lots of monitors after surgery

DId anyone have lots of attachments after surgery??
I don't remember coming from the recovery room back to my room on the ward (yes my very good surgeon made sure I had a room to myself the whole time I was in the castle) and that's the NHS too.
Back in the room DH and DS came to see me and were a bit surprised at all the things I was attached to. DS kept making sure my morphine intake was up to date!
Heart monitor, blood pressure monitor, oxygen mask, saline drip, CPA for morphine, DVT things round my legs (they are soooo strange) bag of blood going in not to mention the dreaded catheter. I've had surgery before but never all that stuff attached.
DH and DS didn't stay long as I wasn't in a good frame of mind for conversation. In fact I had to ask them to go as I felt so bad.
Surgeon even came to see me to tell me what he'd done as he wasn't sure what was going on in there before he operated, he gave up and said he would come back in the morning as I was so out of it.
The nurses were in and out all night and I'm wondering if that was why I got my own room.
I wouldn't have liked to be on a full ward that first night.
About 3am my temp dropped quite a bit and I had a bad attack of the shakes, I think my body went into shock or something.
The nurses had to call in a doctor, and after they piled more blankets on the shivering gradully went.
I wonder how we get through it all but we do and most of us make a good recovery.

I asked the DR ahead of time what all would be hooked up to me when I got to my room so DH and DD would know what expect. I had IV, catheter, little oxygen in my nose and the wonderful pressure boots. I just loved the boots. Great massage. I was alittle dissapointed when they were removed. I thought they felt great! Everything was removed in 24 hours and yes, you guessed it, I had to get out of bed then. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

Jo Ann

conyers,
I had all the above except blood transfusion, I think most of what you experienced is routine. About the shaking afterwards, I always do that after surgery. In fact I tell the doctor and nurses before hand so they don't freak out. It's my nerves dealing with the trauma. I usually take an anxiety med. the night of of the surgery.

Love the warm blankets!

Hi conyers,

After surgery, I was tethered to an IV, a drip for an edidural, oxygen prongs in my nose (couldn't wait to lose those - smelled icky), the beloved (not) catheter, and the compression leg thingys. All was gradually removed the next day.

I think it's standard for the nurses to check on you every several hours to check vital signs. My blood pressure and temp. were also low all night long. I was grateful to have them checking on me, as they helped me move, and gave me ice chips all night long to sooth the Sahara Desert in my throat!

I was also shaking a lot in recovery. I've had it happen before also. I also think it must be the shock of surgery, or reaction to the medications. I also *love* the warm blankets!

All normal, really, for me. I had the pulse-ox (measures the pulse and oxygen saturation percentage) thingy attached to my finger immediately post-op; oxygen (nasal cannula); saline drip to help prevent dehydration; the "wierd" moon boots, and the beloved morphine pump. The pulse-ox monitor was because my oxygen levels dropped just ever so slightly, from 96%. The oxygen was to help the oxygen levels reach at least 99%. The "wierd" boon boots were to help prevent blood clost post-surgery (one of the most common risks of any surgery), and the catheter so that I wouldn't be forced to get to the bathroom too early on the first day post-op. There was no blood pressure monitor; the nurses would take that manually so often. The first thing to go was the pulse-ox and oxygen, the one unit of saline drip, then the moon boots, then the catheter, and morphine pump several hours before discharge, switching to oral pain meds. I was anemic, but not enough to justify any blood infusion. All this I learned just prior to surgery, so none of it was a surprise. Nothing nastier, I think, to awake to the sight of being attached to this and that, and thinking that something "went wrong."