Post Surgery Update - Day 11

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to give you a quick update on my progress!

Generally I am feeling pretty good! My bp has been great averaging

around 112/70 and as low as 103/62. Never higher than 123/80! I do find

that I get VERY tired during the day, around 1-3pm. I have to take a

nap every day. Kip, did you feel this way too?

I am completely off of all the pain meds and have not even needed any

tylenol. I have almost no pain what so ever. The only pain is when I

sit in specific positions and I can feel a pinching at my incision

sites.

My scabs have started to fall off my incision sites and the scars look

tiny! I have been doing housework and other stuff around the house

without any problems for the past couple of days.

I am also weaning off of the Xanax I was taking to balance out my

anxiety over having the surgery. That has been tough and has made me

have some additional anxiety. The surgeon wants me to stay on the beat

blocker for another month or two before weaning. I am currently only

taking 12.5mg Toprol.

Talk to you all soon!

Suzanne

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/21/06 10:14:18 PM, suzanne_paolini@... writes:

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to give you a quick update on my progress!

Generally I am feeling pretty good! My bp has been great averaging

around 112/70 and as low as 103/62. Never higher than 123/80! I do find

that I get VERY tired during the day, around 1-3pm. I have to take a

nap every day. Kip, did you feel this way too?

I am completely off of all the pain meds and have not even needed any

tylenol. I have almost no pain what so ever. The only pain is when I

sit in specific positions and I can feel a pinching at my incision

sites.

My scabs have started to fall off my incision sites and the scars look

tiny! I have been doing housework and other stuff around the house

without any problems for the past couple of days.

I am also weaning off of the Xanax I was taking to balance out my

anxiety over having the surgery. That has been tough and has made me

have some additional anxiety. The surgeon wants me to stay on the beat

blocker for another month or two before weaning. I am currently only

taking 12.5mg Toprol. 

Talk to you all soon!

Suzanne

Excellent. This is one of the golden moments in the care of patients with high blood pressure. When you find a curable cause. I have literally seen the paralyzed walk when their K was corrected by ADX of a Conn's.

May your pressure be low!

CE Grim, BS(Chem/Math), MS(Biochem), MD.

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Hypertension

Former Epidemiologic Intelligence Services Officer (Lt. Comdr.), CDC

Specializing in Difficult to Manage High Blood Pressure

Clinical Professor of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin

[Guest guest]

Hey Suzanne,

Yes, I felt the same tiredness for a few weeks post-surgery. My docs

told me it was caused by two thing: 1. the continuing after-effects

of the anesthesia (completely normal and expected); 2. the body

adjusting to all of the new hormone levels after tumor removal. I

personally thought that anesthesia wore off the same day or day

after the operation, but the docs insisted that in reality it lasts

much longer in your system.

One other side-effect I experienced from the lingering anesthesia

was a slight nauseous feeling that lasted a couple of weeks,

especially at mealtime. It concerned me a bit when it didn't subside

after the first week, so I called the docs again and they told me it

was also the anesthesia working its way out of my system &

completely normal. Sure enough, the nausea went away by the third

week, as they had told me it would (still was rather unpleasant).

By the end of the first month, I had dropped nearly 15-20 pounds

(10+ of these lbs were shed during the first week alone). Although I

was already a tall/thin guy that certainly didn't need to lose any

weight (6' 175-180lbs), I'm now a paltry 155 lbs! I attribute most

of this to what I call " medicine weight " that I carried for the last

few years before diagnosis, especially the last 3-4 years as I got

sicker & was put on more and more meds (especially the Remeron for

anxiety, and maybe the Beta Blockers). In other words, I am now

leveled-off at the body type/weight that I used to be when I was in

my early 20's. This is readily noticeable by anyone in my family, co-

workers, or friends when we visit or view pictures. As a matter of

fact, in photos taken from a period of roughly 4 years before

surgery to the week just before surgery (my marriage proposal

weekend!) my face is clearly bloated or " full " looking. You really

notice the weight being carried in my face. Then, in pictures taken

only weeks after surgery, my face looks completely normal again,

with no extra weight or fullness. Keep in mind that this happened so

gradually over the years, I never really noticed it much. I just

assumed it was the normal age-progression thing as I entered my 30's.

I'm now looking to put back on a few in the form of hitting the gym

(healthy weight), as I have an entire wardrobe that's rather loose-

fitting at the moment!

So glad to hear you're doing well- keep the updates coming!

Kind Regards,

-Kip

>

> Hi Everyone!

> Just wanted to give you a quick update on my progress!

> Generally I am feeling pretty good! My bp has been great averaging

> around 112/70 and as low as 103/62. Never higher than 123/80! I do

find

> that I get VERY tired during the day, around 1-3pm. I have to take

a

> nap every day. Kip, did you feel this way too?

> I am completely off of all the pain meds and have not even needed

any

> tylenol. I have almost no pain what so ever. The only pain is when

I

> sit in specific positions and I can feel a pinching at my incision

> sites.

> My scabs have started to fall off my incision sites and the scars

look

> tiny! I have been doing housework and other stuff around the house

> without any problems for the past couple of days.

> I am also weaning off of the Xanax I was taking to balance out my

> anxiety over having the surgery. That has been tough and has made

me

> have some additional anxiety. The surgeon wants me to stay on the

beat

> blocker for another month or two before weaning. I am currently

only

> taking 12.5mg Toprol.

> Talk to you all soon!

> Suzanne

>