I hope it all went well for you Cindy - take it easy!

Cindy I have been sending up prayers for your surgery to be uneventful and a speedy recovery. Many blessings.
Dianne

I hope that your surgery was a success.. Now it is time for you to Rest and as I was told use up those IOU's...
Many Hugs
Dawn

Hi everyone and thank you for your prayers! Sorry I've been so long getting this posted, haven't felt much like typing lol.I have had alot of surgery and I am not usually one to complain but this was far from the best surgical experience I have had.I am now 11 days post op and doing fairly well. I am used to alot of pain but the first 5 days were torture.They thought I had a collapsed lung 3 different times but they got an air bubble in me when they operated and I guess it was that ,that was putting the extreme pressure on my lung. I was rold the air is what caused me the extra pain but that it would absorb into my body in time. I think it is prety well gone now and it's nice to be able to breathe again. I had rib resection but I have no idea if they did anyting else. I was operated on tuseday jan,30 at 7:30 am. I was in surgery for about 2 hours and in the recovery room until 3pm .I had specifically discussed with them at my pre admission testing that I was concerned about pain control after surgery and they assured me that they take it into consideration and adjust dosage when someone has been on pain meds for a long time. I had a very rough time because what they gave me for pain was exactly what I have been taking at home for the past 2 years!! In the recovery room they gave me the fast acting small injections quite often for the first 2 hours which wasn't too bad.But when it was time for me to go to my room my room wasnt ready yet so I was in recovery an extra 2 hours longer than I should have been. The order for injections is only written for the time you are supposed to be in recovery, so when I asked for something for pain I was told they would give me something as soon as I got to my room!! Which ended up being 2 hours later. They werent even allowed to give me a drink, but if i had been in my room when i was supposed to be I would have been given pain meds and something to drink and eat.I tried my best to just put up with it all but it really was ridiculous .So by the time I finally got to my room my pain was way out of control and you all know how hard it is to catch up once that happens. The nurses were excellent but guess what, when they brought my pain medication it was a 10 mg morphine tablet which is exactly what i have been taking at home for 2 years!! So my pain was already way out of control, I had an air bubble that was causing even worse pain and they give me waht i take for everyday So the dr. I talked to at preadmission apparently did not relay my concerns to my doctor.Dr Bethune did my surgery ,but the only dr. I talked to pre op and post op was his resident doctor, dr. Murphy.I saw dr. bethune for about 1 minute before they put me out and I didnt see him before i was discharged. Dr. murphy came around once and my husband talked to him about my pain meds and the nurses did too, he told them to give me 2 tylenol with my morphine. He told the nurse they might keep me the 2nd night to watch the air bubble but I asked what to watch for and asked if i could go home. They were doing nothing to control m pain so hubby bundled me in pillows and we had a 2 hour painful drive home.I called my family doctor who adjuusted me to the right dosage and after the air bubble went away I could finally breathe again.Anytime I have had surgery thry have always given a different medication than what im on for pain control, so I dont know what was up with that. I saw my family doctor yesterday and she is quite pleased with how im doing. I had a letter they gave me when i was discharged for my family doc. so I was hoping it would say in that if they did anything besides rib resection. No one seemed to be able to tell me at the hospital but it didnt say anything in the letter either,. So I guess i hve to wait for my 6 week check up.They were supposed to call me with an appt for that this week and they didnt so i guess i have to call on monday. All in all I am doing much better now but I'm still not sure it's worth it. I am a little hopeful because when i woke up in recovery I had no pain in my arm and neck.All symptoms are back with a vengeance right now but im hoping thats just from inflamation and tissue injury from surgery. I am used to really knowing whats going on with my body so I'm not really impressed that the doctor who did my surgery didnt even talk to me.It is a teaching hospital and I had students all over me while I was in there lol, but I know they have to learn so I didnt mind.But I dont think a resident should be your only communication with your surgeon. Maybe if i had stayed the 2nd day I might have seen Dr. bethune , but I was originally only supposed to stay 1 night so it looks like he doesn't come around at all. I debated whether to post some of this because I don't want to scare the girl who is on dr. bethunes waiting list. But I thought it was important for her to know so she can make sure she addresses any of these isssues with them at the hospital. My care was good but communication seems to be a real problem there. Well I am beat from typing lol, and you are probably all bored stiff so I'll shut up now . Thanks for listening, cindy

oh cindy - that doesn't sound too good for that hosp or the doc!
sometimes the lack of care and concern is just too much - I can't believe that they treated you that way.

You should be able to call and request the surgery report??
maybe somebody that had surgery will know how to get that.
but you should have it, just for your own info.

