5 hours to go.....Epidural ?

Well, off the the castle in about 3 hours. I woke up a couple of times last night. But overall got a pretty good sleep. The only thing I am worried about right now, is the Epidural. I watched my daughter get hers for the birth of her daughter and it was horrible. I was crying for her by the time they were done. The guy kept missing the spot. I've had several suggeries before, but the Epidural is uncharted waters for me. I'll post again when I get home, to let you know how things went. thanks for all of the support ! You gals are the best!

Hi

I have had many epidurals for c-sections and remember them all. Some hurt, some didn't.

The epidural I had with my hysterectomy however, I remember nothing about With a hysterectomy they can give you drugs during your prep to make it a lot easier for you. Another thing to remember is that it is much easier to bend over for the insertion of the epidural if you aren't trying to bend over a 7-8 pound package

Be sure and do check in with us when you are home recovering and feel up to it.

s and Best Wishes for today,
Kay

Kay M,
Thanks for the reply, and experience advice. I am not so worried now.

How do they decide whether or not they give you an epidural for a hysterectomy? I haven't heard anything about this?????

The anesthesiologist comes in and talks to you before your surgery. This is the time to have all of your questions ready for him, as it may be your only chance to talk to him. He will ask you a bunch of questions about your general health and anesthesia experiences (if any) then the two of you will decide what is best for you.

My epidural was for the delivery of post op pain meds. I loved it. But there are risks involved that doesn't make it the best choice for everyone.

Here is a link to one of our resources about Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia and heres another link to FAQ about anesthesia . These would be a good place to start learning about your choices.

s and Best Wishes,
Kay

	Quote:
Originally Posted by paininthe How do they decide whether or not they give you an epidural for a hysterectomy? I haven't heard anything about this?????

During my pre-op appointment my doctor told me that either an epidural or a spinal would be an option to help with the pain. She also uses the on-Q system which delivers anesthetic through a tube that goes into the incision site. I was happy to hear that pain relief was such a high priority!
In the operating room the anesthesiologist talked with me about using an epidural/spinal -- I am not sure which one I had -- and I said yes. They had me sit up with my legs over the side of the operating table and I remember the nurse standing in front of me and telling me to lean toward her so I would fall toward her, and that is the last thing I remember until the recovery room!
It was very strange not to be able to feel (and barely move) my legs for awhile and I needed 3-4 people to help move me -- I am a big woman -- because I couldn't help much without my legs. But, bottom line, I had very little pain at all which was great!

My appointment with the anesthesiologist is coming up soon and I'm concerned because I've had a spinal tap and pain from the needle after it was said and done was really uncomfortable. Is there discomfort from the needle used for the epidural?
Cheers,
Nicole

I've had two c-sections, with an epidural for my first and a spinal for my second. I didn't really have too much of a problem with either...the most painful part of it for me was the first shot for the local anasthesia (my anasthesiologist said, "Okay, hon, this is going to be a little like an ant bite..." When I felt it I said, "Man, that's a TEXAS size ant!!"). After that, nothing! I think that as long as you don't think about that needle, you won't have too much of a problem...and it is a wonderful method of managing pain. One thing I would recommend: get pre-treated for nausea when you get the epidural. With both of mine, I felt queasy until the Phenegran (sp?) kicked in.

Good luck and God bless!

Kristi

Spinal Taps are well known for being painful The needle is inserted into the spinal canal and fluid is removed. Both the insertion of the needle and the removal of fluid can cause discomfort.

In an epidural, the needle does not go into the spinal canal. It goes to an area just outside of it, and then it is pulled and a catheter is left in place to use to administer drugs through.

I had a spinal once for anesthesia and had a tremendous headache for a long time following my surgery. I was required to lay flat on my back for the first day after my surgery.

With the epidural, there is no need to lay flat on your back. I was able to sit up and move around freely in my bed. I couldn't feel the catheter either while it was in place or after it was removed. I had already recieved my prep meds and 1) I didn't care what they did, and 2) I can't remember any of it

s and Best Wishes,
Kay

I'm terrified of the spinal. I already know that I'm going to have to have something to sedate me before they put it in. I've had one before to test the fluid and wasn't able to be sedated for it and even with a combination of ativan an diladud I was a nervous wreck.