« previous next »
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4

Author Topic: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................  (Read 7971 times)

EJTampa

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 604
  • Rays Vs Red Sox Game 2 ALCS (Isabel and Ernie)
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #30 on: April 20, 2009, 12:32:31 am »
Quote from: LADavid on April 19, 2009, 10:39:54 pm
Pizza and beer ;D.  My recovery would have been so much more productive -- and speedier.

Are you serious???  You didn't bring pizza and beer?!?  :D
 
Ernie
Logged
-1.3 X 0.8 cm AN in the right cerebellopontine angle extending into the internal auditory canal.
-Retrosigmoid Surgery with Dr. Bartels and Dr. Danner at Tampa General 3/5/2009.
-Had to cut hearing nerve to get "sticky" tumor, so SSD right side.

Lilan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 372
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought .......................
« Reply #31 on: April 20, 2009, 06:45:25 am »
I am wondering seriously about caffeine. I know I may have a headache from the actual brain surgery, but as of now my greater fear is the headache I will have if I miss a few days of caffeine. :o

Do all the pain meds just obliterate all the pain or the steroids hop you up enough that you don't miss the caff? I think I will instruct my caretakers on how to make shakes of chipped ice, Ensure and Starbucks Via just in case. :D


Logged
Facial nerve hemangioma. Probable dx 7/2008 confirmed 4/2009. Combo middle fossa and translab to remove the blood vessel malformation and snip ruined hearing and balance nerves by Drs. House and Brackmann @ House 6/2009. Doing great!

Kaybo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4232
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #32 on: April 20, 2009, 07:50:17 am »
Lilan~
I have had several surgeries and as a caffiene girl, the FIRST thing I say when I wake up is "CAFFIENE" - I also tell my hubby to ask for me.  I know that there will be other pain, but this will help a little.  My mom always said that she did that because she always thought that it made a difference.  When I had the T3 last year, at first they would only give me clear liquids because I had told EVERYBODY how sick I get from anesthia - when they FINALLY gave me a Pepsi - things got a LOT better!!  ;)

K
Logged
Translab 12/95@Houston Methodist(Baylor College of Medicine)for "HUGE" tumor-no size specified
25 yrs then-14 hour surgery-stroke
12/7 Graft 1/97
Gold Weight x 5
SSD
Facial Paralysis-R(no movement or feelings in face,mouth,eye)
T3-3/08
Great life!

Pooter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1291
  • The Official Breeze Conjurer - PBW
    • Blog Website
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #33 on: April 20, 2009, 10:35:47 am »
I don't recall ever being restricted in my diet while in the hospital.  If I wanted to order a coke or coffee for the drink with my meal, I wasn't stopped.  Now, I'm not a heavy caffein drinker, so they might frown on a mainline of caffein or something, but based on my experience, they won't limit your meals (e.g. caffein).

Regards,

Brian
Logged
Diagnosed 4/10/08 - 3cm Right AN
12hr retrosig 5/8/08 w/Drs Vrabec and Trask in Houston, Tx
Some facial paralysis post-op but most movement is back, some tinitus.  SSD on right.
Story documented here:  http://briansbrainbooger.blogspot.com/

"I must be having fun all wrong!"  - Roger Creager

cindyj

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1434
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #34 on: April 20, 2009, 11:28:13 am »
I'm with you on the caffeine thing...my only realy pain after surgery, was the headache from the caffeine withdrawal!  The second I was out of ICU, I demanded a Coke (not Pepsi, for me, K   ::) )I also had them take me off the morphine, even before I was out of ICU.  It took a couple of days to get enough caffeine back in to help w/ the headache as I was, unfortunately, so nauseous that I couldn't drink much at the time.  My own fault, though, for being SO addicted.  Due to the taste issues post-op, Coke didn't taste quite right for quite awhile, but I drank it anyway...for medicinal purposes ;)

Best of luck to you,

Cindy
Logged
rt side 1.5 cm - Translab on 11/07/08 Dr. Friedman & Dr. Schwartz of House Ear Institute,
feeling great!

"Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you do hold."  Josh Billings

Lilan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 372
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #35 on: April 20, 2009, 11:42:41 am »
I'm glad I asked! I was almost embarrassed to post that question so I'm glad others share my caffeine addiction and understand. ;D

Logged
Facial nerve hemangioma. Probable dx 7/2008 confirmed 4/2009. Combo middle fossa and translab to remove the blood vessel malformation and snip ruined hearing and balance nerves by Drs. House and Brackmann @ House 6/2009. Doing great!

Kaybo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4232
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #36 on: April 20, 2009, 02:46:17 pm »
Cindy~
I am NOT a Pepsi girl at all (that's all they had on campus where I went to college and I developed quite a hate for it!) but when that was all they had to offer - I took it right away! ;D

K
Logged
Translab 12/95@Houston Methodist(Baylor College of Medicine)for "HUGE" tumor-no size specified
25 yrs then-14 hour surgery-stroke
12/7 Graft 1/97
Gold Weight x 5
SSD
Facial Paralysis-R(no movement or feelings in face,mouth,eye)
T3-3/08
Great life!

