Bad day

I will admit that I am being whinney with this, but I have a right to be whinney once in a while.

To day was the first day I was going to try to take no percocet.  I only had 6 pills left, Doctor''s office does not renew pain medications on Fridays  I was thinking I did not really need them etc.   Also  I have severe Psoriatic Arthritis it is like rhematoid only worse. and I have not been allowed to take my arthrits medications since June 3 since they slow healing and I am having an arthritis flair in my knees and Ankles as a result.

My feet are so swollen that every step is extremely painful.  Even using my walker i could hardly walk because of the arthritis.  Then the 2 drains that I have are leaking at the insertion point (where they come out of my body)  and it made a mess leaking through my compression garment and through my pj's and onto my sheets.  BUT i did not find that out until my mom had left for work.  and since I cannot take the compression garment on and off by myself, I had to have this leaking fluid all over me.  THEN i went to go to the Bathroom, Pulled down my shorts (The Drains were cliped to the hem and have been there for days without a problem) when suddenly the tube that leads from my body to the balloon part of the drain on one of the 2 drains Pops off and fluid spills out all over me and the bathroom.

I called my PS in a tizzy.  He calmed me down and told me how to fix it. Which worked, but left me all gross feelingsince i was covered in fluid.  So I called my mom at work crying She told me to take a percocet, and that she was coming home 3 hours early. 

She got home, took the compression garment off, and told me to take a shower, She then fixed some gauze around the drain tubes, she washed my compression Garment (it is still drying since it can't go in the dryer)  she washed my bedding, and cleaned my bathroom. 

Then she told me, it was ok to whine once in a while, but if going without percocet for 5 hours makes me unable to cope, maybe I have a problem. I said NO, being in pain and having everything go wrong makes me unable to cope.

I am still in pain, and still swollen, but at least i feel clean and that helps! 

Awww, Anna, I am so sorry you are having a bad day.  Whine away; you are entitled.  However, keep telling yourself that tomorrow will be a better day. If you believe it, it will be so.  I hope the pain subsides for you at being in pain always makes things harder to deal wtih.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.  Hugs!

 Ok  today is going to be behind you. You are clean now and relax and take care.  Its ok to whine, but this too shall pass.  Have a good night and tommorrow will be better.

Anna, I'm so sorry you're having a crummy day...I do hope things will be better for you soon..!

My surgeon talked to me about the days of feeling depressed and as if EVERYTHING would feel like it was going wrong..The days of buyers remorse and beating yourself up, thinking WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF...I have read the literature over a dozen times, already, trying to prepare myself for these days that may come upon me when I have my surgery...You are having a double dose with ALL the other pain your body is in, and on top of that, you can't even take the meds you need to help out with the non surgical pain...Yep, that is something to whine about, sweetie...
So feel free to let it all out..!!

Why could he not prescribe more meds on a Friday..? That's just odd..I mean what if you are in VERY SEVERE pain, What then..?

I'm glad you have your mom with you now, and I know getting all cleaned up, makes you feel some better...Just take it as easy as possible and try and think Happy thoughts...Watch a Funny, light hearted movie...LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE...

I'm thinking of you and sending up a feel better prayer for you...( that's a very gentle hug)

cyndy

I found that using sanitary pads instead of the gauze worked better for leaking drains.  The liquid goes through the gauze, but the backing on the pads keeps it from making a mess on your clothes.

I could get out of my garment but just not back into it.  You may want to see if it happens again to just get out of it, wa**** out and get it dried (I'd squeeze as much liquid as I could a get out, then roll it up in another towel, then hang it up).

It does get better. 

thanks everyone.  Today was looking like a better day, since I woke up with less swelling (1 pound less but still LESS****il i had breakfast!  eggs, i eat eggs all the time! yet today they got stuck.  Ever try to throw up without moving your abdomen?  NOT POSSIbLE!  yet another day I had to take a pain pill when I did not want to.  But the rest of the day will be 1000% better.  i have to belive that!

Sorry you are having a bad time.  I can relate.  It is a BIG surgery. ( I had arm lift done at same time as fleur de lis tummy tuck, too)

I've had a rough time.  Skin necrosis causing a "hole."  Depression, swelling - so frustrating.

Friday morning, my open wound opened up further - more feelings of hopelessness, very emotional.

Anyway, be good to yourself.  Go slow, get your protein in, move, get plenyy of sleep.  Think positive. This is temporary and will pass.

Best wishes.

 

That sucks. Glad that you are doing better and that you have your mom there to help out when needed. Not sure if your mom does this but when my mom washed my compression garments she would then use a clothes pin and clip them to a fan on the backside where the air comes out. Since you can't put them in the dryer this really helped them dry faster and lessen the time you are out of them.

I readsomewhere where a person slipped their drainage bags in a plastic grocery bag, for easy cary and leak prevention.

Hoping tomorrow is a better day for you!

I hope you are feeling better !  We call our patients every day and I remain fully aware that these kinds of things cab be a real bummer, but please know that what was happening to you is really not that uncommon ! 

I jokingly ask all my patients if they are still mad at me 2 weeks later and some say yes !!

I might suggest taking Advil (liquigels, if you are allowed NSAIDS) to tide you over between Percocet.  I have found this to be very helpful. Needing 2 weeks of prescription pain meds with some regularity is NOT out of the ordinary for this surgery AND given your RA history.  Don't feel as though taking them is some failure on your part. "Toughing it out" leads to anxiety, muscle tightness, and eventually more pain.

Hopefully those nuisances (your tubes) will also be out soon.  A sanitary pad as suggested above, with a slit cut in it for the tube, is a good idea that we often recommend !

Happy healing and I know you will feel it's all been worth it in the near future.