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stephanie001
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Posts: 33
Registered: 11-29-2009
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HI EVERYONE, IM BACK!
Had surgery on the 30th, i actually just got home from the hospital yesterday afternoon, and let me tell you what, worse first night sleep ever!! i
can't figure out a way to sleep!! HELP!
I'll provided a detailed description of how everything went as soon as i stop feeling woozy from all of these meds.
thanks everyone for their kind words! i'm in pain but still here!
Here are few questions i have for those of you that have been nussed
#1 how do you find a comfortable way to sleep
#2 Is anyone else's back hurting?
#3 i've got a pooping problem, ive read from other members that enema does that trick, shall i try?
#4 does anyone has absolutely no appetite? i'm thirsty all the time, but not at all hungry. i tried eating just a tad this morning and immediately
threw it up 10-15 minutes later. please help! =)
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solo
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Posts: 138
Registered: 12-17-2007
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Glad to hear you are back and well enough to post.
1. use a wedge pillow or try sleeping on a recliner
2. yes, it is normal for your back to hurt after surgery. Mine hurt a lot. I think it is due to the fact that things are in a different place than
before and this puts strain and stress on various parts of you body. The back pain should decrease over time.
3. this is normal too. I just ate lots of fibre.
4. try eating small meals often. The pain killers can cause nausea. I ate small snacks of nuts, fruit etc. For main meals i ate simple foods such as
steamed rice, chicken and steamed vegies. You need to find foods that your stomach agrees with. Try to stick to simple foods.
The most important thing you have to do is be active. Use the coach and use your lungs. Walk. Do not avoid this!! It is critical to your recovery. The
more you walk and be active and the more you use your lungs the quicker and easier your recovery will be.
I hope you manage to improve those other issues!!
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vanessa_b
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Posts: 644
Registered: 10-5-2009
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Hi Stephanie, welcome back! Everything you're experiencing is totally normal.
For sleeping, do you have a recliner? That is the ONLY way I could ever get comfortable and I occasionally still sleep in it at 7 monhs post-op. If
you don't have one I would seriously consider having a family member go place an order for one asap and have I delivered to your house. I got the
biggest squishiest one in my price range.
If you don't have a recliner or can't get one, a wedge pillow is the next best thing. Get in bed with the wedge pillow and a bunch of other pillows
proppingg you up wherever you need it until you're comfortable.
Another idea that helped me is taking melatonin before bed (recommended by my surgeon). It's a natural substance sold with vitamins and supplements.
It helps your body fall asleep. It's very safe.
As for the back pain, that's also normal after Nuss I'm afraid. The best things you can do for it are take pain killers, put heat on it, and have
someone rub your back. For the heat, they sell individual heating pads called ThermaCare that worked pretty well for me. I bought the large ones
mean for the lower back becaus they had a strap to hold them on rather than having to stick them to the skin. You can also make a cheap hot pack by
filling an old sock with dry rice or beans, tying the end closed, and microwaving it for a few minutes with a cup of water in the microwave to prevent
it from burning.
About pooping, yes you should try an enema. There is no dignity when you're a Nuss patient. Just get it over with and you'll feel better.
If you don't feel like eating, you can try broth and crackers or try making smoothies or milkshakes. They might be easier to stomach. I drank a lot
of Carnation Instant Breakfast after my surgery.
I hope some of those suggestions might help you! When you feel up to it, it will be good to get out of the house and go for a walk. Feel better
soon!
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jojane13
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Posts: 466
Registered: 11-29-2009
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Hi Stephanie,
It's so good to hear from you! I haven't been through surgery so I can't offer you any advice, but I do hope that you're feeling better soon. You're
in my thoughts and prayers. 
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stephanie001
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Posts: 33
Registered: 11-29-2009
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thanks jojane13! i think of the members of this very forum everyday whenever i am in need of support.
solo and vanessa i purchased a wedge pillow pre-surgery and i feel like its still a bit tough to sleep on just because it is a little stiff. but i
will try this time to line it up with some softer pillows and see if that will help. good call on the melatonin vanessa im going to have my brother
buy that today after work.
So here's the skinny so far. Its been exactly 1 week post op! i guess that's some type of milestone right? I left the hospital on thursday afternoon
which in my head i thought was a little early but hey i guess they are the professionals.
here is my med list
oxycontin=3
oxycodone=48 for 4 days.
and some other stool softener meds.
does anyone else think that the pain med list is just a little slim? sine its a holiday today i can't call and make my followup appointment but i will
be making one tomorrow.
i feel like everything is pretty manageable besides SLEEPING. that has got to be my biggest obstacle. but ill find a way soon enough. my sides also
hurt at well as soon as the pain meds start to wear off.
but overall i am satisfied with how my chest looks except for one thing. on my left breast i feel like its a little misshappened because of the bar.
ill bring this up at my post up appointment. maybe that area is just swollen? or maybe it will look normal when the bar is out? whatever it is im not
sure, but my dent is pretty much gone which makes me pretty darn happy.
thank you so much for everyone's kind words. its whats gets me through each day!
p.s. i hate night time. >.<
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jojane13
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Posts: 466
Registered: 11-29-2009
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Stephanie,
I'm sorry that sleeping isn't going well so far. If it's any consolation, it seems to be par for the course with this surgery. Keep experimenting
with pillow placement along with the wedge, and trying the melatonin might help. Just mention it to your pharmacists first to make sure there's no
interaction with your other meds.