Kathy M

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 317
  • Kathy
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #37 on: April 20, 2009, 03:11:47 pm »
I"m with you on the coffee addiction and that was a big worry for me too - but in ICU, I didn't care and the pain meds took care of headaches whatever the cause of them were. When I got to a regular room, I had no restrictions at all, and I started each day with 2 cups of coffee - didn't miss a beat!
Logged
AN diagnosed 11/14/08, 3+cm, Retrosigmoid 1/13/09, Univ. Hosp., Cincinnati, Drs. Tew and Pensak
no facial nerve or eye issues!
3 more surgeries related to staph infections & osteomylitis over next 13 months.  New diagnosis of breast cancer.  Treatment completed 08/27/10.  Moving on!!!

leapyrtwins

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10826
  • I am a success story!
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #38 on: April 20, 2009, 09:03:53 pm »
Quote from: LADavid on April 19, 2009, 10:39:54 pm
Pizza and beer ;D.  My recovery would have been so much more productive -- and speedier.


Send me your address, David.  I'll mail you some  ;)

It's never too late for pizza and beer!
Logged
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

EJTampa

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 604
  • Rays Vs Red Sox Game 2 ALCS (Isabel and Ernie)
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #39 on: April 20, 2009, 09:34:38 pm »
I slowly decreased my caffiene intake in the two weeks leading up to surgery, to the point where I was down to zero the day before surgery.  Wouldn't you know it, I got a KILLER migraine that day during my pre-op, and my physician prescribed a pain med with caffiene for me!  I coudn't take ibuprofen or any other blood thinning meds, and tylenol doesn't touch any of my headaches.
 
I'm happy to report that I did not get any additional migraines with/after surgery, and I am right back to 2 cups of coffee a day :)
 
Ernie
Logged
-1.3 X 0.8 cm AN in the right cerebellopontine angle extending into the internal auditory canal.
-Retrosigmoid Surgery with Dr. Bartels and Dr. Danner at Tampa General 3/5/2009.
-Had to cut hearing nerve to get "sticky" tumor, so SSD right side.

Syl

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 765
  • Forgive me. I'm having an AN moment.
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #40 on: April 20, 2009, 09:38:56 pm »
I didn't pack anything. The only thing I did need was a robe, but the PT was kind enough to hold my gown when I walked the hall.

I didn't feel like eating much for a couple of days in the hospital. The nurses would offer me water, ice chips, jello. Nope. I wanted coffee, even if I knew I wouldn't keep it down for long.

Syl
Logged
1.5cm AN rt side; Retrosig June 16, 2008; preserved facial and hearing nerves;
FINALLY FREE OF CHRONIC HEADACHES 4.5 years post-op!!!!!!!
Drs. Kato, Blumenfeld, and Cheung.

tenai98

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 916
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #41 on: April 20, 2009, 10:11:44 pm »
Once I found the kitchen, you saw me in the hall at all hours going for a tea.  I had someone bring me baby powder...What a wonderful feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then I got a craving for french fries which my son indulged me...I had everyone who came to visit go to the caf and get me an earl grey tea.  The one thing I did buy and I am grateful to whomever mentioned it on here is a travel pillow...I love it and use it daily..
JO ;D
Logged
14mmX11mmX11mm left ear
TRANSLAB 04/07/09 2cms at time of surgery
Dr. Benoit and Schramm, Ottawa Civic Campus
SSD ,some facial numbness
Baha surgery sept 22/09
residual tumor 13mmX7mmX8mm
2016 new growth.  25mmX21mmX22mm
cyberknife on June 7

kate

  • New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 33
  • Crooked Face Smiling Inside
    • Acoustic Neuroma Coping Support in Los Angeles
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #42 on: April 21, 2009, 02:23:05 am »
I overpacked even though my friend the nuse said "this is surgery, not a spa you are going to". Didn't get a chance to use any of my regular face soaps, shower soap, etc...

What came in handy the most was chapstick, my Birkenstocks, and a walkman with a couple relaxing CDs. A cell phone would have been nice, in retrospect, because I couldn't  always reach the phone in the room when it rang.

Upon waking up, after saying "Where am I" (thinking I had died and wondered what version of the after life this recovery room was), my next words were "Iced latte...."  8)

Kate
Logged
Surgery 5-1-2000,  3.9cm, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, California. 
Gold weight first couple of years.
Palbebral eyelid spring 2004 by Dr. Robert Levine "saved my life."
 I  have been enjoying life a lot, even with a crooked face and one sided hearing.

Jim Scott

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7241
  • 1943-2020 Please keep Jim's family in your hearts
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #43 on: April 21, 2009, 01:51:37 pm »
Quote from: EJTampa on April 20, 2009, 09:34:38 pm
I'm happy to report that I did not get any additional migraines with/after surgery, and I am right back to 2 cups of coffee a day :)

2 cups a day?  I drink that with breakfast!  Actually, for the last 50 years or so, I've drank at least 6 to 8 cups of 'regular' (caffeinated) coffee on a normal day - and have never had an issue with it.  No headaches or digestive problems, normal BP and heart rate, etc.  For what it's worth, I don't drink soda.  I find that I don't get 'wired' by caffeine - but I'm sure I would develop headaches if I suddenly ceased drinking my coffee....so I won't.  :)

Jim
Logged
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

EJTampa

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 604
  • Rays Vs Red Sox Game 2 ALCS (Isabel and Ernie)
Re: After surgery, at the hospital, I wish I had brought ........................
« Reply #44 on: April 21, 2009, 02:20:19 pm »
I was around 4 cups, but if for some reason I missed a day, it would result in a migraine.  Hopefully not anymore :).
 
Ernie
Logged
-1.3 X 0.8 cm AN in the right cerebellopontine angle extending into the internal auditory canal.
-Retrosigmoid Surgery with Dr. Bartels and Dr. Danner at Tampa General 3/5/2009.
-Had to cut hearing nerve to get "sticky" tumor, so SSD right side.
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4
« previous next »