Epidural for pain

Just last week I had epidural anesthesia and post-op pain control for my BSO with vertical incision. It hadn't been mentioned until the anesthesiologist showed up just before surgery. I didn't even know the option existed! I've had epidurals before when 2 of my kids were born so I accepted that treatment. It allows the doctor not to have to intubate you for anesthesia, so no sore throat and all that jazz after surgery like I had after my daVinci hysterectomy in 2010.

They kept the epidural for post-op pain control, with a continuous flow AND "on-demand" button. I wound up, at that point, with way too many pain meds on board. Did much better once they took me off the continuous and much better than that when they took off the epidural and switched me to Motrin.

All in all I did not have a bad experience with it. I just think the nurses at this hospital (a cancer specialty hospital) were WAY too invested in making sure every patient had zero pain. I'll trade a little pain for lack of double vision any day of the week.

May 23rd

	Quote:
Originally Posted by lattenut Just last week I had epidural anesthesia and post-op pain control for my BSO with vertical incision. It hadn't been mentioned until the anesthesiologist showed up just before surgery. I didn't even know the option existed! I've had epidurals before when 2 of my kids were born so I accepted that treatment. It allows the doctor not to have to intubate you for anesthesia, so no sore throat and all that jazz after surgery like I had after my daVinci hysterectomy in 2010. They kept the epidural for post-op pain control, with a continuous flow AND "on-demand" button. I wound up, at that point, with way too many pain meds on board. Did much better once they took me off the continuous and much better than that when they took off the epidural and switched me to Motrin. All in all I did not have a bad experience with it. I just think the nurses at this hospital (a cancer specialty hospital) were WAY too invested in making sure every patient had zero pain. I'll trade a little pain for lack of double vision any day of the week.

I dont know, I think I would opt for a little double vision if it means I could have no pain.

I have opted to go witht he epidural. They will leave it in place for 24 hrs, so at least I know I will be 24 hrs pain free after surgery. Then we will go to something else

I did end up having a spinal block. It worked well, the pain meds required were minimal. However, I had a horrible headache for 3-4 days after. I was not able to get rid of it, I had compizine, percoset, ibup. none of it worked. I finally talked to an ER nurse and she said 'have some caffeine, if you come to the ER with spinal block headache, we hook you up to caffeine IV'. Drank a Coke and haven't had a headache since.