Question????
 

I am scheduled to have my implant at 1:00 PM. The surgeon said it would be done on a same day basis but I am wondering about post op pain mgt. I am not a wimp but I am concerned about how I am going to feel that night and the next day or so. My regular meds are not going to take care of the increase in pain after having the surgeon rooting around in my tush. Even if the device is working perfectly coming out of the gate, I have other pain issues that it does not address. Am I over reacting? Thanks.;)

Answer
 

If your implant is as was mine, while it is a same day procedure, send you home approach, the unit is not sent home in operation within you. My surgeon required two weeks of healing before the unit was switched on/programmed.

I was sent away from the surgery center with a scrip for pain meds which were calculated to be relevant to the surgery and in addition to the pain management meds on which I was existing...... so we stopped at the pharmacy on the way home and filled me up, then took me home to bed and looped me up.

Yup,
That's the way it was,
mark56:hug::grouphug:

I was in and out of hospital within 4 hrs, with unit buzzing.....but I only had the percutaneous leads rather than getting the laminectomy surgery.
Doc sent me home with post op meds (which were basically what I already had on hand from my regular pain doc)

The hospital usually keeps us very well medicated and feeling 'good', as you probably already know from experience....but then their meds wear off.

The first 2 days were uncomfortable of course and I laid on ice alot and spent most of the time recouping in bed.....I recall getting discouraged about the whole thing during this time, but by day 3 I felt much better and got very excited while bonding with my new buzzing buddy. :)

Rae
:grouphug:

No laminectomy for me either. The surgeon said the bone quality is poor, which I knew, and he doesn't want to take any chances of another "crash". I agree. I was told I would leave there buzzing. I am supposed to stay with my daughter for a few days. I will discuss my concerns with Pain Man on the 11th and come up with some battle plan. I have reservations about this taking place at the end of the day. I have visions of my son in law taking a script to a large pharmacy, which is all that will be open at that hour, and running into problems getting it filled. I am probably over reacting. I know he had difficulty getting my daughter's script filled after she had her gall bladder removed. The pharmacist said she needed to come in and do it herself. I am most likely getting silly in my mature years. :D

I would have thought your Pain Mgmt. doctor would be on board as far as current and any additional meds needed for your procedure. Whenever I had any additional procedures, surgeries, I had my Pain Doc work with getting my pain covered beforehand.

Pray all will go well and any additional pain will be manageable.

Gerry

My guess is that is what this upcoming appt. is all about. He has managed my pain for going on 13 years now and hasn't let me down yet. He has always set up for a pain specialist to manage my pain when having surgery out of town as he hasn't been satisfied with what the surgeons did. I need to settle down. :rolleyes: I'll be glad to be on the other side of this. I have never been this antsy before.

Uhhhhhhhh.........
 

If your procedure is occurring within the hallowed halls of a hospital/medical center, regardless of the time of discharge there is usually a twenty-four hour pharmacy onsite which may fill scripts issued therein for patients. Price us usually higher, but the comfort of avoiding frayed emotion is generally well worth the while. Check it out. I know we have used such a pharmacy before for the likes of me and the scripts I needed filled due to lateness of hour of a discharge from the hospital.

Yup, and prayin,
Mark56:hug::grouphug::)

Unless......
 

Unless Pain Manager and Surgeon are one and the same, surgeon will always take precedence in issuance of the immediately post surgical pain scripts. This is why I have even received scripts which we filled at the hospital pharmacy before leaving for home for fear the usual pharmacy would be closed before we arrived at home.

Check it out Spine, and take advantage of the abiltity to be adequately and professionally medicated and forarmed before leaving for home or your daughter's home,
Prayin,
Mark56:hug::grouphug:

I realize that the surgeon takes precedence in the issuance of post op scripts. He and Pain Man are pals and I anticipate his double checking to make certain that the aquisition of proper post op meds runs smoothly. The hospital pharmacy across the street from me only services people who are admitted or in the ER. They do not fill scripts. This is a large regional hospital. I will call the hospital where the surgery is taking place tomorrow. If they have a pharmacy which services discharging patients, there is no issue. I have a marvelous Part D but would be willing to pay any copay to leave there with proper meds. In the past, the surgeries were so invassive that I had to be transferred to the local rehab hospital where Pain Man would take over and I was discharged from there with scripts that were filled at the Mom and Pop pharmacy across the street. Those folks are some of my guadian angels. Thanks for the heads up on getting the scripts filled at the hospital. Hopefully, they service discharging patients and I have been beating myself up over nothing. :rolleyes: Back to sleep now. :D

Hey there!

I had both cervical & thoracic SCS's implanted at a 1:00 pm procedure time. They kept me overnight in the hospital to manage the pain...good thing they did because it hurt and the anesthesiologist did not give me anything for nausea as I requested...it was not pretty! Anyway, I was not allowed to turn on my unit until my follow-up appointment a week later (when the staples came out).

