Scotts in pain.....

[EVELYN]

Scott

When my hubby, Tyce had his OHS, his surgeons sent him home and told him to take XS Tylenol.....that was it! NO pain meds. However, they did say to take the XS as needed. I would suggest that maybe you substitute one pain med for an XS Tylenol and see if that works for you and gradually switch over to all. When is your most pain? Is it constatnt or at night? JMHO and a suggestion, that's all.

Evelyn

 

[Arlyss]

Just to echo what Wayne and Evelyn have mentioned....

It is not worth it to end up having withdrawal problems because of being on an addictive drug too long.

There should be a combination that will work, and substituing Tylenol for a stronger med is part of the weaning process.

I might add that we have found that not just heart surgery, but many things, even blood draws, hurt my husband more than what is supposedly normal. I remember one awful time after an oral surgery! It is just the way his body is!

But he also heals well, the hurting stops, and he recovers beautifully..... there is a brighter day ahead beyond the pain, and I wish that for Scott and everyone who must deal with tough pain.

Arlyss

 

[Arlyss]

I should also just add that when someone is experiencing pain that is different from whatever is perceived to be "normal", it should not be dismissed/disregarded.

Compassionate care includes assessing and responding properly to pain.

This has been an area that I needed to really watch for my husband. Apparently many of their patients in the hospital don't have the levels of pain he has (or they are left to suffer, which I hope is not the case!), and there is a lack of understanding of his pain needs at first. Although sufficient pain meds were on order, I needed to be sure the nursing staff gave it to him in a timely manner.

Best wishes,
Arlyss

 

[QueenVictoria]

Scott's down in the dumps

Scott's down in the dumps

He's been really low. Recovery is slow- as it should be- and he's suffering from depression.I seem to recall that after OHS many patients feel this way. He previously was taking Lexapro for depression but the surgeon suggested that he discontinue these SSRI drugs due to potential bleeding problems. Lately he's had more lousy days than good ones. When he stands he's sort of tipped forward at the shoulders- he's not standing straight. I don't know what to do to improve his spirits- he is down hearted and feeling despair. Any suggestions or idea when he might start to have some better days?

 

[Lynlw]

He's been really low. Recovery is slow- as it should be- and he's suffering from depression.I seem to recall that after OHS many patients feel this way. He previously was taking Lexapro for depression but the surgeon suggested that he discontinue these SSRI drugs due to potential bleeding problems. Lately he's had more lousy days than good ones. When he stands he's sort of tipped forward at the shoulders- he's not standing straight. I don't know what to do to improve his spirits- he is down hearted and feeling despair. Any suggestions or idea when he might start to have some better days?

you could Try to have him stand straighter, he is probably standing like that because it doesn't hurt as much, but they try to get you to have better posture pretty soon (the hospitals Justin had surgery at we're telling him about that a few days postop) the longer you put it off the harder it will be, it helps with the healing, lets heart and lungs expand, holds the sternum the way it need to be to heal right. Is he out walking? just doing that helps Justin's mood. How about having a couple friends over to watch movies, play card or board games, or have you tried that?

 

[Kathleen]

Perhaps Scott needs this time to be down hearted and in dispair. He has suffered mental, emotional and physical pain and has shouldered more than anyone his age should ever have to. Rather than supress the feelings would it be better to let him loudly voice his feelings. He must have so much anger at his body and heart for putting him through this. I would seek a good therapist that is age appropriate and let him get the anger out
Kathleen

 

[WayneGM]

Feeling down is usual. Nobody likes to feel sore or helpless because they are unable to do their normal routine. The week of, and after, my pericardial tamponade episode were the worst. That would be similar to what Scott has just been through. I think it was a good 8 weeks or so post-op before I really started feeling better, although I continued to have my good and bad days until almost my 1 year anniversary (more good as each week progressed).

Even though he may not feel like it, he must walk and do the stretching and breathing exercises, including having the right posture. I found myself walking humped to avoid pain and knew I had to stop if I wanted to heal properly. It wasn't easy at first but it got easier with each day as my body got used to it.

As I think about it, I really didn't start feeling more "up" until I came to grips with the fact my life would not be the same for awhile as recovery was going to take considerable time. Once I accepted that as fact, I was able to deal with my situation much more positively.

I found passing the time watching DVDs (when I wasn't walking, etc) helped me get through it. I got all those movies I always wanted to watch but never got around to. It helped me get my mind off the soreness and the situation. I also bought myself a new digital camera (one with fully manual functions) and set about learning how to use it, reading a book on digital photography and taking pictures during my walks. Somehow it helped me feel productive again.

Best wishes. I hope Scott feels better soon.

 

[Susan BAV]

I went through some brief dark days in the early days after my first surgery when I was in my late teens, and my second a few years ago. I think some causes were related to the pain and there was also my personal feeling that I was a defect.

Most if not all of the worst pain resolves, sooner or later. But a thought that helped me with my idea that I was a defect was related to my sisters-in-law, some of whom had to have C-sections when giving birth. Millions of women every year give birth with little or no problems but thousands need surgeries, for their survival and for the infants' survival. It's such a common life-saving surgery. Realizing that helped me to not feel like such a defect. Or maybe Scott knows someone who had their appendix out. It's another common but life-saving surgery. Most people go through these kinds of things sooner or later.

My surgeon's office gave me some gentle stretching exercises to keep the scars from being too tight and it reduced some of the recovery pain.

Personally, doing things that benefit others and doing creative things always helps me in an emotional way. Maybe there is something Scott enjoys that will help him focus on the bigger picture. It's still very early in his recovery though. And like Wayne said, exercise, like walking and such, is usually recommended for depression and OHS recovery.

I hope some of this might help. Brighter days are ahead. Hang in there. It will get better.

 

[briansmom]

Vicki, I wish I could get Scott and Brian together; maybe they could encourage each other, or at least complain to each other. This is so hard with our young sons. They just want to be normal and they aren't. I know Brian is still in a state of denial and it leads to some of his depression. As parents, we are so grateful that they have come through this experience alive and mostly intact, but Brian does not seem to look at it from that side of things. He sees what he can't do instead of what he can. My only words of wisdom to Scott are to "be patient". It will get better. Does he have some event or milestone that he can look forward to? Try to get him engaged in something. That seems to be the only thing that works for Brian.