Questions...questions...
First, I'll start out with my possible surgery date. I'm waiting to hear from Rosella. If everything goes as I'm trying to get planned, I'll be having my surgery on March 18th. I'm also waiting to hear on my funding. I should hear about that next week, perhaps sooner. Anyway some questions.
I was talking to Tami on the phone today and she mentioned something about the pain medication the Dr. said she should get after surgery in Mexico. She said it didn't really work very well. Does anyone know what they have you get/take for pain after surgery? I'm a wimp when it comes to pain. I currently take Lortab nearly daily just to function. I have severe back pain. I try to only take it once a day when I have to go to work. Also has anyone had a problem with the epidural? Do they always give you an epidural? How long do they suggest that you stay off work? I'm a nurse, but in my job I pass meds for like 2 hours and sit most of the rest of the night. How long do you have to wear the binder? How long are you not supposed to lift anything? I'm thinking I'm really going to have to be careful, because my baby will want to be held. Back to medications. I've come across some posts talking about meds that you can/can't take after surgery. Does the Dr. give you a list of things that you can/can't take? If not, how do you know what you can/can't take? Sorry I'm just starting to think of all these things. On the vitamins, do you have to take liquid or the pill type? I've also heard a lot of people post about carb countdown this and that. What is carb countdown? I'm so happy to think that I'll be having surgery next month and also scared to death at the same time. Ok, enough questions for now. Oh wait, one more. How close are the grocery stores from the apartments? Thanks for reading my post.
BTW - it was great talking to you on the phone today Tami. Sorry my stupid cell cut out around the mountain. Hope to meet you in person soon. Take care.
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
That is a LOT of questions. I will answer some for you. 
First, pain meds. I agree that the supradol that is sublingual (melts under your tongue) is not very effective. I have a lot of back pain as well and pain management is definetely a problem. I guess in hindsight, I would have asked my doctor to switch my pain meds to a liquid form or even better...I know for a fact there are some pain meds that come in a patch form where you just change the patch every day and it time releases the meds. Because even a liquid you would not be able to take until at least 4 days out from surgery. Please do ask your doctor about that. According to Dr. A's instructions you cannot have pills for 1 month. Vitamins and whatnot that he wants you to take starting at 2 weeks should be chewable and/or sublingual.
The info in his take home packet says that you can go back to work at 2 weeks if you have an office type job. Don't know if that helps you at all. The binder is supposed to be worn for 2 months. I didn't have a problem with the epidural, other than they didn't use it very efficiently. You can opt not to have it. But the only true pain relief I had was from the meds they put into the epidural. It just didn't last more than a couple of hours and then I was back to wrything in pain.
Lifting, I do know you need to be very careful about lifting over ten pounds. Dr. A. doesn't want any weight lifting type exercises till 6 months I believe. It will be hard with a little one. I would try to hold the baby while sitting and avoid it while standing and/or walking.
Carb countdown is a low carb milk that you can get at the grocery store. It is a really good substitute for regular milk, which actually has quite a few carbs in it.
The grocery stores are about 4 blocks from the apartment, but I would honestly suggest that you get what you want in San Diego and bring it here. They really do not have a good selection of foods that we can have. Bambi will stop at a grocery store for you in San Diego if you ask him to. Get some soups that you like, applesause, yogurt, your brand of bottled water, drink stuff like crystal light or whatever, maybe cheese to melt or anything you think you might want because stuff is different here. Even for whoever comes with you. Terry really did not like the sliced bread here. And easy stuff for them to make to eat like sandwich makings, and mac and cheese, anything they like.
Hope I got most of them.
Good luck!!
Tamara
2/9/05
321/?
First, pain meds. I agree that the supradol that is sublingual (melts under your tongue) is not very effective. I have a lot of back pain as well and pain management is definetely a problem. I guess in hindsight, I would have asked my doctor to switch my pain meds to a liquid form or even better...I know for a fact there are some pain meds that come in a patch form where you just change the patch every day and it time releases the meds. Because even a liquid you would not be able to take until at least 4 days out from surgery. Please do ask your doctor about that. According to Dr. A's instructions you cannot have pills for 1 month. Vitamins and whatnot that he wants you to take starting at 2 weeks should be chewable and/or sublingual.