Have you tried ice packs for the pain at all? I remember Vanessa and some others saying that helped a lot.
I hope that you're able to straighten out your medication concerns with your doctor soon. It stinks that this is a holiday weekend so you have to
wait even longer for that. Hang in there!
Take care Stephanie! I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and hoping things get better soon!
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stephanie001
Member
Posts: 33
Registered: 11-29-2009
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thanks jojane13!
i have been trying ice packs and they have been working pretty well and plan on trying the melatonin hopefully tonight. good call and speaking to the
pharmacist first about any possible drug interactions.
=) today seems to be going well so far though, but the day is still young!
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vanessa_b
Member
Posts: 644
Registered: 10-5-2009
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Hey Stephanie, that does seem like a short drug list! I was also taking a muscle relaxer (valium/diazepam) and ibuprofen, and probably some other
stuff I'm forgetting. The Valium helped a lot with sleeping because it relaxes you. Maybe you can ask the doc about that. The stool softeners are
good; keep taking them for a few weeks because it will take a while for your body to get back to normal.
About the wedge pillow, I had one and honestly I could never get any sleep on it. But I know others have so I hope it works out for you!
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stephanie001
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Posts: 33
Registered: 11-29-2009
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hey vanessa i was on valium in the hospital but since then ive been off of it. i feel like the wedge pillow is for me personally only helpful if im
sitting on the sofa, i kind of set myself in the corder of the sofa. congratulations on your wedding by the way, your wedding dress looked amazing!
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PEMom58
Contributing Member
Posts: 39
Registered: 4-26-2010
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Hi Stephanie, congrats on being post-nuss! I know we were really glad to have it behind us. My 20 yr old son was nuss'd at CHKD in July. Here is his
post-op meds list.
Percocet - one every 6 hours
Robaxin(muscle relaxer) 500mg - every 6 hours
ibuprofin - 600mg - every 6 hours
valium
zofran 4 mg - for Nausea
Docusate - stool softener while taking the percocet
He alternated the percocet and robaxin/ibuprofen so that every 3 hours or so he was taking meds. But after 1 1/2 weeks post op - he would just take
meds before bed and then when he woke up - and then start the 3 hour interval again.
I would ask for some Zofran to help with nausea for sure and I really think you should be able to take some ibuprofen now as it is over the
counter.
My son would take valium before bed to help him sleep. He first thought that was causing nausea while he was in the hospital, but it didn't seem to
bother him after he was home.
Also, make sure you have something in your stomach with your meds - the nurses really stressed that to help fight nausea.
He found a wedge pillow while sleeping in bed to be preferable, but as you can see most people like sleeping in a recliner.
Definitely call the doctor tomorrow, sleep is so important!
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stephanie001
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Posts: 33
Registered: 11-29-2009
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PEMom58 i'm definitely going to get on that first thing in the morning, i find it so odd that they've only prescribed me two meds to take home. but i
definitely believe that each person is definitely different. and the most pain i experience is when i wake up in the morning. however, surprisingly i
washed my own hair just about two days after leaving the hospital. but as far as meds go i haven't felt any nausea that occur because of the
narcotics.
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Sinister
Contributing Member
Posts: 173
Registered: 5-6-2010
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Mood: Optimistic
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I was discharged with the same two drugs and thats it. I took some Aleve and stool softeners but both were OTC. Honestly I don't think I needed
anything more than those.
The Oxycontin was nice because it lasted nearly 12 hours.
Nussed 7 Jul 2010 by Pilegaard
Aarhus, Denmark
" Whatever you have, you must make the most of it. Rest assured that you can
transform yourself, no matter where you started from. The most important body part is
the mind.”
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stephanie001
Member
Posts: 33
Registered: 11-29-2009
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i guess im not the only one then.
----------------------------------------------------
not feeling so chipper today, woke up with loads of pain at my incision site and feeling kind of crummy. =/
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Skiddy
Member
Posts: 431
Registered: 7-30-2009
Location: Nottingham.UK
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Mood: Great. No P.E!
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Getting back is good but the drugs can be a problem. Definately use them but follow taking guidelines. Take plenty of water. Try and get exercise as
much as possible.
When you fell pain is subsiding slowly ease the consumption.
Everyone is different. Just control the pain is the first and only requirement.
Alll the best.
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