This was my worse fear but not til I got home, I expected good pain medication in the hospital as I was told. I am going to copy and paste from my blog so it may be out of order but I don't have the energy to type everything again... Also I had to have a catheter to pee, I had a staple put IN my head awake and didnt see dr Tew before surgery or after surgery or yet this morning... This has been a disaster and I am miserable and wishing I wouldn't have gotten it done now. By far the worst pain management I ever expected! I have cried, yelled for nurses that wouldn't come, had an anxiety attack from the amount of pain with lovely hives that go along with mine too.
Post 1
Mar 19, 2013 10:45 PM
I am not up to writing a novel about this experience yet, but just a quick update.
Let me say that the recovery room was a nightmare and I was in there from 4:30-9:30 in severe pain with not so nice people.
Finally in my room on the neuro unit in a private suite so Adam has a place to sleep too. And finally might have my pain management figured out.
This was nothing that I expected..about 10 times worse actually. And I will go into more details when I get this IV out and hopefully some food and not in so much pain.
We are in room 4322
But honestly I could not hold a phone up to my ear. Feel free to text, email, or post on here. I know some of you were surprised I texted you back lol
PS
Dr.Tew didn't shave much hair at all! Still swollen right now but being given drugs for that too. This picture isn't the best since I could barely move and didn't want Adam to touch my head! Will post more
PSS
This is a reminder for myself to tell you about the "pins" ripped from my head after surgery and when I was half way awake...
Post 2 from this morning
Mar 20, 2013 7:13 AM
My pain has not been controlled since I woke up in recovery except for a few short hours last night. So much that I've had anxiety attacks and been in tears off and on. I normally have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but I think this is a little different.
I have said it already and I will say it again, I was not planning to be in pain AT the hospital, it is usually day 2 or 3 at home. We went over pain management with the surgeon last week and his nurse. And that is not what is happening. But since I didn't get to my room til 9:30 we are dealing with a resident for now. Guessing the samething isn't in my chart of what we discussed.
Also thanks to the steroids and no one ordering me food in the recovery room I ate nothing til 10:30 last night which my choices were orange ice cream cups which I had two, one orange sherbet, graham crackers, and sweet tea.. After all that they say oh we need to check your sugar levels due to the steriods... I literally LOL and said nice timing AFTER I've been here for an hour and she knew what all I just ate... So of course that was high and had to get insulin! I am now up to over 14 injections/needles while being awake in less then 24 hours.
So what pain meds do I get now... Tylenol every 6 hours, one 500mg of oxycodone and Valium. No more IV pain medication less then 24 hours later which is not what I was told. So I made it clear to the nurse when she told me that, that I will be asking to be discharged today. I will not lay here in bed in pain taking less meds then I take for migraines, not eating, not sleeping, when I'd be more comfortable at home being miserable.
Well the surgery resident stopped by as I was typing this and he says it's Dr Tews usual schedule but this isn't what I was told. So he changed it to IV drugs today still with Valium and robaxin but that Dr Tew wouldn't like that and I said I would take the lecture but also remind him what I have written down from his office on the 11th!
The surgery resident said "this isn't going to get better and tomorrow will be the worse". I said yes which is wrong on so many levels, you are supposed to be kept comfortable in the hospital and it's day 2-3 AT HOME. So have a feeling I will be checking out tomorrow!
Have done it before and will do it again!
Also don’t know if this was in there but after surgery it was two Tylenol every 6 hours one oxycodone 5mg?! Every 4 hours and the IV pain meds to begin with was fentanyl which did nothing for me or maybe because she didnt give any of it on time, then they n switched me to dilaudid instead which with the Valium helped a little but was playing catch up from her screw up so my pain was well over a 10 and I basically begged for morphine yesterday. The resident surgery dude ordered INE dose because Dr Tew does not like morphine and my reply was I do not like pain.
So it’s been a mess and miserable
I'm sorry you are in so much pain. Are you at Good Sam or University? I was at Good Samaritan and I admit they did forget one dose of my pain meds the first night but otherwise they were very good. I didn't see Dr. Ringer before or after the surgery either. Just the residents. I really hope the pain settles for you. :( Keep us posted!