The info in his take home packet says that you can go back to work at 2 weeks if you have an office type job. Don't know if that helps you at all. The binder is supposed to be worn for 2 months. I didn't have a problem with the epidural, other than they didn't use it very efficiently. You can opt not to have it. But the only true pain relief I had was from the meds they put into the epidural. It just didn't last more than a couple of hours and then I was back to wrything in pain.
Lifting, I do know you need to be very careful about lifting over ten pounds. Dr. A. doesn't want any weight lifting type exercises till 6 months I believe. It will be hard with a little one. I would try to hold the baby while sitting and avoid it while standing and/or walking.
Carb countdown is a low carb milk that you can get at the grocery store. It is a really good substitute for regular milk, which actually has quite a few carbs in it.
The grocery stores are about 4 blocks from the apartment, but I would honestly suggest that you get what you want in San Diego and bring it here. They really do not have a good selection of foods that we can have. Bambi will stop at a grocery store for you in San Diego if you ask him to. Get some soups that you like, applesause, yogurt, your brand of bottled water, drink stuff like crystal light or whatever, maybe cheese to melt or anything you think you might want because stuff is different here. Even for whoever comes with you. Terry really did not like the sliced bread here. And easy stuff for them to make to eat like sandwich makings, and mac and cheese, anything they like.
Hope I got most of them.
Good luck!!
Tamara
2/9/05
321/? Thanks so much for answering all my questions. I'll admit I'm starting to get nervous. I got my surgery confirmation from Rosella today. YEAH!!! Now I'm really nervous. I have to make sure everything falls into place now. Yikes... I am planning on using Bambi, so I'll have him stop at the store on the way. I'll ask lots of questions about meds, etc. when I talk with Dr. A. Or maybe I'll just ask Rosella lots of questions before I get there. She's been so good with my other questions. Thanks again.
Melissa
Hi Melissa!
Tamara did a great job of answering your questions, so I won't repeat the answers. I agree that you should check with your doctor before you go if you don't think your pain tollerance will be high enough for the pain meds to control once you leave the hospital. The epidural worked very well for me. I really can't help anyone on the pain questions because I just didn't have any real pain. I know my tollerance is high but I expected a lot more pain than I had. I use the Hood Carb Countdown Fat Free milk because it has 12 grams of protein in 8 oz instead of the normal 8 grams. I buy it at Wal-Mart. It's usually down on the bottom row of the dairy case for some reason. I wish you the best and hope everything works out great for you!
Cheri 
Thanks for your reply. I'll check out the Carb Countdown when I go to Wal Mart today. I spent so much time/money there anyway. I don't know what I would do without Wal Mart. 
I guess I worry about an epidural, because when I had my youngest I had a spinal and for like 9 months, I had severe back spasms. Just not looking forward to spasms again. The spinal worked great for me. It's a little bit different from an epidural. Thanks for replying.
Melissa
I guess I worry about an epidural, because when I had my youngest I had a spinal and for like 9 months, I had severe back spasms. Just not looking forward to spasms again. The spinal worked great for me. It's a little bit different from an epidural. Thanks for replying.
Melissa 
On the meds, you want to avoid NSAIDs and aspirin like the plague due to the risk of bleeding ulcers. I do know of a couple bypass patients who have gotten these and came near death. The Supradol, however, is Toradol in the US and is an NSAID but taken sublingually it's fine. Since you are a nurse, perhaps you can find a doc that will prescribe you the pain med patch to take with you if they don't have it there. I had absolutely no issues with pain whatsoever and I have a really bad back (or had....less of a problem now) as well. I did ask them to give me something other than morphine though and asked for Demerol (not sure what they gave me though) since morphine does nothing for me. Dr. Aguirre was accomodating about that. What I used to need Orudis or Advil for (prescription strength) I now will ask for a Vicodin once in a while. I resort to this very rarely, but I still have to. I do have some ibuprofen cream on order. I hear it is very effective so I can't wait to get it. I am due for my period in a couple weeks and will see just how good it is then! You might consider trying it yourself before you leave and see if it can help. I read online where it is very effective and only needs to be applied once a day as it stays localized in the tissue surrounding the area applied to for 24 hours.
