Sleep?

Hi all,
1 week post-op and still having some "buyer's remorse." I keep trying to tell myself it will get better, but I guess with everything that has been changing I'm just a bit down.

One thing that is driving me crazy is I haven't been able to sleep in my bed. I am still having some pretty bad incisional/stomach pain, which the docs wanted me off pain meds for because they didn't really think pain meds could help. I have been sleeping in the recliner since I got home from the hospital because I just can't find a position in the bed that doesn't hurt!

Has anyone had this experience? How long did it last? Any suggestions? Thanks,

Sorry you're having such a rough time, but it really will get better.

Have you tried piling a bunch of pillows up in bed so that you can be in bed without having to lay back too far? I learned the hard way that I really did get better sleep in my own bed than anywhere else, even if it meant being propped up on enough pillows that I was practically sitting straight up.

I'm not sure exactly when sleeping became comfortable again, but I know by the end of week two I was ready to try sleeping on my side, and now I'm almost six weeks out and can sleep on my stomach with no problems.

I know you probably get sick of everyone telling you this, but it really will get better. I was pretty depressed until I got to the point where I saw evidence of normalcy again- eating soft foods, being able to move around easier, etc... once I started feeling "human" again, my spirits lifted.

Feel better soon!

Thank you, I guess I'm kind of feeling at this point that it hasn't been worth it. I have tried propping myself up with pillows, using a brace pillow, etc but nothing has seemed to work. I guess I'll just have to wait it out, if it ever ends!

I'm not getting the part about not using pain meds to treat your pain?    Pain meds definitely helped with my incisional pain and allowed me to sleep.

To tell you the truth, I don't really get it either. I have asked a couple times what it's about, the surgeon said he thinks it would be better for me to be off them and thinks that I should be able to be off them by now. It kinda makes me wish I had chosen a different surgeon

Have you reviewed your surgeon yet?  If not, this may be something to consider mentioning when you do.

I think I would call and explain, again, that you are not sleeping because you are in pain, and demand that they give you something. 

Did they give you a list of medicines you CAN take?  Could you take tylenol PM, perhaps, and see if that knocks you out?

I could probably give that a shot, I am taking a lot of Tylenol. Everything I take also has to be liquid or crushed which is just gross and hard to choke down. The other issue is I take anti-anxiety and sleeping pills at night which they don't want me to take until I'm off the pain meds because my oxygen kept dropping in the hospital.

I haven't reviewed the surgeon yet, I wanted to wait until I was in a slightly better frame of mind, but this is definitely something I will keep in mind for the review, thanks.

I would call my pharmacist and ask about combining the meds then... I can't imagine tylenol counting as a strong enough pain medicine to slow oxygen intake, but I could be wrong.  In my experience, pharmacists often know much more about the meds than the doctors do.

Are you not taking the anti-anxiety or sleeping meds right now?  Maybe they would be enough to give you a good night's sleep, which would help with your healing.

He's worried you'll get addicted. I've seen that with other docs. Do you have any Vicodin left over???? If so, take it!

If you hurt, you need pain meds. This nonsense of biting down on the bullet and getting through it is utter crap. We've got great pain meds available to us and you should be allowed to use it. You need your rest. Me, I'd get pissy with him and tell him you need them. What he thinks you should be feeling is irrelevant. You hurt. End of subject.

I was at my worst at the start of the second week but luckily in week three things improved dramatically.  I'm in week four now and feel (almost) normal.  I have been able to sleep on my right side, propped up and with a body pillow from the get go but still wake up if I roll on my back or left side.  Try some different positions and see if that works.  Good luck!