Hi All,

After lots of waiting...I finally have a surgery date. The surgeon had a cancellation so I am going in Tuesday! That leaves me with LOTS to do this weekend to get ready but that should help with some of the jitters I am having right now.

If anyone has anything they want to suggest that helped them get through the days before and after surgery....please feel free to send them my way. I am nervous - I have had this pain for so long and I really hope this helps...I think the nerves are outweighing the fear right now...my BF gets back into town in about an hour...I can't wait to see him...that should help.

Victoria! Girl - give me a call...I will PM you my #

Thanx everyone!!!!

If there is any chance you might have RSD like symptoms Jamy get a nerve block. I had some of the symptoms when I went in for surgery, but my surgeon and I talked ourselves out of the block, and now I have RSD.
Make sure you have lots of pillows for when you are home. Also a recliner was a must for me, I could not sleep in the bed for almost a month.
I wish you luck, and my prayers are with you.

Wow, well nothing like short notice. I wish you the best. Are you doing both sides or one?

Hi hun, I wish you the very best of luck with your surgery!! I had the same time frame lol, called on friday to have surgery on tuesday. i think it was good actually because it didnt give me time to dwell on it. I had my niece and nephew the whole weekend so my house didnt even get cleaned for the 1st time ever before surgery. I had alot of surgery and all this time didnt realize how im portant it is to be well rested before surgery.So don't over do it hun, just do what you have to. I recieved so much help and prayers from these wonderful people.I had been on a waitlist for almost 2 years and lived with this for over 15 years, so when that call came I was very overwhelmed.I came here and started firing out questions and by the next day these great folks had me calmed down and ready to go!! The #1 tip they gave me was the recliner!! It is an absolute must! I laid down in bd my 1st night home and it was unbearable the next morning. I couldnt get my breath for almost an hour and thought we were going back to the hospital.I opened the door to the cold wind and it made me take a deeper breath and then I talked myself through it. I am not a good sleeper so I didnt know how I could possibly sleep in a chair.But I slept in the chair every night after that. I think about a month in the recliner is needed, i had complications so I was in the recliner for 2 months. My own bed feels some good now!!! The other "must do" tip I learned here is take pillows!! I had a 2 hour drive home so hubby wrapped a body pillow around me and then put 2 bed pillows 1on each side of me and tucked them in tight, so I didnt get jostled around as bad on the way home.Also if you have been on narcotic pain meds for any length of time make sure you tell them at the hospital because you will probably require a higher dose of pain meds after surgery. I am 7 weeks post op now, but have had alot of troubles so I won't know for awhile how much the surgery helped. Go into this with a positive attitude hun and ,if you pray, I found that helped me through alot of it. I put myself in the hands of God and my surgeon. I will keep you in my prayers.If your nerves get you bad come on here and ask all the questions you can think of.I couldn't have gottten through this without the amazing, caring people here.So many replied and answered all of my questions, that most of my fear disappeared by the next day. We will be thinking of you and all of our prayers will be with you! So get 'er done hun!! HI wish you as close a painfree future as possible!(((hugs))) cindy

I am hoping the short notice helps! I slept really well last night - I was sure I wouldn't get a wink of sleep! I think I just need to keep my mind busy...

I will be having surgery on the right side...my symptoms started in 1999 and after a lot of no answers, tests, MRIs, a car accident, etc, etc finally a FIRM diagnosis of TOS was made last year....two docs agree surgery is the best bet so here I am...I am hoping this offers relief...I have been in complete agony lately.

I feel like I have a ton of questions that haven't been answered...PT after the surgery, recovery time, etc, etc...thankfully this board exists and it gives me a chance to know what other people have experienced. I have made a PT appt for late April with a very good PT I know of...I have lost a lot of movement in my hand that I want to get into PT and see what we can get back. I will be spending the first bit of my recovery with my parents...it's a good 2+ hour drive from the hospital so thank you Cindy for recommending pillows...the drive was the first bit that scared me so I will tell mom to bring lots of pillows. They also have a recliner couch so hopefully i can get comfortable...has anyone tried a wedge pillow for sleeping?

I am going to stock up on movies, figure that will be easy to do...I also plan on installing Dragon on this laptop this weekend so I can at least post an update.

Trix - good comment on the RSD bit...as you know it was mentioned by my MT once and is in the back of my mind...I will have to remember to talk to the surgeon about this (or at the pre-op)

Cindy - was the probs breathing due to lying down? I am asthmatic and while I don't think this will make a difference I can get into some wicked coughing fits...so I am hoping that that all stays in check... Did you have a recliner as soon as you got home? I figure if worst comes to it I can send someone out to buy me one

Strangely I have been on no narcotics (my doc will not perscribe any) so I am hoping my pain management after surgery will go well...that is my biggest concern - being comfortable after surgery...

I have a lot of great people keeping positive thoughts my way - including the folks on this board...you guys are wonderful!

Slept okay last night but getting nervous...tomorrow is pre-op then surgery is the next day...

Hey, Jamy

Hope you get the answers to your immediate questions (the rest can wait, right?). I sent you a PM with my #'s and some other stuff...

Wishing you the best of luck tomorrow. Hope everything goes well for you (and your surgical team!) in the hospital. God bless your parents for taking care of you afterwards; that is going to be such a great help in your recovery.

Will be thinking of you and please do let us know how things are with you when you can.

Take good care. Alison

Best of luck and a smooth quick recovery for you Jamy.

I want to wish you with your surgery tomorrow. I bet you will do great. Just remember to ask for the pain meds. My surgeon had me set up with a Diludad pump and break thru pain meds when I needed them also I found that an Ice pack on the incision site helped allot. Make sure that you have plenty of pillows. Have them for the ride home they really help... Also ask your surgeon to give you something for the pain prior to your trip home.
Just follow your instructions and take it easy... Allot of bed rest ...
Use all those IOU's as I was told to do on the forum once... They come in handy...
Many Hugs and Best of Luck...
Dawn

Hi Jamy,
I hope your surgery goes smoothly and you have a quick recovery
Hope