrown out of wack. Seemed like everytime I started falling asleep in the hospital, some kind of alarm would go off here or there or the doctors had to come check me out for some reason. My body never got the chance to fall asleep due to the stress.

I find that getting used to the quietness of the world is a little harder than I expected. Things just seem too quiet sometimes. I also find that the sound of a running shower is not what I remember it as. So strange to get used to.


Anyway, I'm hoping this upcoming week is very successful!