Hello,
My name is James D. Gray
Some time after the surgery, I awoke in the ICU. I wasn't very coherent and was completely unaware of what had just happened for a good hour. A family member had been sitting next to me, waiting for me to wake. But I'm not here to tell you that everything was fine or that they got that diagnosis and treated me. This time I get to tell you about the pain and frustration of the whole event. Though I was most weary of the epidural, I should have been more worried that they needed to stick a tube in my lungs through my ribs. Did I forget to talk about the parental warning? Also my nurse in the ICU was very pretty.
There I was, with two IVs in my arms, a tube in my lungs, bandages covering my incisions, and an epidural in my spine but even with how bad these things seem, the most consistent problem was always having to lie on my back. I couldn't lie on my right because of the tube and I couldn't lie on my left because of the IVs and it would pull on the tube. Luckily the sedation kept me comfortable enough on day one.
I don't like lying on my back. It was such a struggle to get to sleep or get adjusted throughout the day. The mattress had a lot of air in it that would deflate a bit under my weight. This means that every time I sat up a bit "baring the cringing pain running through my whole body as the tube rubbed my ribs" I would then sink a bit and everything on my back would be pulled up a bit. I spent a lot of time with my hand on the bed adjustments, sending the head and feet up and down looking for a sweet spot that I think I found at least once. And how is one pillow not enough but two is too much?
Having an IV in was another of the many things I couldn't hardly stand while I was there. If it's too far up the bend of my arm, I can't bend my arm or I'd pinch it closed. They won't take it out because then they'd just have to put another one in. If the IV is in my hand, then I can't support my head when my neck gets tired. The one partially good place for having an IV over an extended period of time is on the back side of my forearm. I can't remember if they eventually placed one there for me during this stay or the one when I had pneumonia.
Again my diet was still an issue, with being served and trying to avoid risking an intolerance. I mostly ate toasted wheat bread and boiled eggs with the occasional grilled chicken. I requested to have some blended blueberries and bananas whenever I remembered to ask. Completely shifting to the other end of the spectrum, urination had to be done into a container while in bed. The first few times I had to have a nurse assist me and my water, in and out, had to be measured. Also my food in and food out. I think I used the dining tray for resting my head on more than anything. That and keeping my sanitation wipes close.
The pain scale can be a confusing thing. Most of the time I try to imagine that a 1 is something you just notice and then go up from there. Today I measure my pain very differently. Part of it was some advice for describing my current pain and the rest is based on what I felt at the time. My "10" is the most pain I've ever felt. If I ever happen to feel something worse, then everything before would have a different number. Having my big toenail removed without the local anesthetic having an effect is currently my highest pain. That may be my "10" but don't let that make this tube sound like pancakes. Every time I moved, my whole body would tense up and flex. I could feel a shock running through all my bones and nerves. I could only move a little at a time and sometimes I would fall back in place because it was just too much. Even after just a few days of being there, I had to get up and walk down the hall. Tensing pain and blood draining out of my lung. I was even asked to cough. Like, cough really good. The thought of doing so could have made me pass out.
I didn't get to shower the whole time and there was never anything on TV that I wanted to watch. I thought you might have had enough of that tube imagery. But wait, there's more. Either on the third or fourth day, they had to take the tube out. It took me five minutes to roll on to my left side enough that the nurse could pull it out. Keep in mind that I was on a lot of very strong pain medications and yet I'd say that my pain was at an "8" most of the time.
That's probably enough for now. I'm confident that you get the picture of my experience. I don't suggest you let my story discourage you from having this procedure if your doctor thinks that it is necessary for you. I will not be doing anything like that again and had I known what it would be, I would not have done it. At the time I was glad I didn't know, because I thought it was necessary.
I would in time discover, that besides just having the information, it would all seem very pointless to me later on.
To Be... Continued!
My name is James D. Gray
Some time after the surgery, I awoke in the ICU. I wasn't very coherent and was completely unaware of what had just happened for a good hour. A family member had been sitting next to me, waiting for me to wake. But I'm not here to tell you that everything was fine or that they got that diagnosis and treated me. This time I get to tell you about the pain and frustration of the whole event. Though I was most weary of the epidural, I should have been more worried that they needed to stick a tube in my lungs through my ribs. Did I forget to talk about the parental warning? Also my nurse in the ICU was very pretty.
There I was, with two IVs in my arms, a tube in my lungs, bandages covering my incisions, and an epidural in my spine but even with how bad these things seem, the most consistent problem was always having to lie on my back. I couldn't lie on my right because of the tube and I couldn't lie on my left because of the IVs and it would pull on the tube. Luckily the sedation kept me comfortable enough on day one.
I don't like lying on my back. It was such a struggle to get to sleep or get adjusted throughout the day. The mattress had a lot of air in it that would deflate a bit under my weight. This means that every time I sat up a bit "baring the cringing pain running through my whole body as the tube rubbed my ribs" I would then sink a bit and everything on my back would be pulled up a bit. I spent a lot of time with my hand on the bed adjustments, sending the head and feet up and down looking for a sweet spot that I think I found at least once. And how is one pillow not enough but two is too much?
Having an IV in was another of the many things I couldn't hardly stand while I was there. If it's too far up the bend of my arm, I can't bend my arm or I'd pinch it closed. They won't take it out because then they'd just have to put another one in. If the IV is in my hand, then I can't support my head when my neck gets tired. The one partially good place for having an IV over an extended period of time is on the back side of my forearm. I can't remember if they eventually placed one there for me during this stay or the one when I had pneumonia.
Again my diet was still an issue, with being served and trying to avoid risking an intolerance. I mostly ate toasted wheat bread and boiled eggs with the occasional grilled chicken. I requested to have some blended blueberries and bananas whenever I remembered to ask. Completely shifting to the other end of the spectrum, urination had to be done into a container while in bed. The first few times I had to have a nurse assist me and my water, in and out, had to be measured. Also my food in and food out. I think I used the dining tray for resting my head on more than anything. That and keeping my sanitation wipes close.
The pain scale can be a confusing thing. Most of the time I try to imagine that a 1 is something you just notice and then go up from there. Today I measure my pain very differently. Part of it was some advice for describing my current pain and the rest is based on what I felt at the time. My "10" is the most pain I've ever felt. If I ever happen to feel something worse, then everything before would have a different number. Having my big toenail removed without the local anesthetic having an effect is currently my highest pain. That may be my "10" but don't let that make this tube sound like pancakes. Every time I moved, my whole body would tense up and flex. I could feel a shock running through all my bones and nerves. I could only move a little at a time and sometimes I would fall back in place because it was just too much. Even after just a few days of being there, I had to get up and walk down the hall. Tensing pain and blood draining out of my lung. I was even asked to cough. Like, cough really good. The thought of doing so could have made me pass out.
I didn't get to shower the whole time and there was never anything on TV that I wanted to watch. I thought you might have had enough of that tube imagery. But wait, there's more. Either on the third or fourth day, they had to take the tube out. It took me five minutes to roll on to my left side enough that the nurse could pull it out. Keep in mind that I was on a lot of very strong pain medications and yet I'd say that my pain was at an "8" most of the time.
That's probably enough for now. I'm confident that you get the picture of my experience. I don't suggest you let my story discourage you from having this procedure if your doctor thinks that it is necessary for you. I will not be doing anything like that again and had I known what it would be, I would not have done it. At the time I was glad I didn't know, because I thought it was necessary.
I would in time discover, that besides just having the information, it would all seem very pointless to me later on.
To Be... Continued!
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