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Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Oh Denise, I'm glad you can recall your experience with some humor, but what a rough post-op time. They SHOULD have treated you like a princess after that. I'm glad your pain is better and hope that now it just gets less and less and less each day, until you are on your feet and pain free! You have been so much on my mind and in my prayers, Denise. Did you get to go home today? Sending gentle cyber hugs and the hope that you have access to lots of ice or cold beverage of your choice!
Barb A. |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
So proud of you for speaking up. Not to mention your family was probably waiting to see you and the germs that were probably in that laundry room. So glad your pain is better. Hope u r home and resting comfortably now. Now lets try to stay out of the hospital, lol. I chuckled at your post and also was angry that they left you hanging like that. Take care my friend.
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Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
I love that you always find a way to smile and laugh. I hope your recovery is speedy and pain free.
amanda |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Denise - glad it turned out well in the end but sorry for you having to rattle their cages. You could always just say (in a most innocent and sweet way) - "my friend who's an attorney said, gosh, that sounds like medical malpractice"......it's fun to watch their faces and see what good care you get then. Hope you got to go home to recover completely and pain-freely.
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Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Oh golly, I hate when I am away for a few days and miss a beat; and this event for you Denise was a huge beat. I was overwhelmed with sad when I read your first post about intractable pain - and horrified by your catch 22 options. Prayed under my breath all the way to the post op events and even more aghast at the treatment at UPenn. Still shaking my head. BUT you roll in with maybe a happy ending? Please tell us your pain is gone????
XOXO Kim (from CT) |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Denise, I'm so glad you are finally on the mend! You sure are a great writer! Have you started your book yet?
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Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Holy cow!!!! The way you write it is funny, but if I had been there I would have been fuming!!!! Not one of those people discussing pizza could go ahead and take you to your room???? Im surprised you didn't jump up, kick her in the shin, and start sucking her pop down the straw. ACK! What a rude, uneducated bunch of people..Im sorry.
Having said that, I am so very happy that the procedure went well, that you are in less pain, and that you are now on the recovery route. Big hugs to you, and I sure hope you are sitting pretty at home soon. |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Oh Denise, what a bad experience. And potentially harmful. To you, not them! Although it sounds like they were heading for a thrashing from you!
Sadly I expect most of us have had similar experiences where we are treated as though we are not even there. I remember once being left on a stretcher in an empty corridor for ages. I felt so helpless and powerless. No one around to hear me call out. Once a pre-op room with blaring talk radio and staff laughing and talking while patients anxiously awaited surgery The list goes on. A litany of small indignities that add to our feeling of vulnerability We become invisible to staff. They forget we can hear every word. Even dying we can hear every word. It's the last sense to go This isn't life threading but once during a dental cleaning the hygienist said to me "I'm tired of you jumping so much" I told her I was tired of her causing me to jump so much!!!! How dare she blame the patient for the discomfort she caused! Looks like you hit a nerve on me Denise( pun not intended!). Sorry for the rant but I feel very strongly about this. I think we all do now that we are in Cancerland and exposed to so many medical "professionals" with our life in their hands Keep the faith |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
I am glad you are on your way to recovery. Heal well.
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Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
You guys are the best medicine in the world!
(Well, the best one that doesn't directly kick HER2 BC's a$$!) I am so happy to be home! Sleeping in my own bed. Eating what I want, when I want. Cuddling my children, my husband and my dogs as much as they'll tolerate. And, it's much, much better to be able to decide if I need pain medicine, and then to be able to decide which ones and how much. I hated having to take what the all-powerful pharmacy computer said I needed, or else have to wait for the next time it was due (sometimes several hours later). Plus, and this will shock you, I'm sure, I'm a bit of a control freak. I know, you'd never have guessed...but I like to be in charge of my own stuff. So...the pain is still there. Not anywhere near what I was feeling before surgery...not even in the same league. You know how they ask you to assign a number to your pain? Before surgery, and I'm not exaggerating here, before surgery, the lowest number we were able to get to was 6 - and then only briefly. Most of that week was spent hovering in the crazy place between 8 and 9 - it makes me cringe just to think about it. So, let's not! After the surgeon worked his magic (and some clever person reattached the pain med IV) I only hit 7 once. And since then I haven't been above 4... I can report happily to you that right now I am smiling, resting comfortably while I check in with all of you, and am at pain level 2... mostly because of all the staples that are keeping everything closed up nice and tight. :) The highlight of my evening (get the big L for my forehead ready) is going to be a shower...in my own bathroom, using my own soap, shampoo, and conditioner. mmmm Then, using my own gel, and smoothing mousse, hairdryer, and curling iron...I will, for the first time in 2 weeks have a hair-do that looks like me. Heck! If I still have enough stamina left, I may even put on a little eyeliner and lipstick. aaahhhh Then, just because I can, I will use my own favorite lotions and perfumes, dress myself in a nightgown that has never, ever, been worn by another living soul... and which is not brutally, painfully ugly, and sit curled on my couch to watch something so funny that all the laughing makes my stitches ache. Naturally, with my current level of energy...this evening will be for me...what swimming kilometers in the ocean is to our beautiful Amanda! I may only be able to accomplish part of my goal...but tomorrow is another day! Love and hugs to all! Denise |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Denise, I thought this webinar might be of interest to you..."Cancer in the Workplace" sponsored by the YSC. Thursday Jan 31 7:30-8:30 EST
For more info... https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/740114832 |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Denise, I hope your evening was as good as it sounds in your description - and may there be many more such indulgences! Excellent medicine......
