scared of pain meds

Again, thanks so much for the info and encouragement. This pump sounds like a great idea and I will ask about it for sure. I understand there will be pain but I am optimistic it won't be something I can't manage with minimal help. I had two thyroid surgeries where they cut into my neck. I had nothing but Tylenol each time and I walked my dog a mile after about a week. It was sore and hard to move my neck but I expected that. Just like I expect this to hurt a good one too.

I just have never had anyone messing around with my insides like this -so it is new. When I had my last thyroidectomy - a male nurse told me I was a real "trooper". I was proud of that (just like a little kid, I swear) but it told me I had the right attitude. I hope to do just as well this time. Thanks so much for the links and I hope I do start a new thing.

Bless your heart! I did not have to take any of the meds you listed that caused your problems. I did have a spinal of duramorph for pain control which was great because I did not have to have as much pain medicine for the first 24 hours. I received 1 percocet every 4-6 hours for the first 24 hours, then I started getting 2 percocet instead of 1 and toradol in my IV. I have to say the toradol in the IV was great. When I went home, I had prescriptions for percocet and toradol. I at first stopped taking the pain meds and went to taking ibuprofen on day 5 and did ok for 2 days, but then I overdid it and had to go back on the pain meds. So, the less you can overdo it, the better off you will be! Even just being upright and walking around for too long makes me start hurting, so be careful! I wish you the best with your surgery and recovery! Keep us posted....

I just had a LAVH (if you want to call it that) for my multiple fibroids, uterus was the same size as yours, 16 wk pregnancy size. While I don't have the same reactions as you describe I can tell you what they used on me. Propofol was used to sedate me, they used a memory drug as well, not sure the name. I was given a spinal after I was out. When I woke up I was on NOTHING. I had some discomfort but I was insistent that I did not need morphine or any other major drug. About 4am (12 hours post op) I was given an injection of Torodol. This was the only drug I was ever given post op for pain. I was offered others but declined. The pain wasn't that bad. So it CAN be done with minimal medication. If you can tolerate some pain and don't want the big drugs, refuse them =)

In regards to my sorta having a lavh My dr took about half of my uterus this way and couldn't get the rest due to it's large size so he completed the rest vaginally vs opening me up abdominally. It was rough and I've never felt such pain in my vajayjay but I was thankful not to have the abdominal incision.

i too struggle with a fear of the drugs they will use on me during and after surgery. I am VERY sensitive to various drugs....I have allergies to all kinds of things and have a few known drugs that I can take on my list that I don't have a bad reaction to. I just fear that in recovery after the surgery that I will be out of it and the nurses will just give me whatever drugs they deem necessary. I really have a fear of Morphine and it's side effects. I have never had it, to my knowledge, and don't care to know how it will affect me. I just worry I won't be taken seriously when I tell these people what I can and can't have. Last surgery I had they gave me drugs w/o telling me and I had a bad reaction. I am just very worred about who will advocate for me since they will not allow my husband into the recovery area....sigh...

Bremat,

Thanks for the input. It is important for me to hear everyone else's stories so that I can make good decisions through this whole process. It sounds like it is easy to overdo it in the first few weeks and as you say this might be the key to how much pain there will be when I get home. My doctor said they want me on pain control so I can get up and moving but I hope they define what they mean by that. How long before you got back to simple household tasks like preparing meals, vacuuming and dishes? I am wondering because I have a big house (not that it's all that clean anyway) and I have a husband who works 12 hours days and four older kids but my boys are so messy and not very helpful about household stuff at all. Thanks for your support - it all helps me to feel better -

Minniesoda,

Your story gives me a lot of hope for my situation. As I have said - I have never had anything more than just Extra Strength Motrin with previous surgeries - gallbladder, two thyroids, sinus, D&C's, ankles. Unfortunately, I've had too many of these things in my 50 years - went through a real bad spell 10-12 years ago.

My doctor is very insistent that I will have to have some major pain drugs while I am in the hospital. She told me all her patients have the morphine pump where they can dose themselves. She has agreed to look into Fentanyl for me as I don't have a reaction to that - but it doesn't mean I feel good on it either. I am always very glad when the effects of the anesthesia wear off and my mind is clear. I sure would like to try without anything and I will certainly ask if that is a possiblity for when I wake up. They can always add stuff in as needed.

I think each hospital and doctor has a protocol they like to follow for certain procedures. I know I am completely messing that up. I am open to the Torodol and the Fentanyl being on hand if needed but don't know why I can't say when it is needed vs. something automatic. I am hoping this goes LAVH and then I think I will have more legs to stand on about all this then if I am cut abdominally.

