Hiya Momz,
sorry for the late reply, but haven't been around much.

my hospital stays were pretty easy- two days both times, was so drugged didn't care about much. the experiences were different, because one side was much worse than the other, probably due to the crazy nerve swelling on that side.

Private room the first time, roomie the second time. Roomie was trouble, she was nice and all, but in for a bowel obstruction. well, all was fine until she became unobstructed in a little portable potty chair that was placed right at the curtain....eeeeeeeeewwwwweeeeeeee! glad i was walking by that point as I sceedaddled out of the room for a good LOOOOONG walk until the fume cloud dispersed.

I second the comment about competant friends and family nearby at all times. Instruct them to ask for the charge nurse if your reasonable requests are not being met. Also instruct your helper on how out of it you will be and how you are really going to need their help (especially if you have a somewhat oblivious hubby like mine doing this job). One of the things that happened to me was when they first put me in my room out of recovery, when you are quite helpless, my nurse button didn't work for a full half hour or more and nobody came to check on me. Then when they came i could barely talk and i could not explain what i needed because my throat was dry, and they said i could not drink water or have ice chips even though I had been having ice chips previously in recovery....needed hubby to simply say "show me where it says my wife cannot have water" a few times in response to whatever they said, and they finally brought it.

Ice packs were my best friend on trip 2....my first trip they didn't give one to me, but the second trip the recovery room nurse had one stashed at my incision by the time i came to...boy was it fantastic. I kept one on it the whole time to reduce the burning.

moms, i really hope you are able to find SOMETHING you can take internally for pain. i fear you are going to need it, otherwise this is going to be a long road. Can you drink? I am not sure i am joking here....and I am sorry if I have already asked that question. I would be practicing my hypnosis techniques if I were you. My other best friend next to the ice pack was my ipod...so I could just zone out and focus on the music rather than the hospital or the sometimes goofy nurses (i had a really mixed bag, some good some bad...).

Can you take benedryl? They gave me that after anestesia (to reduce the itching) and it really knocked me out as much as the pain meds, i think, maybe it will help you tune out. Being able to relax is critical to getting better. Pain makes you clench your muscles and that is simply not good for us Tossers.

in any case, for me surgery still remains a walk in the park compared to living with the pain. So even if it is rocky for you for the next month or so, i truly hope that you find some longer term improvement.

I'll be thinking of you fondly

Johanna

edit:
PS, I did have a drain for 5 days. Surgery monday, home wednesday late afternoon, drain out in docs office friday morning. I also had transaxillary rib resection both times, so will be different for you. Definitely better to have the approach your doc is most comfortable with...so don't sweat whether one is better than the other, ok? I have a good feeling about this for you.