I’m having my first decompression surgery in 4 days and my anxiety is through the rough with worry… What did you guys do to stay calm the morning of surgery? Any tips on what I might expect to feel the first day … I know everyone is different but any info will help. I’m 23 and it’s my first ever surgery so I’m a bit nervous
*roof
Hi Braylen,
I know you’re nervous. It’s normal. I had my decompression in 2004. You can expect pain when you wake up. Your doctor will control it with pain meds. Maybe a morphine pump. You will probably feel week and tired for a few weeks, but if is successful, you will ultimately have relief of your symptoms. Good luck.
Kalie
my surgery is in 4 days to wow and im scared to and very nervous
my anxiety was through the roof as well, I stayed as busy as I could getting as much stuff done that I knew I would not be able to do after or during recovery. I am sure I had many sleepless nights right before too. I just had surgery on the 1st. I came home yesterday. I was in pain the first 2 days and they did everything they could to control my pain in the hospital. We came up with a method that works and I am doing fine now. I overdid it this morning had lots of company today and so this evening I am struggling just a little bit. I would suggest that you have someone coordinate your visitors because having visitors can be a little exhausting. We have decided that we will do 20 mins a day per visitor and not more that 3 visitors at a time, with a couple hrs between visitors. I know that seems very short but it beats being in extra pain and more tired then you should be when you are trying to heal from brain surgery. Also your caregiver needs to rest as well since they are doing a lot for you at this time. Good luck and hope the best outcome for you.
Hi Braylen, I had my decompression surgery in 2013,Procedures leading up to surgery may be different here in Australia but I was asleep before they even shaved my hair or put one of the canulas in.I don't remember waking up in recovery but do remember waking in ICU,I had a morphine pump but can't remember very much of the first day post surgery. Of course there is some pain and discomfort but everything was controlled with medication so it wasn't too bad.Head and neck were not much different to what I'd been suffering with before surgery but was better controlled in hospital.Best thing was not having all that pressure in my brain,I could cough without having to feel the need of holding the top of my head so it didn't feel like it was going to explode.Good Luck,will be thinking of you wishing you a speedy recovery.
Hi Braylen,
I'm sending my very best wishes and thoughts to you, for a successful surgery and quick and complete recovery.
Think positive, think relief, think wellness! You will be in very good hands!
We're all pulling for you!
Wishing you well,
SK
thank for the info too now im not that nervous about it im having surgery to on the 9th how many nights did u stayed in icu
Brother I feel you. Ipalot of us here were in the same spot. Just stay calm and have trust in your doctor. These people (hospital staff) deal with stuff like this everyday and will take good care of you. Just don’t be afraid to ask for pain pills if yo need them. I took some the first 3 days then I tried to just take muscle relaxers. Take it slow dont be in a hurry and if you have concers voice it to your doctor and nurses. I wish you the best and can’t wait to hear an update after your surgery. If you ever need to talk I’m here for you… Peeps don’t understand unless they go through this everyday and I have found this place to be a amazing place to just read other peoples story to know I’m not alone. Plus I try really hard to keep telling myself it could be much worse. There are a lot of other things we all could have instead of chiari that are much worse. Kinda my mantra when things are bad or people ask how I am doing. Get sick of that question nobody wants to hear im horrible and in a lot of pain all the time. Lol. Best of luck braylen.
Braylen,
The night before surgery I decided I wasn’t going to do it. The risks just weren’t worth the possible rewards. I had only been married two months and when I walked in and told him I had decided I wasn’t doing it tears ran down his cheeks. My daughter was 16 @ the time and with a new step dad took the stance of mom knows best don’t you dare come in our life’s and pressure her and risk me losing her. Needless to say in that one statement I had emotional ripped them both to shreds. It was a very tense evening and I faced a lot of fears that I had been avoiding the weeks leading up to the surgery. I said them all out loud no matter how ridiculous they seemed and my family helped me rationalize through them or at least through most of them 
I won’t lie, as soon as they wheeled me into the pre op area and the doors closed on my family the tears started and didn’t stop until the anesthesia kicked in, but I was able to keep going over the responses my family had given me which made it easier and I felt less alone.