On the going to work thing - YOU WILL BE TIRED. Don't talk yourself into going back too soon - especially full time. Many of us felt SO WONDERFUL that we couldn't see a reason not to do whatever it was, but you will find out that sometimes all that energy gets drained right out after just a short shower -and then it's nap time again. If you do go back before the regular 6 weeks, I recommend going half time. I went back at 8 weeks and even though I felt wonderful, about 4 hours into my shift I was ready to SLEEP! Some days I felt fine while other days I felt I needed more rest.
The binder is supposed to be worn for 6 weeks. I am an hourglass shape, so it would roll on me. I used panty girdles to help hold it down. I was not a good girl and I was sporadic near the end in wearing it. I haven't had any scar issues or hernias, but I think I lucked out.
My son was 2 1/2 when I had my surgery and I had a hard time not wanting to pick him up. I did pick him up, but I was gingerly about it and usually only did it when I was sitting and I could ease him up with little effort. We all know we shouldn't lift them, but we all know that it takes a special kind of inner strength to not pick up your little one especially after you've been to Mexico for such major surgery. Just try your best and keep that binder on. I do know of people who have split their incisions because they did too much. Keep that in mind.
Vitamins: I gagged on the flavor but did children's chewables for awhile. Then much later I went to the Costco version of Centrum horse pills. I hate taking huge pills like that so I found a liquid one at Costco that I love. It tastes wonderful. Just don't get the Centrum liquid. That stuff is like bottled vomit! Blech! 
For calcium, I take Viactiv. I don't have a problem dumping on them as the amount of sugar in 2 of them is not that much.
Hope that helped a little. Good luck!
Dina
You might consider trying it yourself before you leave and see if it can help. I read online where it is very effective and only needs to be applied once a day as it stays localized in the tissue surrounding the area applied to for 24 hours.
On the going to work thing - YOU WILL BE TIRED. Don't talk yourself into going back too soon - especially full time. Many of us felt SO WONDERFUL that we couldn't see a reason not to do whatever it was, but you will find out that sometimes all that energy gets drained right out after just a short shower -and then it's nap time again. If you do go back before the regular 6 weeks, I recommend going half time. I went back at 8 weeks and even though I felt wonderful, about 4 hours into my shift I was ready to SLEEP! Some days I felt fine while other days I felt I needed more rest.
The binder is supposed to be worn for 6 weeks. I am an hourglass shape, so it would roll on me. I used panty girdles to help hold it down. I was not a good girl and I was sporadic near the end in wearing it. I haven't had any scar issues or hernias, but I think I lucked out.
My son was 2 1/2 when I had my surgery and I had a hard time not wanting to pick him up. I did pick him up, but I was gingerly about it and usually only did it when I was sitting and I could ease him up with little effort. We all know we shouldn't lift them, but we all know that it takes a special kind of inner strength to not pick up your little one especially after you've been to Mexico for such major surgery. Just try your best and keep that binder on. I do know of people who have split their incisions because they did too much. Keep that in mind.
Vitamins: I gagged on the flavor but did children's chewables for awhile. Then much later I went to the Costco version of Centrum horse pills. I hate taking huge pills like that so I found a liquid one at Costco that I love. It tastes wonderful. Just don't get the Centrum liquid. That stuff is like bottled vomit! Blech! For calcium, I take Viactiv. I don't have a problem dumping on them as the amount of sugar in 2 of them is not that much.
Hope that helped a little. Good luck!
Dina I'll definetly have to talk with them as I have an allergy to all NSAIDS. They cause me to have an asthma attack and to be really sick and I already have ulcers/GERD. I do know about the pain patch, it's called Fentyl or Duragesic. I change them on people all the time at work. I may ask them about some liquid pain meds; I know of several. I'll email Rosella and talk to her about it. Geez I can't even take Motrin. Thanks for the information on the vitamins. I really appreciate your respone. Thanks so much.
Melissa
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