Re: my ordeal, an update on missing details

[Guest guest]

Hi Steph,

I had a private room for my hospital stay, and asked if my husband

could stay with me. He got a hard plastic chair during the day, and

a squeaky vinyl reclining chair at night (it squeaked every time he

moved in it). He was in charge (our decision) of making sure I got

my meds on time (he had some in-your-face arguments with the nurses

once in the middle of the night - I got my meds!), fetched fresh

ice, dry towels & gowns, and orange juice (I drank all the oj on my

floor). He would also help me up to get to the bathroom. He was way

pooped from doing it, but I felt well tended to, and I'd highly

recommend it to anyone else if you can. The nurses have a lot of

patients to deal with, and we freed up their time by helping

ourselves.

As for sleep, at one point in my recovery I awoke with my lips

tightly sealed shut (I was a life-long mouth breather). I started to

worry that I might not be able to breathe during the night, so I

started deliberating going to sleep with my lips open. Dumb!! My

husband explained that my body would do whatever it had to do to

wake me up if I started to suffocate, so not to worry. But I sure

know what that feels like. It's like waking up from a bad nightmare,

you are scared to go back to sleep.

Having he humidifier going constantly in my room gave me some

comfort that it was working at keeping my airways uncongested.

Glad you're getting some sleepytime.

> hey everyone,

>

> Since I still get so tired I thought I would send the details in

one

> message instead of individual ones.

>

> My surgery lasted 7 hours. I was in recovery for two hours and

then

> wheeled into my room for an interesting evening. Lets just say

that

> sometimes evening nursing/nursing assistant staffing is not always

> adequate. Be sure you have a family member STAY THE NIGHT with

you

> in the hospital! Poor Dan was so exhausted from waiting for my

> surgery to be over (it lasted 2 hours longer than scheduled) that

I

> felt sympathy for the poor man and sent him home to sleep.

>

> needless to say I had to call him at home and have him come back.

> The situation went something like this: I'd push the nurse call

> button... " Can I help you " " I need huuuup " . The nurse assistant

> came, I told her I needed pain meds " I huuuut, I tink it time for

my

> medssss " . She told me that I should expect some discomfort and

> disappeared without resetting my call button. Mind you the phone

in

> my room did not work...I had to get out of bed...check all the

wires

> and fix the damn phone myself to make a call. Can you imagine a

> collect call after jaw surgery?? " please state your

> name " " 'SSSEEEFFF " " I'm sorry can you repeat that? " "

SEEEEEF! "

> All this just to get Dan to be my voice to ask for more morphine!

>

> He came...god love him, and spent the night in the recliner.

>

> I was released the next morning to my surprise and delight due to

my

> rocky night. This week has been rough. in 7 days I got less than

15

> hours sleep. I kept having anxiety revolving around being

completely

> congested, having my jaws tightly banded shut and a retainer type

> fixture (called a splint) taking up a lot of room in my mouth, as

> well as a numb and swollen upper lip that I have no control over

for

> now. Lets just say that the brain plays tricks on you and you

become

> very scared that if you fall asleep you will forget to breathe or

> that there is not enough room for the air to flow. So after

several

> days of no sleep the surgeon called me in for a checking on. He

did

> some x-rays and checking to prove to me that I was okay and gave

> me " a little something " to get me through this rough patch. I got

14

> hours of sleep yesterday. Thank the gods.

>

>

> Later.

> Steph

[Guest guest]

It's good to know that I'm not nuts and not the only one who's had

similar challenges!!

Thanks for sharing.

Steph.

> > hey everyone,

> >

> > Since I still get so tired I thought I would send the details in

> one

> > message instead of individual ones.

> >

> > My surgery lasted 7 hours. I was in recovery for two hours and

> then

> > wheeled into my room for an interesting evening. Lets just say

> that

> > sometimes evening nursing/nursing assistant staffing is not

always

> > adequate. Be sure you have a family member STAY THE NIGHT with

> you

> > in the hospital! Poor Dan was so exhausted from waiting for my

> > surgery to be over (it lasted 2 hours longer than scheduled) that

> I

> > felt sympathy for the poor man and sent him home to sleep.

> >

> > needless to say I had to call him at home and have him come

back.

> > The situation went something like this: I'd push the nurse call

> > button... " Can I help you " " I need huuuup " . The nurse assistant

> > came, I told her I needed pain meds " I huuuut, I tink it time for

> my

> > medssss " . She told me that I should expect some discomfort and

> > disappeared without resetting my call button. Mind you the phone

> in

> > my room did not work...I had to get out of bed...check all the

> wires

> > and fix the damn phone myself to make a call. Can you imagine a

> > collect call after jaw surgery?? " please state your

> > name " " 'SSSEEEFFF " " I'm sorry can you repeat that? " "

> SEEEEEF! "

> > All this just to get Dan to be my voice to ask for more morphine!

> >

> > He came...god love him, and spent the night in the recliner.

> >

> > I was released the next morning to my surprise and delight due to

> my

> > rocky night. This week has been rough. in 7 days I got less

than

> 15

> > hours sleep. I kept having anxiety revolving around being

> completely

> > congested, having my jaws tightly banded shut and a retainer type

> > fixture (called a splint) taking up a lot of room in my mouth,

as

> > well as a numb and swollen upper lip that I have no control over

> for

> > now. Lets just say that the brain plays tricks on you and you

> become

> > very scared that if you fall asleep you will forget to breathe or

> > that there is not enough room for the air to flow. So after

> several

> > days of no sleep the surgeon called me in for a checking on. He

> did

> > some x-rays and checking to prove to me that I was okay and gave

> > me " a little something " to get me through this rough patch. I

got

> 14

> > hours of sleep yesterday. Thank the gods.