I hope your recovery is much smoother than the hospital care.

OMG Cindy!!!

Demand (nicely) the op report after 6 weeks. Sometimes these go to medical transcribers and they have to work it in the order they come in. I'm so so sorry that they didn't address your medication concerns, and only spending 1 min with you pre-op?? Insanity.

In my situation, with the 3rd and 4th surgeries, I was given the same meds as I took at home... but with additional meds on top of that and in larger and more frequent doses. We also get a pow-wow with the entire op team - surgeon and all... before they knock me out. I get to address all my concerns, they review the whole procedure in front of me. It's a very comforting feeling. You must have been scared witless!!!

Hate gas bubbles... had them with many other surgeries, but not that I can recall with any done in Denver. I'm glad that it's gone for you now and it sounds like you are on the mend!

Keep us posted dear, but don't spend too much time at the computer.

Anne

I find here in Canada that it is harder to get a hold of any of your medical and surgical records. When I have requested them I have been told that they are the property of the treating Dr., and can only be reloeased to another Dr. with my written authorization.
When I ttry to push it I come smack up against Canada's new and restrictive privacy laws.
Gibbrn, Pam and CindyJ, do you find these problems in your area of the country?
Tracy

Hi Siccy!
Glad to see your home and posting!
Sorry to hear about the pain and not seeing much of the surgeon.
I thought it was strange in my surgery also. I saw my surgeon for all of about 5 minutes before surgery and about 5 minutes several hours before I was discharged.
While I realize they are supposedly professionals and deal with surgery day in and day out. I wish they'd realize it's a big deal for those of us who don't work in the business.
Take care and take it easy!

Hi cindy,
glad to hear you are home, don't worry about not seeing your surgeon I didn't either except in his office for follow up weeks later and I felt lke a train wreck for weeks after so no worries girl....keep that hubby busy making you comfy and heal heal heal!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had resident contact as well and he was mexican and his command of the english languge was less than to be desired..... so I don't think he understood me......oh well my family dr took care of me after

as for my med records Tracy, I dont' have a prob my family doc gives me the reports and it is your right to have them so go and demand they copy them for you even if you have to pay for it you can claim it on your taxes......

take care Cindy.....
love and hugs,
Victoria

Hi all, thanks for the great support!
GBSB---thank you soooo much for the recliner idea!!I spent the 1st night in bed and the rest of the nights in the recliner.If i sleep in bed i can't get my breath when i get up in the morniing.3 days ago i started sleeping in bed again and made out pretty well the 1st 2 nights.Last night I dont know what happened but I woke up in agony this morning and it felt like it was day3 post op all over again.I had a very rough day so tonight i am back to the recliner.As for the surgical report, I guess the surgeon will tell me everything when i see him in 6 weeks(if i ever get my appt.His ofice was suposed to call me with an appt date,they havent so i have called twice and left a message and they havent called back) I have no trouble getting any of my reports as my family doctor will give me access to anything i need.When i saw my family doc on friday she didnt have a report from the hospital yet though.
I am still having a few palpitations but nothing near as bad as what they were so it must have been TOS related. Did most of you have congestion in your lungs for several weeks postop? When I try to take a very deep breath it feels like rumbling in the upper part of my lung on the surgery side.I have been taking my inhalers because I had congestion that felt like rumbling in the bottom of my lungs, but it feels like the same rumbling feeling in the top. I was just wondering if this is normal?
I have tried cutting back on my pain meds twice and ended up in misery,so I guess its too soon to be cutting back yet. I still don't understand what they were thinking by only giving me the same dose of pain meds post op that i have been taking for 2 years at home. I could see them continuing to give me my regular meds because my body is used to them, but they should have also given me something for surgical pain! I have had a ton of surgeries and they usually put me on dilaudid or something similar for at least 2-3 days post op. My body is so used to the morphine it felt like they were giving me nothing.
Rachael one thing I want to say is ,as far as surgeons go you are in very good hands with dr. bethune.He is an excellent surgeon. I believe most of my troubles came from a lack of communication. Since my surgery i have heard alot of people saying that it is the resident who orders your post op meds and that they only go by the book..I am wondering if he looked at my chart and saw what i was taking and mistakenly thought they are what dr. bethune ordered for me for post op.
Also rachael, if you dont need alot of notice before your surgery, call dr.bethunes office and ask to be put on the cancellation list.I cant work anymore so i told them i could come within a days notice. The winter months there are usually always cancellations so it might speed thingd up a little for you. Well i guess it's time to settle in the recliner for the night.May God bless each of you with his love,and healing touch. ((((hugs)))) to all of you, cindy