I was on morphine and percocet for pain. I came out of icu after two days and went home on the fourth day. I was in and out of it the first two weeks which it’s normal from what I hear. Beside that recovery was actually quick and easy.
I had several complications but that was due to my personal situation so I won’t go into that because they would only cause you undue worry
On a positive note, when I was a little girl I had several serious head injuries due to a mother with a temper. Somewhere around the age of six, they believe, I lost my color vision due to brain damage. They called it color confusion and had always told me one day it could just come back but not to bet on it. Well when I woke up from my decompression surgery my nurse was going over everything and of course I’m in intense pain, confused and don’t have my contacts in. He hands me the call control and tells me to hit the red button if I need him and I’m starting to tell him I can’t see red when I look down and not sure what I’m seeing. Well I’m seeing color. Eventually I’m awake enough to explain to him what’s happened and so then he is running around finding different colors for me to see. He was an amazing person. He came to see me every day I was there teaching me about colors. Anyways, my husband still tells the story of the ride home with me stoned on percocet screaming about all the pretty colors.
I know I’m long winded, but my point was don’t try to do this alone. My first surgery was almost two years ago and I’m headed to Duke in two weeks for a shunt in my spine and gamma knife for two tumors. Without my family the weight of this would have crushed me.
Good luck!
I am sending you lots of positive thoughts and hugs!
thank you
Keep re-reading Vicki's post!
I'm praying for all of you with surgery coming up and look forward hearing about your recoveries. I expect/hope that I'll be having surgery coming up cuz if all of my most miserable symptoms aren't caused by a chiari, someone can just go ahead and cut my head off--its killing me :)
You're the only type of people I can easily talk to. Yesterday a friend I hadn't heard from in awhile asked how my health was and I told her I may have to have surgery at the base of my skull cuz my brain was falling out--then I said haha--just messing with you. Its all too hard to explain to regular people.
Again, praying for Braylen and Dolphinlove and appreciate all who have shared their stories.
My surgery was in December of last year and it is the best decision I ever made. Gone are the ice pick headaches that accompanied every cough and every sneeze! You will have several days worthy of some serious pain medication, but the hospital will help you handle that. In a few days, when you go home, you will have medication that will keep you comfortable. The best medicine when you go home will be the knowledge that you did it and now it’s over! Lean on the people who love you! Let them help! Take it easy when you get home: lots of rest and a gradual return to normal activity.
I know it’s frightening. That feeling is normal, but the results will be worth it! Best of luck and we’ll be keeping good thoughts for you.
I had my surgery at 29, it was my first surgery too. My doctor said that he could tell I was in a lot of pain before the surgery because I actually seemed anxious to have "brain surgery".
Mine came out fine. It took a good 4 or 5 weeks until I felt "normal". The surgery worked for me. My headaches stopped. Just remember why you're having the surgery. It will help you get through. Good luck!
Thank you all very much for your advice, tips, prayers and thoughts. I appreciate it all so much, happy to know I’m not the only one that was nervous before getting decompressed. I hope your surgery goes well on the 9th also dolphinlove123 praying everyone had a good and safe Easter yesterday. I’ll do my best to keep posted after Thursday
For the day of the surgery, get your doctor to give you anxiety meds. It's what got me through all my MRIs as well as the morning of my surgery. Good luck.
I had surgery in 2012 it has been a God send things are much better.The morning of my surgery I was nervous but excited at the same time.My journey went on for 27+yrs.Try to stay positive as you look forward to the improvements in your life.I believe in the power of prayers and I knew lots of them were going up on that day.It is normal to be scared.Trust the NS to make things go as they should you are doing all you can,hope it all works out for you.You are in my thoughts and prayers( hope that’s ok) there will be happier days ahead. Think Possitive!
Hi Braylen, I prayed, I believe in prayer, this was the first time i had major surgery. You might feel pain, or numbness or just very tired. I didn't feel any pain from where they cut me, I just had pressure pain.