Best wishes..... Pam |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Thinking of you again, Miss Denise and hoping that the pain level is even lower than a two by now. Your plan to laugh until your stitches ache really inspires me....I called my Dr. and she has called in a prescrip for an antidepressant. The sensible advice my HER2 warriors gave helped me to make the decision to call. Maybe I will be able to laugh sometime soon too!
Zinging hugs across the state at you too! Barb A. |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
There is nothing like a curling iron, lipstick, our OWN nightgown and laughing at the TV that does a better job of shouting I AM ON THE MEND!! You go girl! Stretch out those toes and enjoy being home. It doesn't get much better than this. Your update made my whole day.
Hugs and Hugs, Kim (from CT) |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Denise - you are the best medicine. And you deserve all the wonderful things you described in your post last night. I hope and pray it was as wonderful as it sounded.
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Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
I hope you're eating chocolate too!
Keep the faith! |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Denise
Your plan for the night made me smile, made me laugh. I have so been there at times, oh the true joy of the 4s and m (shit,shower,shave, silky sleepware, and mascara ). Throw in a family cuddle and you know your on the upside! |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
To be honest, I'm a little relieved that I was able to read this all the way through rather than waiting on the edge of my seat to see how it would all turn out. (Thank you, Microsoft.) I am agape at what you've just been through, but I'm surely glad it's over. And I hope it means that there will be no more mishaps, and your recovery will proceed apace.
You have had a very difficult couple of years, but what makes it amazing is the grace and humor with which you've handled it all. I'm in awe. Heal quickly. |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
You guys make MY day...with some regularity!
You make me feel like what I'm thinking and feeling is important. And the BEST feeling comes from when one of you says something I said or did made a difference for you. Wow! I gotta tell you, sometimes when I'm sitting around, waiting for my malady du jour to resolve...and I'm starting to feel a little discouraged, even verging on sad...I actually sometimes find myself fondly remembering when cancer was all I had to keep track of and fight off. Then...I pop in here, and one of you says exactly what I need to hear...not even knowing I need it...and my fighting spirit is renewed. I'm ready to take on whatever comes. I can see the funny side of my ridiculous situation, and I feel like I can handle whatever life throws at me. I guess it boils down to the fact that I admire so many of you, so much...that your opinions mean more to me than I would ever have imagined. I think some of you even know me well enough by now, that you see the sadness seeping in before I do sometimes. Anyway...bottom line...THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT!! Now, on to the pampering. It took a LOT longer than I thought it would. It went something like this: Shower Toothbrushing Rest :) Dress Nap :) Re-wet hair Blow dry Rest :) Make-up Nap :) So, what would normally take like maybe 30-40 minutes...took about 5-6 hours. But I felt like a new woman! A cleaner prettier, healthier woman!! And, instead of TV, we ordered Chinese and played games. OMG did my muscles hurt from laughing. My little family could be a sit-com. Everyone goofs on everyone and everything. And the laughing sometimes gets to be the kind where you can't catch your breath. I'm pretty sure that's more core exercise than any PT would have me doing at this point! Yesterday wore me out so much, it's only 11 am and I'm contemplating a nap! Thanks for checking in on me friends! Love and big hugs to all of you! Denise PS-Barb, I hope your Rx is exactly what you need! You, my friend, deserve every bit of joy life has to offer! |
Re: Pain? yes Appt? yes Relief? ????
Hey Denise you make MY day! You always make me smile. Hugs and lots of love to you. Lois
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