You shouldn't have any trouble getting the prescription filled late at night, I mean how can you go fill it yourself since you just had surgery?!? My husband picked up my post-surgical prescriptions every time without issue. They did not fill them onsite at the hospital.

Good luck!!
Nanc
:hug:

I called the hospital pharmacy
 

They do not fill scripts for patients that are being discharged. It is strictly an in house department. It's all about billing issues. I spoke with the department head and she said more and more hospitals are dropping that service. She recomended that someone in recovery call the pharmacy of our choice and alert them that my son in law will be coming in with the script, discharge papers, ID, ins. card and not to give him any grief. She said they have had numerous complaints concerning family members trying to get opiates filled in the evening hours when the doctor is not readily available to contact for confirmation that the script and senario are legit. She said it is best to take pre-emptive action. Ok, now I have a battle plan. I hate loose ends. :mad:

Arghhhhhh>>>>>>>>.........
 

Beginning to think the indians [since I am one in part] should rise up and blast those who stand in the way of legitimate medical care all for the sake of the purported "war on drugs" ......... need I write more regarding my complete disdain for the hooligans known as homeland insecurity?????? This is so much like the S.U. where KGB turned its focus on the people it was supposed to protect rather than taking the information war to the outsiders who poured counter state intuition into the mix. Why don't the H Insecurity folks focus on the producers instead of we who are patients?? Can you tell I am getting angry???:mad::mad::mad::mad: And to think we had an election and the people who complain returned the hooligans to power. :Soapbox::Doh::mf_swordfight::Bang-Head::Wheel::mf_argue::Demonstration::mad2::deadho rse::yikes::vomit

no no no!

why
you have no control of
the pain your body puts
out everyone suffers
differently
and if a doctor can
help via worst case
if they could help
help yourself

someone who cares

absolutely not
an large number
of even large chain pharmacies
i myself am a mom and pop client
of their establishment for the sake
of helping the small businesses
but it feels good doing your part to help
you also most importantly have a
personal relationship with your
pharmacist
in addition
you almost become family
during "Sandy" i went several days without meds
since then i haven't been the same
though the point being a major chain pharmacy
"Walgreens" right up a few blocks
would not allow my daughter to pick them
up and would only fill one my scripts Lexapro
it happens the only other way
was a physical script for controlled drugs
now in my case my doctors practice is in
Hoboken NJ the town that was under
extreme circumstances
something to think about
a system should be devised
in the event patients are on
certain powerful drugs
that cannot just abruptly stop
without possible death
due to withdrawal
insurance companies should kick in
and do their homework and see that
this patient has a history and not leave
people like myself in such agony
and in a possible life or death
situation

and that is my view

someone who cares

oh Evat!!!!
 

I stay in prayer for the folks in your area. I have been so concerned about the chronicly ill who can't get to their doctors who had to relocate and their pharmacies that were wiped out. Twice, my Part D provider decided not to cover my Lyrica and I only take 150mg a day. Both times it took six weeks of Pain Man faxing and personally calling those idiots before I got reinstated for Lyrica coverage. I was in full blown w/d the entire time. It never let up. I wonder about the cardiac and pulmonary patients who can't access treatment/therapies.

I have a new neighbor from New Jersey. She has stage three breast cancer and her chemo got all out of sync when her oncologist's office went under water. He ened up relocating to a new area and is now using different hospitals. She lost her pharmacy that she had been using for decades. Her daughter and son in law drove over there, packed up what was left and brought her here. We get foreign countires back on their feet faster than this. I better shut up. :Dunno:

Since being on narcotic meds have always arrange ahead of time with my surgeon to allow my Pain Management doctor to take over the management of my medication. I have never had a problem with any of the doctors accepting this arrangement; including the latest lasting two weeks in the hospital. Have been very grateful since a fear of withdrawal is always there. I can understand Spine's concern.

Again, pray all these concerns are addressed and the outcome successful.

Gerry

No need to....you are right on the "money"!!!!!!

Gerry

please don't
we live in the United States of America
the land of the free and the home of the brave
God Bless Us All
please don't

stand in the truth

Ain't Gonna Happen
 

I really liked a piece of recent history I learned from friends whose relative recently loaded up a large vehicle and his BBQ workings and went back to share warm meals with those in need until he ran totally out of supplies. He warmed both hearts and tummies with loving care and generosity.

So, in the way of not willing to be "politically correct" [probably figured that one out when you all noted prayer is part of this picture..... oh my, oh my] I am willing to mention as with the first indication on this post, it is SO refreshing realizing it is permissible to reach out and help neighbors in our own nation and not just overseas. Thank you to all who have lifted helping hands and prayers.

Yup,
Mark56:grouphug: