Cammie/Re: post-op care in the hospital

[Guest guest]

Cammie,

Your doctor sounds like he surely has it together! I think my doctor

is right there along with your doctor. How smart to have you check

in at 12:01 to save one day expenses!

Yes, having that pain medicine administered through the IV will

surely be nice! Apparently, that is also how my OS decides how much

pain medicine to send me home with by how much I press that button!

Anyway, I will try to talk to you before Tuesday!

Have a Great Weekend!

> > > > > > 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