Finally on the other side: going on 5 days post op.

[Guest guest]

I am sitting here at 3am in the morning reading this message board

going on 5 days post op from upper being done. I also was a lurker

here for the past year and a half, trying to learn everything I could

before that day. I became a desperate fool within the last week. I

was supposed to originally have upper/lower with possible genio being

done. I am swollen up to my eyes. I was being petrified out of my

mind after never having surgery ever before in my life as well. The

night before was the worst, and fell asleep after exhaustion. I was

in fear as well of having a panic attack post op and am currently

wired shut. I had an NG tube in post op and it was removed 2 days

later. They do leave a small amount of give in your jaw even when

you are wired shut. I have to carry around with me wire cutters,

just in case, and almost thought I was going to have to use them in

the hospital. My doctor gave me some benadryl when he thought I was

too anxious, and I did feel very anxious in the hospital. Just being

kind of claustrophoc-like being wired shut. Learn some deep

breathing techniques if you can before you go, and learn to go to

another place in your mind along with the breathing. It does help.

I am feeling better now, but the first 2 days were the worst. You do

fall asleep if you let yourself relax enough. I relied heavily on my

suction machine in the hospital, and have even gotten one for home

use, because the drooling is annoying. I keep a lot of towels

around. The thing that annoys me most now is the pain medicine.

Tylenol with codeine exlir is AWFUL!! It feels to me like it burns

as it goes down, and I have avoided it if I can. My pain level is

not that bad. It has only been about a 3 at the most on a pain scale

of 0-10. Most of the time it has been a 1 or a 2, due to the

numbness. It really does get numb, and you don't feel a lot of

discomfort. I had a PCA of Morphine for 2 days post op, but didn't

really use it that much, mostly just to make me relax so I could go

to sleep. Vomitting was my biggest worry post op. Of course, I did

it probably 8 times in the first 12 hours. It worried me so much pre-

op about vomitting. My dh didn't tell me about how I vomitted up the

blood immediately post op until today, when we came home. I don't

even remember doing that, which is a good thing.

I didn't even start eating till 2nd day post op, and really didn't

have an appetite until then anyways. I was on clear liquids at that

point and am still continuing that now, but can introduce foods that

are already liquified, as my OS doesn't want me to start pureed foods

yet. It takes forever to eat, but I am getting better. Taking a

shower really helped post op day 3 to make me feel better. I am still

recovering and have questions even now.

I also wanted to say that I have found the syringe with the Zip N

Squeeze tubing on it to work the best for me post op. I just took

the tubing off the bags and it worked great! It gave me more control

over how much I was putting in my mouth compared to the zip n squeeze

bags themselves. I use the 20 and 35 ML syringes. The nurses were

really good at giving me more syringes to take home and the zip n

squeeze bags. I really haven't used the bags much though, because

the syringe worked better. Just my thoughts tonight, Lyn

Anyone have suggestions for post op discomfort other than the tylenol

with codeine elixir?? I can't choke it down. It's awful!!

[Guest guest]

I am sitting here at 3am in the morning reading this message board

going on 5 days post op from upper being done. I also was a lurker

here for the past year and a half, trying to learn everything I could

before that day. I became a desperate fool within the last week. I

was supposed to originally have upper/lower with possible genio being

done. I am swollen up to my eyes. I was being petrified out of my

mind after never having surgery ever before in my life as well. The

night before was the worst, and fell asleep after exhaustion. I was

in fear as well of having a panic attack post op and am currently

wired shut. I had an NG tube in post op and it was removed 2 days

later. They do leave a small amount of give in your jaw even when

you are wired shut. I have to carry around with me wire cutters,

just in case, and almost thought I was going to have to use them in

the hospital. My doctor gave me some benadryl when he thought I was

too anxious, and I did feel very anxious in the hospital. Just being

kind of claustrophoc-like being wired shut. Learn some deep

breathing techniques if you can before you go, and learn to go to

another place in your mind along with the breathing. It does help.

I am feeling better now, but the first 2 days were the worst. You do

fall asleep if you let yourself relax enough. I relied heavily on my

suction machine in the hospital, and have even gotten one for home

use, because the drooling is annoying. I keep a lot of towels

around. The thing that annoys me most now is the pain medicine.

Tylenol with codeine exlir is AWFUL!! It feels to me like it burns

as it goes down, and I have avoided it if I can. My pain level is

not that bad. It has only been about a 3 at the most on a pain scale

of 0-10. Most of the time it has been a 1 or a 2, due to the

numbness. It really does get numb, and you don't feel a lot of

discomfort. I had a PCA of Morphine for 2 days post op, but didn't

really use it that much, mostly just to make me relax so I could go

to sleep. Vomitting was my biggest worry post op. Of course, I did

it probably 8 times in the first 12 hours. It worried me so much pre-

op about vomitting. My dh didn't tell me about how I vomitted up the

blood immediately post op until today, when we came home. I don't

even remember doing that, which is a good thing.

I didn't even start eating till 2nd day post op, and really didn't

have an appetite until then anyways. I was on clear liquids at that

point and am still continuing that now, but can introduce foods that

are already liquified, as my OS doesn't want me to start pureed foods

yet. It takes forever to eat, but I am getting better. Taking a

shower really helped post op day 3 to make me feel better. I am still

recovering and have questions even now.

I also wanted to say that I have found the syringe with the Zip N

Squeeze tubing on it to work the best for me post op. I just took

the tubing off the bags and it worked great! It gave me more control

over how much I was putting in my mouth compared to the zip n squeeze

bags themselves. I use the 20 and 35 ML syringes. The nurses were

really good at giving me more syringes to take home and the zip n

squeeze bags. I really haven't used the bags much though, because

the syringe worked better. Just my thoughts tonight, Lyn

Anyone have suggestions for post op discomfort other than the tylenol

with codeine elixir?? I can't choke it down. It's awful!!