I agree that it sounds like I'm at a teaching hospitals. However, that is false. I'm at Hartford Hospital where they technically are a teaching hospital, however, they don't really let them get too involved as they're teaching the general surgeons/general doctors or something. Anyway, they weren't really involved in my surgery itself (thank god) but are providing most of my care while I'm hospitalized.

I'm trying to keep things in perspective. Even though I have to fight for whatever medication I need and whatnot (last night I got half a pill of baclofen despite my neck being completely seized up) my hands are 100% more functional than they were before surgery. I have more stamina, less clumsiness, and more sensation than i've had in many months. My familiar pain is gone and replaced with new, surgical pain. There are parts of my body that hurt that I just know are related to not having a rib there anymore and needing to adjust.

My chest tube is driving me crazy. The stitches are pulling out of my skin on one side and even though I keep complaining about it, I keep getting a whole lot of "yeah, that could hurt, hopefully your pain meds take the edge off it and they take your tube out later this morning, let me know if I can help with anything!" Ugh. So annoying! YES you could help me by making sure it's not pulling on my skin! I could also use more than half a muscle relaxant.

I think I'm getting released today. After all the issues I've had, I think they want to get me the hell out of their faces.

Anyone who's had a scaleneotomy instead of a scalenectomy have any suggestions for post op neck pain? I could really use them right about now.