I say 'hello', in pain. In post-UPPP tonsillectomy pain.
The surgery for my floppy palate is done and dusted. I am now at day 12 since the surgery (which was text book) and I am still in a lot of pain :-(
I thought I was so prepared! I mean, I was prepared in that I had all the pain relief ready, a humidifier, organised a good time to have it down so as to not interfere with work too much, M had time off to take me there, pick me up and care for me, a Netflix list. But, nothing prepared me for the severe pain to come!
Wednesday June 27th...
The whole experience at Stirling Hospital was amazing. It's a small hospital so you get that personalised experience, which was lovely. I was checked in at 10:30 and in surgery by 12:20 or so. I spoke with the anaesthetist who gave me a little something something to calm me beforehand (coz y'know, anxiety that I won't wake up!). He took care in finding a vein that would cooperate (not like last surgery!). My surgeon saw me after and was really pleased with how it all went down. I ate food, and it was nice (yeah, that's right, the hospital food was nice!). I had a shot Fentanyl and was on Endone regularly to help with the pain.
When the nurse said she was giving me Fentanyl I immediately thought of some doco I watched about people using it recreationally. To be honest, I don't know what it did...oh well.
From Thursday June 28th...
After being home a few days, things were setting in as expected. I knew the pain would increase. So I took the Endone as prescribed...2 every 3 hours as required. AS REQUIRED.
When M called about getting a repeat (because I struggled to speak), there was a bit of shock that I had taken so many. It was viewed as a bit unusual. In my mind, the Endone was doing fuck all. But it's all I had. I started taking some meds with codeine...not sure that did anything more either. So yeah, it WAS usual. I was not getting the pain relief I needed. Swallowing to just stay hydrated was challenging to say the least.
Tuesday July 3rd...
Fuck this. I am NOT in a good way.
I email the offices of my ENT. M comes home to take me in. I am in tears, in pain.
ENT informs the ENT on duty at Flinders that I am coming in and wants me admitted to get my pain under control so I can keep fluids up myself.
I turn up to emergency and I am in a little space talking to nurses etc.
They're not picking up what I am putting down, asking me if i can drink water so I can have some Oxycodone (aka Endone) for pain relief. WTF PEOPLE? NO. I CANNOT SWALLOW. THE ENDONE DON'T WORK. THIS IS WHY I AM HERE. HOOK ME UP WITH SOME SALINE AND INJECT ME WITH PAIN RELIEF.
So eventually, I am given a topical throat numbing gel to gargle.
A shot of Fentanyl.
Then 2 doctors trying to locate a vein (haha, that was heaps fun considering I haven't been able to swallow and keep hydrated) on either arm. The ENT on duty wins that race. I tell the other doc, 'good try'. Not sure my humour was appreciated. Whoops.
Then I am on a drip and waiting to be taken to Flinders Private. Waiting...and waiting. Eavesdropping on other emergency patients.
Finally a women turns up. Pops me in a wheelchair and I am transferred to Flinders Private where I have the same fucking conversation about how Endone has been doing SWEET FA.
At about 5pm, I was administered a shot of morphine. Hallelujah! My voice has been heard.
Finally, I was able to swallow without any fear of crying and dying from pain. I ate. It was marvellous. I got a brief reminder of what it felt like to feel 'normal'.
Wednesday July 4th...
Once the morphine wore off, it was back to Endone. I was given some Endone at about 4:30am...the darling nurse Sue actually cared. She checked in with me about 30 mins later to see how the Endone was going. Again, nothing. She was right onto it - bloody legend. I got another shot of morphine which, again, left me in a welcomed daze of normalcy.
Once breakfast was served (which I didn't touch), it was decided that I needed to stay another night. This was absolutely A-okay with me. I was in the best place for my situation and my anxiety.
It was recommended that I chew gum...can someone bring me some gum? Oh yeah sure *eye roll* I thought I would take the nurse up on this suggestion and asked my mother-in-law to pop in with some gum and deodorant. Which she did. I tried to chew gum. Holy hell. That was not a good move. I could barely move my tongue. It was a terrible idea! Even as I write this, I struggle to steer custard around my mouth, let alone work with a piece of gum. As a positive, I now have 3 packets of spearmint, 1 strawberry and another bubble something.
During this second night, I was being given Endone every 3 hours. Sleep was difficult.
Thursday July 5th...
The following morning, I was told to stay all day, which I did. And I tried to sleep for the most part but was being woken for administration of meds every few hours. I did get some random minutes of shut eye after asking for earplugs (the old duck next door sounded like she was having a tea party, discussing how she's got $100000 in the bank and $300000 tied up in assets and shares - poor, poor lady).
M picked me up at 5pm and I have since continued with a similar schedule of meds, trying not to take the Endone unless I am realllllly feeling pain, or getting frustrated at getting no relief.
The pain is still there and it's fucked, but I feel it's slowly improving...s l o w l y . . .
Here's hoping this surgery has actually been successful and my snoring will be long gone - I won't know for a few weeks yet. I can tell you now, this has been the most physically painful thing I have EVER experienced. Some shared this opinion with me themselves, comparing it to child birth.
The thing is, you're in pain ALL of the time. There is no respite - this is what I struggled with. Even when it wasn't 'as' bad, it was still fucking bad. Sleeping - argh! Waking up - blah! Talking - youch! Crying - Eeeek! Swallowing - Ooowwww! Staring down the pills that need swallowing -*run away*
BTW - My latest MRI shows no changes since my MRI in April last year - YIPPEE! Relief is felt for another year. So I just keep on keeping on with my infusions, which is just super. This is probably the most relevant point of this entire post!
Thanks for reading!