> >

> >

> > Later.

> > Steph

[Guest guest]

Nope, you're not nuts! We all go through similar stuff.

Hope you get back to a normal sleep pattern soon, though, as sleeping

meds just don't give you a proper night's sleep and are really only

meant for temporary use.

> It's good to know that I'm not nuts and not the only one who's had

> similar challenges!!

>

> Thanks for sharing.

> Steph.

[Guest guest]

I am so glad you have gotten some sleep! That can really impact how

you do recovery with any surgery. And thank goodness you were able

to get ahold of Dan! I think it was insensitive of the nurse to not

check on that button for you. If she didn't turn it off, I think it

was still lit at the nurses station. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

But you are through that and doing well. Good heads up about the

patch!

Fran

> hey everyone,

>

> Since I still get so tired I thought I would send the details in

one

> message instead of individual ones.

>

> My surgery lasted 7 hours. I was in recovery for two hours and

then

> wheeled into my room for an interesting evening. Lets just say

that

> sometimes evening nursing/nursing assistant staffing is not always

> adequate. Be sure you have a family member STAY THE NIGHT with

you

> in the hospital! Poor Dan was so exhausted from waiting for my

> surgery to be over (it lasted 2 hours longer than scheduled) that

I

> felt sympathy for the poor man and sent him home to sleep.

>

> needless to say I had to call him at home and have him come back.

> The situation went something like this: I'd push the nurse call

> button... " Can I help you " " I need huuuup " . The nurse assistant

> came, I told her I needed pain meds " I huuuut, I tink it time for

my

> medssss " . She told me that I should expect some discomfort and

> disappeared without resetting my call button. Mind you the phone

in

> my room did not work...I had to get out of bed...check all the

wires

> and fix the damn phone myself to make a call. Can you imagine a

> collect call after jaw surgery?? " please state your

> name " " 'SSSEEEFFF " " I'm sorry can you repeat that? " "

SEEEEEF! "

> All this just to get Dan to be my voice to ask for more morphine!

>

> He came...god love him, and spent the night in the recliner.

>

> I was released the next morning to my surprise and delight due to

my

> rocky night. This week has been rough. in 7 days I got less than

15

> hours sleep. I kept having anxiety revolving around being

completely

> congested, having my jaws tightly banded shut and a retainer type

> fixture (called a splint) taking up a lot of room in my mouth, as

> well as a numb and swollen upper lip that I have no control over

for

> now. Lets just say that the brain plays tricks on you and you

become

> very scared that if you fall asleep you will forget to breathe or

> that there is not enough room for the air to flow. So after

several

> days of no sleep the surgeon called me in for a checking on. He

did

> some x-rays and checking to prove to me that I was okay and gave

> me " a little something " to get me through this rough patch. I got

14

> hours of sleep yesterday. Thank the gods.

>

>

> Later.

> Steph

[Guest guest]

Steph,

I know EXACTLY what you mean about the nurses! I was wired shut with

a splint so I couldn't talk AT ALL for the first week, at least. And

when the nurses would change shifts - you think they would tell each

other " oh, yeah, that patient can't talk " . But NOOOOOOO! So, when

I would buzz the nurse they would say " can I help you " and I coudn't

respond. Rather than coming to check on me they would just ignore

me. Sheesh!

I hope things are getting better for you each day.

You're not alone!

Hang in there!!!

Carol

> hey everyone,

>

> Since I still get so tired I thought I would send the details in

one

> message instead of individual ones.

>

> My surgery lasted 7 hours. I was in recovery for two hours and

then

> wheeled into my room for an interesting evening. Lets just say

that

> sometimes evening nursing/nursing assistant staffing is not always

> adequate. Be sure you have a family member STAY THE NIGHT with you

> in the hospital! Poor Dan was so exhausted from waiting for my

> surgery to be over (it lasted 2 hours longer than scheduled) that I

> felt sympathy for the poor man and sent him home to sleep.

>

> needless to say I had to call him at home and have him come back.

> The situation went something like this: I'd push the nurse call

> button... " Can I help you " " I need huuuup " . The nurse assistant

> came, I told her I needed pain meds " I huuuut, I tink it time for

my

> medssss " . She told me that I should expect some discomfort and

> disappeared without resetting my call button. Mind you the phone

in

> my room did not work...I had to get out of bed...check all the

wires

> and fix the damn phone myself to make a call. Can you imagine a

> collect call after jaw surgery?? " please state your

> name " " 'SSSEEEFFF " " I'm sorry can you repeat that? " " SEEEEEF! "

> All this just to get Dan to be my voice to ask for more morphine!

>

> He came...god love him, and spent the night in the recliner.

>

> I was released the next morning to my surprise and delight due to

my

> rocky night. This week has been rough. in 7 days I got less than

15

> hours sleep. I kept having anxiety revolving around being

completely

> congested, having my jaws tightly banded shut and a retainer type

> fixture (called a splint) taking up a lot of room in my mouth, as

> well as a numb and swollen upper lip that I have no control over

for

> now. Lets just say that the brain plays tricks on you and you

become

> very scared that if you fall asleep you will forget to breathe or

> that there is not enough room for the air to flow. So after

several

> days of no sleep the surgeon called me in for a checking on. He

did

> some x-rays and checking to prove to me that I was okay and gave

> me " a little something " to get me through this rough patch. I got

14

> hours of sleep yesterday. Thank the gods.

>

> Later.

> Steph