Friday, March 20, 2009

I feel lost when I have no internet

Ugh! I get home and got a dose of pain meds in me, so I was trying to sit upright and move around to get some of this air outta me and my internet connection was down! I called my ISP and at least they had a bulletin up letting us know there was a known problem in my area and it was being worked on.

It's up now so I'm going to see how long I can sit up in an upright position without just dying.

I have updated in little tidbits, but as a bigger and better explanation - I went in for surgery, expecting it to be easy peasy, but woke up in the most atrocious pain I've ever had in my entire life. Even before I could open my eyes or speak, I was writhing around in pain, making crying/grunting noises, trying to let me nurses know how bad it was. My lovely normal blood pressure of 118/72 was up to 190/160 or something like that, so they knew I was having hardcore pain. They pumped me full of narcotics and it wasn't helping. 30 minutes later, I was still in the same amount of pain, but now I was fully awake and able to speak. The nurses and docs couldn't believe how much meds I was getting and it not helping. I got 6 full doses of morphine and a bunch of something else (not darvocet, dilaudid or ativan, but I simply can't remember what it was). An anesthesiologist came over and asked me how much I had been taking at home lately, thinking I had built up a tolerance to it, but I hadn't been taking anything, except the trip to the ER on the past friday night, a full week before.

I guess that sometimes, some people have a hard time getting their pain under control. And my surgeon told me I had adhesions attaching my gall bladder to my stomach all the way to my small intestines. So he removed all that along with the gallbladder removal, so maybe I was just more damaged in their than I 'should' have been. Regardless of the reason, it was a very real reaction to me and I begged them to put me back under because I simply could not handle it. BUT ... four hours later, I felt WAY better and could have definitely made it at home, but I had already been admitted to the hospital. So I just hung out there as I was pretty much stuck. It would have been "nice", but they were checking my vitals every hour, so that doesn't make for good sleep.

When I first got in my room, I asked for a pump. It took 4 hours for them to get it to me! Seriously, how hard is it to go up to PEDS to get one? Grrrr. (and Eden, I had already gotten my gallbladder removed.) But thank goodness they got it to me. I was a good little girl and pumped every 3 hours and poured that liquid gold down the sink. I ~hate~ throwing milk away. Funny - I was pumping and had another gown on like a robe, so if anyone walked in, like they were all damned night and day, no one would be face to face with my nipples being pumped like a cow. Of course, someone did walk in and she didn't know what to do with herself. It was the financial services girl and she diverted her eyes, even though I told her I was all covered. She then asked if she should come back and I told her I had no problems, as long as she didn't mind listening to the hum of the breast pump motor. The girl acted like I was masterbating in front of her. Seriously, she didn't know what to do with herself. ~shrug~. No idea what her problem was.

So I am home and dealing with normal post op soreness and shoulder pain from the stupid air they pump you full of during the lap. Gosh I hate that - it's the worst.

Oh - a little bit of coincidence - Little miss FreezerBuns, Denise, got her gallbladder out today. She ended up in the ER with a gallbladder attack on Wed night and they removed it promptly. She is already home though, doing fine. No complications for her.

Next week I have a few more medical things going on and some other stuff, making for a full week. My biopsy is monday. My consultation with a new back doctor to see if I can continue the RFA's procedures on my spine is Tuesday. We have a family luncheon at the girl's school on Wednesday. Karl gets his "2 month old" shots on Thursday. Then Tom will be out of town early Friday through late Sunday on a work weekend in Dallas where I get to be a single mom of 3 kids yet again. Woohoo.

Okay, I need to go lay back down. Ouchies.

20 comments:

jenn said...

I'm glad youare back up & running (internet wise at least!)
I hope you are good on the medical drama for a while now- It really sucks that your body had that reaction, or non-reaction actually- to pain meds and you had to suffer like that. I hope the rest of your recovery is nice & smooth!

Beautiful Mess said...

Wishing you a quick recovery! I'm sorry it was so painful for you, hang in there girl. You are ONE tough cookie! I'm in awe of you!

Wordgirl said...

Oh Nancy,

I've been out of town and out of touch -- but I'm so sorry to hear how much this sucked...you are ready, and I mean ready to have a long stretch of time hospital-free...

Thinking of you,

XO

Pam

Jen said...

Sorry you are in so much pain, I can't even begin to imagine. Hope you start feeling better real soon.

Tara said...

Never a dull moment for you!

Hope you mend quickly.

Denise said...

That just sucks that you were in so much pain. I'm glad they finally got it under control. I had a similar experience Wed before they took mine out. Pain meds just weren't working and pain was worse than labor! They just took the gallbladder out on Friday, but kept me overnight. Hopefully I'll go home Saturday. Pain isn't too bad as long as they keep on top of it with the pain meds. I'm pumping and dumping too for another 12 or so. I almost cry every time I have to dump that precious liquid down the sink.

Confessions of a momaholic said...

glad you seem to be doing better. i think you and i take the cake for medical dramas! so much for ~easy~ gall bladder surgeries!!!!

George said...

I had my gallbladder removed about 11 years ago...I was much younger and in great shape, so recovery was fast. Sorry about all your added complications...that just sucks! Hope you're up and around soon.

Nic said...

Poor you, cant believe how much pain you was in. I hate the pain in shoulder from the gas, hoe it goes soon. Hoping for a speedy recovery

Erin said...

Dude that blows. I hate being in pain and having nothing that helps. That was the deal with my hematomas nothing cut the pain.

Glad you are home and feeling better. I had to bring my pump to the hospital because their shields are too small for my weird nipples and they only have one size.

battynurse said...

Glad they finally got the pain under control and you are home doing better.

~*JaYmE*~ said...

I hope you are feeling better today! You are well overdue for some good luck!

mommybird said...

I'm glad you're at home now and feeling a little better. Good luck, I hope you recover quickly.

Some people are so weird about breasts. I was feeding DD in a private waiting room at the pedi and when the nurse came in she pretty much freaked out. Baby was already latched so my nipples weren't showing but whatever.

Hollie said...

Glad you are home and feeling better.

Melis.sa said...

Glad to hear that you're doing better. What a trip!

I was laughing about the girl with the financial stuff :) Hilarious!

Sarah said...

I have heard that that shoulder pain d/t all the air that you cannot release is really painful. HUGS--hope you feel better soon.

People are freaked out about pumps--I have no idea why.

Jamie said...

Wow - even being a post-op gallbladder removal doesn't give you some kind of free pass?!?!

Try to take it easy when you can. You are as tough as a boot!!

Denise said...

Hey. They didn't give me the option of outpatient because I was so symptomatic. They said my case was "urgent" but not "emergent." The surgeon said that most cases that are scheduled are done on an outpatient basis and that if you come in symptomatic, they will fit you into the OR schedule as soon as possible and usually keep you overnight.

I guess they could have sent me back home on oral pain meds, but they were having trouble managing my pain with the IV pain meds, so it didn't seem like a good idea.

Are you feeling better?

Anonymous said...

Lord I missed a TON while I was preoccupied! I'm sorry you had such a tough time but glad it's all over! Hope you feel MUCH better!

Michelle said...

Damn girl..no wonder you were having so many attacks! Any more follow ups with the the adhesions? or done deal since the surgeron did his thing during the removal?

Good Luck with the appointments this coming week....

Hows that diet going for you???