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Carolyn King Surgery Update-few question re:pain after neo
Hi. I just wanted to let everyone know on the forum how my mother (Carolyn King) is doing. She had a RC with neo at IU by Dr. Koch on Dec. 26. The surgery lasted 3 hours. The first night was great due to an epidural. But she is having a lot of pain. She is still on the Morphine pump (Post-op day 4). Is this normal???? She is so painful yet I don’t think she needs so much narcotics. She is groggy. She is still NPO with no bowel sounds and no passing of gas. When did you get off the PCA pump and start oral medicine? Did you feel like it controlled your pain better? She is up a few times a day walking and sitting in the chair.
Thank you all for the support you have given to my mom. I know she wouldn’t have been able to deal with her BC diagnosis without you guys!!
Any advise and/or comments about your hospital experience is greatly appreciated!!
Thanks,
Tiffany -
7 Replies
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Thats great news Tiffany…amazing that a little gas is cause for celebration! WEll Happy New Year…i hope its smooth sailing from here on out. Pat
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Thanks you all for your kind words. The doctors started my mom on oral meds and she seems to be doing a lot better. She is alot more awake and started passing gas (praise the Lord!!). They started her on a liquid diet. We are still waiting on the path report regarding the lymph nodes.
Thanks for your input. It is greatly appreciated!
Tiffany -
HI Tiffany – My husband, Harry had RC on 10/1 and had trouble with his bowels waking up and staying up! At first the only gas he was passing was belching and then finally he passed gas the “right way” and they began to feed him. He was to be released on 10/8, but on 10/7 he experienced a great deal of pain throughout the night and his bowels “shut down” (his term). After experiencing the terrible pain he got more pain meds by injection. They found extra fluid in his abdomen and they inserted another drainage tube. He got the nose tube back and was NPO again (although he was able to tolerate some ice chips). After a few more days on the pain meds, one of the residents mentioned that the meds could be slowing up his bowels…no one had mentioned that before! Luckily, by then he was able to tolerate the pain and it lessened quite a bit with the drainage…so he stopped taking the pain meds and switched to Tylenol. They also had to put him on a PIC line nutritional drip because he hadn’t been able to eat anything for so long…He also had a second set-back with a UTI but FINALLY, he started passing gas again and was finally released from the hospital on 10/28…yes, 28 days after his RC!!! I would definitely suggest that your mom wean herself from the morphine, since that may be slowing up the bowels…hopefully she’ll be able to and begin getting some liquids so the process of passing gas can procede.
Margot
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Hi Tiffany…The pain is a variable…it got better with each day…or should i say more tolerable. Nothing by mouth until the bowels move. If the morphine isn’t working for her ask the pain management team to maybe switch her to another like fentanyl. There’s just no getting around the pain…its real..its there…i don’t think i could stand in an upright position for 3 days and then i thought i was part of some medevil torture when they made me walk. Day 5 my bowels woke up ..they gave me some soup..and kicked me out the door and really all i needed was a tylenol by then. She’ll get over the hump. You know your mom better than anyone and if you think she’s really out of it or hallucinating or any strange behaviour jump up and down..do a Shirley McLaine .. and make them change her meds. Please give her my very best and all the neo’s will be here to help her when she gets home and has questions. I’m impressed with the surgery time. Pat
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Tiffany,
Glad to hear from you, I spoke to your mom in length before surgery, she was so worried, I am glad its over for her. The pain pump is something each individual has decide about depending on how they are doing. My husband didn’t use his after the 3rd day, and not much at all on day 3. Women seem to have more pain because of the hysterectomy etc. The grogginess is due to the med’s I would think. If she is still using the pain pump she is getting only as much as she is allowed but could be the culprit for the mental state. The surgery didn’t take very long, thats a good thing. I would think you should see some big improvements soon, day 4 and 5. My husband didn’t have the pain pump past day 4. They then gave him oral med’s. Ask what they are giving her besides the pump? Bowels wake up when they are dam ready, our experience was day 2,bowel sounds, she isn’t eating except for liquids right! Then mostly lots of air, and water came out.
She wants to go to Florida and the beach, asap.. that will be questionable for a couple months it takes a while for strength to return, as well as acceptance of whats happened. I have sent her a few e-mails, to her e-mail address, tell her I said Hi and to write me or call me, she has my cell number. Are they giving her other drugs besides the morphine? hOW ABOUT PATHOLOGY? anything yet???
Ginger Beane -
Hi Tiffany, sorry can’t answer any questions as I have not yet had my surgery. You will get more replies soon.
Please let Carolyn know I am thinking of her and hope that she makes a good recovery and look forward to reading her posts when she is up to it.
Maria xx -
Hello Tiffany, I had my surgery March 2, 2007 and I was lucky enough to have a caring daughter like you are. She stayed with me and helped me through this difficult time. I still am asking her questions regarding the hospital stay.
Yes I was also on the morphine pump, looking back I wish I had gotten off that and had the oral drugs. The morphine made my mouth so dry and they didn’t want me to swallow anything, I would wet my lips and tongue and spit out the fluid. I will offer up prayers for you guys today. Sincerely, Ellen
trying to learn how to take one day at a time.
RC March 2, 2007
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