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  • pain management

    Thanks to all who listened and gave advice. I followed it and called the neurosergeon. He thought my threshold forr pain was low that dropped me a notch on the manliness scale: but put me on the fytenal (sp) patch with perc to help with breakthru pain. I started yesterday and slept for six hours! I can't think well- but no one will notice that
    I will begin participating more fully on board once I can sit longer.
    Again- thanks to all
    Eric
    Eric
    Army LTC
    13 June 06
    L1-S1 fusion (post-ant)
    T10 - S1 derotation with instrumentation

  • #2
    So glad they got the pain managed. My doc tells me they will put an epidural directly into the spine and give me a morphine pump. Told me to use that pump all I wanted because the stress from pain slows the healing process. This was good news to know that they understand and want to keep me as pain from as possible. My surgery will be the same--T10 to S1. But not until Nov or Dec so I have a few months to work on the courage factor. haha God Bless, Linda

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    • #3
      Eric,
      I'm glad you're feeling some relief now.

      Linda,
      I too had the morphine pump while in the hospital and was told by the pain mgmt doctor on my first day out of surgery to use it whenever I felt the need (although the pumps are programmed to only allow so much morphine to be used every so many minutes so you can't od on the happy juice).

      I was kept sedated for the first few days following surgery due to fluid in my lung and low blood oxygen levels so when I was brought out of sedation and became more mobile and aware of the pain, I used the pump more often than when I was sedated. Then the nurses started taking the pump away from me and hanging it out of reach (on the IV pole or on the railing behind me when I was on my side). The pain doctor asked me on my 3rd or 4th day why I only pushed the button a certain number of times in a day (a really low number) and asked if I was feeling any pain. I told him that I was and told him what the nurses were doing....he was furious and immediately went to have a talk with the nurses. This happened every morning because of course, he always showed up right before shift change so the nurses he yelled at would leave an hour later and the new ones would start taking it away again.

      This brought me to tears one day because I was so confused by the mixed messages. A nurse overheard me telling my husband that I didn't understand what I was supposed to do: use it or not use it. The nurse came over and told me that they (the nurses) wanted me to stay more awake and get more active and that because I was getting so tired after I administered the morphine (most times I would fall asleep) they thought it best to keep me off of it unless absolutely necessary. I understood their theory, but didn't understand why they were making a decision that was obviously not in line with what my pain doctor had felt was best for me. It seemed that they were not communicating their concerns to him and I didn't realize it was putting me to sleep.

      However, this apparently happens quite a bit at the hospital I was at as I have heard from other patients that they experienced the same issue when they were recovering from surgeries. My visiting nurse had surgery at the same hospital and a then second surgery for the same issue at a hospital in the same city and she said the 2nd hospital was much better about following doctors rules and ensuring that patients always had what they needed for pain mgmt.

      Just be aware of what your doctors orders are for the pain meds vs. what the nurses might be doing on their own. After my breakdown on day 4, I was much more adiment(sp?) about the nurses putting the button in my hand each time they moved me and if the nurse tried to leave without putting in my hand, I would call to her back and ask her give it to me....I really didn't use it much but having the option of using it was very nice.

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      • #4
        Heidi's pain

        What you just wrote was against accepted medical practice i.e. for the nurses to make your pain pump unavailable. This is a manipulation of the most malicious kind. It requires a complaint to the director of Nurses and Administaration as well as director of pain management. If the prescribed meds are not suitable then the meds and or dosage needs adjustment. I am saying this a licensed medical professional with extensive experience.
        What kind of hospital were you in?
        I do remember being very sleepy and needing a lot of help in those 1st few days but I was never allowed to suffer.
        Last edited by Karen Ocker; 06-30-2006, 04:34 PM. Reason: addressed to wrong person
        Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
        Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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        • #5
          Karen -- Heidi was the one who the nurses were jerking around, not Eric.
          Chris
          A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
          Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
          Post-op curve: 12 degrees
          Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

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          • #6
            Eric,

            I am SO glad you finally made that call! Fentanyl is great! I was able to stay on it for a few months, starting with 50mg then going to the 25mg. I have been off it for two weeks and I'm doing fine. (some Drs. worry about addiction.) Now that you are not in so much pain you can concentrate on getting better. I am so happy for you!

            To those of you heading to surgery you might ask your Dr. about this pain patch. (prounced fen-tan-all) You wear it for three days at a time on your chest, waist or back. (alternating left or right sides.) It does NOT come off in the shower. In fact I had to use goof-off to get the stickyness off before re-applying to my other side.

            I didn't think the morphine pump was all that great. You fall asleep and wake up in pain because you didn't push the button, or you can't find the button in bed. Plus, mine JAMMED! I went 4 hours before they figured it out & I finally was told it hadn't been working and no wonder I was in so much pain........ I much preferred getting the pain meds given to me at intervals by the nurses or to some degree as needed.
            Last edited by Suzy; 06-30-2006, 04:33 PM.

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            • #7
              Morphine pump

              It made me so dizzy, didn't like it.

              What made me feel less pain for this last surgery was the epidural catheter they inserted before surgery. I sure wish I had it for the first surgery, b/c the pain those first few days was unbearable. What was frightening for me though was that my legs and arms were so numb and I had tingling but the nurses didn't tell me if it was a side effect of the epidural and I thought I had lost feelings b/c of the surgery.

              It's the nurses job to switch pain meds and try to relieve us from too much pain, if that happens.
              35 y/old female from Montreal, Canada
              Diagnosed with scoliosis(double major) at age 12, wore Boston brace 4 years at least 23 hours a day-curve progressed
              Surgery age 26 for 60 degree curve in Oct. 1997 by Dr.Max Aebi-fused T5 to L2
              Surgery age 28 for a hook removal in Feb. 1999 by Dr.Max Aebi-pain free for 5 years
              Surgery age 34 in Dec.2005 for broken rod replacement, bigger screws and crosslinks added and pseudarthrosis(non union) by Dr. Jean Ouellet

              Comment


              • #8
                I am glad to hear that you are getting relief from the pain. I hope that will help with your recovery. I have a question for you, are you able to walk up the steps without help?
                Dawn
                surgery 9/06
                Rothman institute

                Comment


                • #9
                  Eric, I was just wondering how you were doing. I had not seen any posts from you in about a week and was wondering how you were getting along.
                  Hope your pain is getting less. I know it takes time. Hang in there..........
                  Mattie

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