Quote:
Originally Posted by nickydwuk
You should expect pain for a few days post -op. You have had surgery afterall.
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Well, this was my thoughts but the doctor says I shouldn't have any pain now, 5 days later, which is the worrying thing. If he'd said I would have pain for a while yet or while the tube is still in me, I'd have accepted it but I don't like it when he says there shouldn't be any pain. It's just in the one place, under my right rib cage and in the vicinity of where the tube goes in. It's a sharp pain and I feel it when I try to take a deep breath as well as when I walk about, almost like something's pressing on my bottom rib. It's difficult for me to stand up straight but it's not bad when I sit or lie. I'm seeing the doc on Sunday so I'll mention it once again and try to get him to at least acknowledge that I do have pain and see if he can explain what it could be. If it's only pain from pressure and doesn't do any harm then I'll just have to put up with it until the tube is removed in 6 weeks, but I would like to be reassured that nothing is wrong. The only pain relief I've got is something similar to Panadol Extra which gives me bad palpitations so I tend not to take it. I explained this but they wouldn't offer me an alternative. The idea is 'You shouldn't have pain therefore you shouldn't need painkillers'. I'm also a bit puzzled why I have to take a proton pump inhibitor in the mornings. Those are usually for treating ulcers. Perhaps it's just to keep my acids down while I'm healing? Nicky, I really would appreciate having you as my virtual nurse, someone to bounce things off. When you get out of hospital here, you're very much on your own. Information is a bit hit and miss because the nurses are either Indian or oriental and we don't always connect correctly because of linguistic misunderstandings.
I was somewhat alarmed by the aftercare, such as getting out of bed and washing etc. The first morning after the op a nurse got me out of bed and expected me to toddle into the bathroom to wash myself. As it happened, I felt quite dizzy and queasy so she gave me a quick rub down with a wet flannel. After that there was nothing, so I was obviously expected to take care of myself, which was quite tricky with so many plasters and tubes across my front. Had I passed out and, being in a private room, I could have lain there for a few hours before someone found me. After I'd had my babies in the UK (reasonably normal births), a nurse came with me the first few times to shower and wash in case of mishaps. Even though it was under the NHS, I felt they looked out for the patients a bit more than they do here privately. Perhaps it's to do with the 'Sue' culture in the UK which I don't think exists here as, under Islamic law, 'one man may not profit over another'.
KG, I very much go along with what you say about wind. It's quite alarming where it gets to and how much havoc and pain it causes. I was told quite firmly that I must let my wind go free and not try to be all ladylike and hold it in. Thank God I had a private room though
. What with wind and wandering around with my super-sized nappy dangling between my knees I must have looked a right joke.
I'm off to get my hair cut today so that's a biggy for me. Just hope I can manage the hair-washing bit. Also going to try to stagger around the supermarket. I think I'll make a sign to hang around my neck 'Keep clear - Please do not bump'. I'll probably get some strange looks as I shuffle around but at least I'm out and about and slowly getting back to normal. Um..... was I ever 'normal'? Maybe this afternoon, if I'm still on my feet, I might try to build a garden wall with my stones. I'll get the video of the op put onto CD or DVD so we can watch it on the PC. Perhaps it'll show just how many stones he got out of me. He said the gallbladder was absolutely packed with them. Maybe HE'S building his own garden wall with the rest of them
.