Pain med tips

I thought I would share a couple pain med tips with you ladies still waiting for surgery. These are based on my experience with a TAH on 8/7.

1) You will probably be hooked up to a pain med pump post-surgery. Mine allowed me to dose at 15 minute intervals. The first night, I woke up in extreme pain as I had been sleeping and not getting any pain meds for several hours. The nurse was able to give me extra pain meds, basically getting me caught up on the missed doses from sleeping. If this happens to you, be sure to ask the nurse if you can have your "skipped" doses.

2) When I went from the pump to oral doses, my doctor didn't tell me to request any pain meds if needed. I wasn't thinking very clearly at this point either. I basically went 7 hours without any meds, and the last hour was brutal. A nurse finally asked if I needed anything (duh!).

Bottom line: if you are in pain, speak up and ask for relief. I hope this helps.