Your room number sounds like University of Cincinnati. I am surprised you are not controlled because, like Emmaline, I was out of it! My neurosurgeon was Dr. Tew's partner and they had me on so many meds (pain, muscle relaxers, antacid, etc.) I slept most of the first 24 hours.
I hope things get better for you soon!
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. Is the tylenol just regular old tylenol? Cause I don't use tylenol for anything it never helps my pain. i have to use ibuprofen. I hope they get things under control soon. hugs
Yes University, my surgeon is Dr Tew who is WELL known around here for being very anti narcotic… My IV is being completely taken away before bedtime. I get nothing else thru it now but dilaudid a few times then I am done and pills only.
And yes when I said Tylenol is was plain old Tylenol. I have complained to the nurse practitioner the surgery “resident” that is a cocky prick BUT he is the one that ordered the dilaudid for today when it was supposed to be done… So guess I like him a little for BUT he is the one that put a staple in my head while I was wide awake!
The NP said she had worked with doctor dr Tew for 12 years and asked if he got upset about more pain meds and I said actually no he was more pissed off that I wasn’t in my room til 9:30 because he knew the room was ready after my surgery was over because he was up here! He was also pissed because they didnt feed me or take me to the bathroom for 5 hours when I was in recovery.
So I get one more dilaudid stuff thru IV then it’s pills only which right now is 2 oxycodone 5’s every 4 hours, 1 steriod pill every so often, no idea which muscle relaxer, stool softener, some colon cleanser thing or maybe it was the flow max. And that will be it.
And I will be sent home with oxycodone. The surgery resident said he decides what I go home with and I told him it has to be stronger then what I am getting here because this isn’t stronger then what I take when I have a migraine so it won’t cut it at home with kids and dogs. He asked what I take and I said 2 lortab 10/500 every day some times 3 if at work and needed and Percocet for break through which are 10/325’s
So he said he would probably do oxycodone still and 5’s but to take 2 or 3 every few hours then something stronger for break through pain. So hopefully he does what he says. I have enough at home any way as my doctor was nice to refill all my scripts before surgery. But I don’t want to be in constant miserable pain like I have been.
To me a good recovery in the hospital sets the tone ya know and I have cried so much two major anxiety attacks from the amount of pain I was in alone and it sucks!
I am so sorry to hear you are dealing with this. Good for you for standing up for yourself! Keep doing so until you get what you need! I hope you get some pain relief soon. I will keep you in my prayers as you recover.
-Sonya
I am just so upset 
I am worried what my car ride home will be and being at home if its been this bad already here. Plus adding in no sleep. I am getting stressed out and worried.
And the NP said she would be ok with releasing me tomorrow! Really? In this much pain stil.
So depressing already and it’s only been 24 hours I don’t know how I will make it thru
Girl I’m so sorry I hate that they won’t just knock you the hell out and let you sleep for the next two days!!! WTH is going on??? It’s like controlled torture! I’m so super sorry
On the positive side, at home you will be able to take your own meds for pain when you need it. Maybe your hubby could pick up some arnica pills too. You could at least try that. Maybe it will help. Also maybe you could do ibuprofen instead of tylenol. You won't be at the mercy of the hospital staff any more. You will probably sleep better at home too so that may help with the amount of pain. Sleep is important for healing. I'm sorry it's been so bad. I have been mad all day for you. Hugs
I wish they would knock me out but not happening. Even tho it’s been pointed out how tired I look and can barely keep my eyes open and all purple. Had a 2 hour nap after my shower and Valium.
The NP did call in Xanax for me to take tonight and hopefully get some sleep.
And yes I am ready to go home and will have plenty of meds between my own and what they send me home with.
This truly is far much worse then I ever expected and completely wishing I wasn’t here or that 72 year old surgeon was a little more detailed on his pain management program in the hospital. I would have reconsidered knowing my own pain level and what meds work and don’t work.
I hate the fact that it’s day two I am already feeling down and depressed, I wasn’t expecting this until I was home