Is there a lot of pain during the post op period
i dont believe so, since yours is scheduled.,should be smoith sailing..
i had a rupture so totally different..
Sorry you had to go through that,Thank you for responding to me ,Doreen
Doreen,
I have a horrible headache, which they could not control until I asked specifically for Fioricet on the 3rd day. They gave me that and oxycodone (after being on morphine and dilaudid for 2 days). That helped control the headaches to a reasonable stage. In addition, I have muscle problems and my hips started spasms when I was having to not move for 36 hrs. After I could move, the hips got better, but I think I will be going to physical therapy for them. The hips are just me - my neurosurgeon said that if I had hip pain at my angiogram in February, he will give me strong muscle relaxers.
So, headaches and fatigue are the only 2 things I would advise that you might have. My surgery was October 24 and while I feel good enough to go out and do things, I usually have to either take naps or go to bed very early at night. The headaches are much better now and look forward to when I will be "headache free", but they really don't affect me now like they did at first. Sleeping really helps them. Some people complain about their groin, but I never really felt it, probably because I was off my feet so much that first week.
Good luck on your surgery and keep us informed!
Sherri
Everyone is different. I had terrible headaches my first few days home from hospital, but they got better - I honestly thought they never would and that I'd be dealing with headaches forever. Now, I'm five months post- surgery and I get a scary headache maybe once every two weeks or so...not so bad. The fatigue, I agree with everyone, that's the more life-changing. I have to have a nap everyday, usually taken over lunch hour or right after work. I went back to work full time about month after surgery and was sooo tired I could barely handle it. I can see it's gotten better but it has definitely been a long haul. I had pain in my left hip, but they told me it likely had more to with how I was positioned during surgery that could have caused some muscle/tendon strains. Trying not to scare you, but you need to know, to be fair.. this is brain surgery, not a hangnail. And yes those of us whose surgery was unplanned, or emergency, will be different than those who are planned, but it's still brain surgery.. rest rest rest when you're done, then rest some more.
I'll tell you what's helped best, because the bone-crushing fatigue often brings on some depression.. this place.. stick around here with these wonderful folks.. they'll take good care of you! This site has meant more to me and my recovery than anything else..well except the narcotics..those helped alot! haha
All the best good luck!
-Cec
Cec,
Just curious, do you still have the hip pain? Mine is terrible, but I have had several episodes with it over the years. I, too, suspect that it was how I was positioned and the fact that I couldn't move for 36 hrs.
I 2nd the narcotics! Without those, I would have been unraveled these past 2 weeks, although the pain has lessoned a lot (except for the hips when I stand, which I will ask my doc for therapy or something next week). I thought it was getting better until I helped run a funeral and reception at my church Friday!!
Sherri
Hi Cec,Thank you for your candid answer,sounds like you have had a tought juorney but moving foward,it's good to have people who have been there to talk to,Doreen
I can tell you if I'm not watchful of it..meaning if I get up too quick or move my leg in a certain way I get a stern reminder, but it's way better than it was. I've been trying to walk correctly so it doesn't show (I was noticeably dragging my left leg when I first got out of the hospital) and my friends say that it's gotten way better that's good.
I dread all this because, I have to go in for another angiogram in about a month and I'm not thrilled with the idea of all this happening all over again. I know it won't be nearly as bad..right? I have to keep telling myself, it's not going to be as bad, they just want to check and make sure there's no leakage, that the coiling is stable...bla bla. The overriding problem - that I think is even worse than the headaches, if you ask me (my headaches respond very well to really just one smallest strength lortab so that's really not that bad), it's the fatigue. I hate being tired all the time.
I think the key is when you know you have an event coming up - like the funeral/reception (what a kind and gracious thing for you to do!) get lots of extra rest and plan for rest on the back end. I wanted to go shopping with friends on Friday for the holiday...made sure i got lots of sleep the night before, and took lots of breaks during the day. It was fun and worth it and I am glad I planned around it.
You're getting better too! I'll bet a few weeks ago when you first got out, you wouldn't have thought of helping with a reception! so there you go! so, I think it just takes time.
Take care, and good luck!
-Cec
Hi Doreen Joanne again. I forgot about the headache which was pretty bad the first day or so. They gave me tylenol with codine while I was in the hosptial and that really helped. They wouldn't let me take tylenol/codine home so I just took tylenol. The headache got better and better each day and within a week I was headache free. I too believe that the recovery is much more difficult if you had a rupture. As Michele said yours should be smooth sailing.
I did have headaches, but the relief that the surgery was successful and was behind me far outweighed the pain! Good luck!
Thank you for writing,,Happy Thanksgiving Doreen
Hi Doreen I had complications...so I find everyone is different...but as far as the coiling ... I had a "heavy head(swollen) and bad bad headaches"...they controlled them with ferocet...only thing I can take to get them under control...