Thanks for sharing - it is so helpful to me now.

nieceMB,

I am sorry you have gone through this as well. It makes what everyone else takes for granted (pain relief with peace of mind) completely away from us. I know exactly what you mean about the fear and the mistrust. I worry too about what happens when I am "out of it" and not able to speak for myself.

I leave nothing to chance. I carry a file where I keep copies of the records from the original near-fatal reaction. I went to that hospital many years later and requested it from their records dpt. they have to provide it to you. I also keep copies of any anesthesia records from any procedure I have had . This becomes a blueprint for the next one. I just ask before surgery if I can have a copy of the anesthesia sheets and they have all been happy to do it. You may have to remind them in recovery room though. I keep this file in a very safe place at home and trot it out as needed. I also always keep an updated list of all meds and supplements I take in it. Again, nothing left to chance.

Any hospital that would mess with any of that after all the documentation, verbal communication and my husband being there and communicating with them - is asking for trouble. That being said, I still worry about the human error or human hubris factor. I have had nurses say to me that they didn't think I would have a problem with certain drug or that certain drug. I always tell them "maybe not but I'm not willing to bet my life on it."

I remember after my initial problem. They had me see the head of neurology at the hospital and I was scanned and tested ten ways to Sunday. I know they were hoping to find an underlying seizure disorder but found none. They were afraid my parents were going to sue them because we warned them not to give me the preop shot and that was the understanding when my mom left the night before. Then, they moved my surgery up by several hours and a really big nurse came in with not one, but two of these shots. I told her no and I wanted to call my mom, but she twisted my arm around and held me down and gave me what appeared to be double the dose of the previous year. I was only 16 and barely 100 pounds then! The anesthesiolgist barely could speak English and I don't know if that played into it but it's something I just can't really get over.

They told my parents that the only way to "prove" a drug allergy would be to give me the drugs again and see what happened. No parent would go for that deal so we just had to accept putting me on Dilantin for a number of years, I couldn't drive, had to see a neurologist etc. I also had two other grand mal seizures brought on by drugs and the same thing happened after each one. I ended up on Depakote for a number of years and that is a heavy duty drug.

I am desperate that this won't happen again. I know if they use the right anesthesia I will handle it o.k. and they have that blueprint. It is the pain meds after that become the unknown because I have never required them before and am being told I will require them this time. I just want the right to refuse them if I think I can do without. I don't want to wake up already hooked up to them until I see how I am handling it with just Motrin. I have a very high pain tolerance and would rather be in some pain than messed up on painkillers that are making me sicker or making me suceptible to another seizure.

Please let us know how you do and know you are not alone at all in this. Consider getting your own file to carry with you in these situations it carries far more weight than you telling them. They always used to tell me I was just anxious or coming to the wrong conclusion. They don't ever do that anymore. Take care and hugs, hugs, hugs....

I am happy to hear someone else voice their fear of pain meds and anesthesia, I thought I was the only one! I have a fear of surgery and meds almost to the point of a phobia! I have woken up during surgery once! I have also had terrible anesthesiologists in the past who have had no bedside manner and were just plain mean! Luckily, I work in the medical field and can ask the surgery center to recommend their favorites. You deserve to have your concerns addressed especially if you have had an adverse medical reaction to meds! I hope everything works out for you! My fibroids are big too and he says he wont know if Laprosopic is possible until he gets in, but he thinks it will be! good luck

Good Luck to you too! I think there are a lot of people who are very afraid of the effect of meds and anesthesia. I had some really bad anest. but that was a very long time ago. I think they have come a long way since then at least the places I have been. Since I come prepared with my file - I have not had a problem getting their attention. The only thing I don't like is when they ask a lot of questions and try to second guess the information I am presenting. The younger ones will do that more - something they learned in a workshop or a class. In the end they always seem to opt to play it safe and that is just how I like it!

I hope you can have the Laproscopic procedure. I am definitely nervous that I will wake up with the abdominal incision based on what the doctor said in preop. She sounded very confident they could do it laproscopically when I booked the surgery with her and just yesterday she sounded like it was more 50-50. I think that's why she is so concerned about the pain meds - maybe prepping for the harder procedure. I begged her to do everything she can to take it LAVH and she promised they would try - but the size and the shape of the uterus and the unknown once they are in is strarting to concern her. Oh well - once I wake up what's done will be done. Good Luck!