XP: 2 days post op Brachio & TT

It has been a rough couple of days.  I feel so useless!  TT is so tight and painful.  I have 4 drains and the pain pump tubing.

Surgeon did anchor cut and said he went 4 inches deep - whatever that means.  My arms are wrapped in ace bandages and I can't extend, reach back or reach up.  Hard to brush teeth, hair, or reach for anything.

Taking oral pain meds and had some IV Torodol in hospital.
 
The 4 hour drive home was grueling.  Stopping every hour to walk-  in  pouring rain and deal with all the tubing the in restrooms -  DH had to pull pants down & up, etc.

Doing better today.

I see surgeon Tues, and hope to get drains out.

I will update later.

Just keep picturing how fine you are gonna look!  Glad you are on the mend.....I'm a big ole chicken and wont even think about plastics due to the pain!!

Kim

 Hang in there sista!!!! it gets a little bit better each day ... picture how AWESOME you will look and feel after going through this first rough period of healing.... wishing you nothing but the best!!!

I wish you the best.  I do hope they gave you strong pains meds.   I know many surgeons only give out vicodin and think we are super heroes and can take anything.  I was really lucky this past round of surgeries that I had, my surgeon called in pain management for me because she saw how much pain I was in when the took away the pump and IV pain meds.  They put me on very high dose dilaudid - which was the same medication that was in the pump and IV - they just converted my dose into a tablet dose.  They even let me go home on the super high dose.  A normal dilaudid dose is usually 4 mg and I was on anywhere from 10-14 mg.  that is how bad my pain was and I was taking it every 3 hours around the clock.  I am now down to 4 mg and can't seem to get any lower.  I wish I could get back to percocet - hopefully in a month or 2.

Be careful with the toradol, even if IV.  I know it works great and all the surgeons try to get us to take it but it does cause ulcers.  I know Andrea U was given it even after she told them absolutely couldn't take it and they gave it to her anyway.  Well, she ended up with severe ulcers - I believe one was a marginal ulcer - a perforation of the staple line.  Even though it is IV, it still thins the lining of our stomachs causing the ulcers.

I wish you the best.  I dont' know anything about TT - but 4 inches sounds pretty deep.  What do I know.  I will stick to labs and vitamins.

I only had the one dose of Torodol IV, so crossing my fingers regarding ulcer.

My oral pain med is Hydrocodone 5/500 1 or 2 tabs every 4 hours.  It didn't hold me the first two days, but is doing OK now.  I also have a pain pump with  Marcaine - it is just about empty.

The first two days were terrible - so much better now.  I'd like to have these 4 drains out but the belly ones are still putting out too much.  Hopefully by my appt on Tues they will have reduced considerably.

Thanks for thinking of me.