I'm hoping for some advice. My lap band to DS revision was last Monday and I have been in a lot of pain since. At the hospital after first waking up from surgery, I was already at a 10. I had a pain pump the first night but the pain only lessened to about a 7 at any point. Starting the day after surgery, they took me off the pain pump and instead had me on codeine by mouth every 4 hours. Even if complaining about pain being an 8+, I wasn't given anything else and instead told to wait for the 4 hours for more codeine. I developed a bad headache in addition to the surgery pain, but didn't say anything to the nurses because they clearly weren't going to give me anything to help with the pain.
I was released on Wednesday and I'd say the pain was a 9+ and crying all the 6 hour drive home (DH was driving). Since the car ride, the pain level at the incisions has decreased dramatically but my overall pain is still a pretty steady 7. I'm finding as my surgery incision pains lessen, my headaches, back pain and tailbone pain are getting worse to compensate.
To throw another variable into the equation I went without any codeine all weekend (unwillingly) because my Rx from the hospital was apparently only for 3 days worth and the refill didn't transfer to my home pharmacy before they closed for the weekend. It was a pretty rough weekend but I noticed I didn't have any headaches at least, so was able to get more sleep than I had gotten all week. I tried some liquid tylenol and noticed a small decrease in pain, but at the expense of nausea, so I stopped.
Monday morning I got the Rx issue sorted out and had liquid codeine again. Almost immediately after taking it, the headache came back and the rest of the pain had no change. I waited 4 hours and took my next dose- same thing; continued the headache and same pain.
Today I saw my PCP to get my staples from surgery removed. I described to her the issues with pain that I have been having and she said she would not prescribe me anything because my surgeon was in charge of managing my pain. I called the surgeon's office and they advised to stop taking the codeine because of the headaches and just do liquid or crushed Tylenol, and they would not prescribe anything more potent since I was already a week out from surgery. Note, I was only able to get a nurse to speak with me today since the surgeons weren't in the office when I called.
So, now it's Tuesday night, I am unable to get comfortable enough to fall asleep with my back/tailbone pain and the abdominal pain. I haven't taken any codeine since Monday night (in hopes one of the Dr's would prescribe me something different today so I could start it right away).
I feel like I am being treated like the drug addicts you see on TV intentionally smash their hands so they can get pain pills. I've had no history of substance abuse, and hell, haven't ever asked my current PCP for pain medicine before even after having talks with her about my back pain before surgery (side note- her plan with my back pain is physical therapy once I am recovered enough since the x-rays only showed some minor disc compression). I honestly know that I am not a drug seeker, and am only asking for pain medicine because I am in pain!
I don't know what to do. I've spent most of a week either near tears, or actually crying because I hurt so much and I feel defeated after no one would help me today. I was in nowhere NEAR as much pain with my lap-band or gallbladder surgeries. I don't feel like any of my pain is urgent enough to go to the hospital for - my bowels are doing OK, i'm getting in enough water, I am walking as regularly as I can... I just can't sleep. Or sit still. Or lie down... or be anywhere NEAR comfortable.
Does anyone have any advice? Sorry if this is a bit jumbled. Much thanks in advance.
I was released on Wednesday and I'd say the pain was a 9+ and crying all the 6 hour drive home (DH was driving). Since the car ride, the pain level at the incisions has decreased dramatically but my overall pain is still a pretty steady 7. I'm finding as my surgery incision pains lessen, my headaches, back pain and tailbone pain are getting worse to compensate.
To throw another variable into the equation I went without any codeine all weekend (unwillingly) because my Rx from the hospital was apparently only for 3 days worth and the refill didn't transfer to my home pharmacy before they closed for the weekend. It was a pretty rough weekend but I noticed I didn't have any headaches at least, so was able to get more sleep than I had gotten all week. I tried some liquid tylenol and noticed a small decrease in pain, but at the expense of nausea, so I stopped.
Monday morning I got the Rx issue sorted out and had liquid codeine again. Almost immediately after taking it, the headache came back and the rest of the pain had no change. I waited 4 hours and took my next dose- same thing; continued the headache and same pain.
Today I saw my PCP to get my staples from surgery removed. I described to her the issues with pain that I have been having and she said she would not prescribe me anything because my surgeon was in charge of managing my pain. I called the surgeon's office and they advised to stop taking the codeine because of the headaches and just do liquid or crushed Tylenol, and they would not prescribe anything more potent since I was already a week out from surgery. Note, I was only able to get a nurse to speak with me today since the surgeons weren't in the office when I called.
So, now it's Tuesday night, I am unable to get comfortable enough to fall asleep with my back/tailbone pain and the abdominal pain. I haven't taken any codeine since Monday night (in hopes one of the Dr's would prescribe me something different today so I could start it right away).
I feel like I am being treated like the drug addicts you see on TV intentionally smash their hands so they can get pain pills. I've had no history of substance abuse, and hell, haven't ever asked my current PCP for pain medicine before even after having talks with her about my back pain before surgery (side note- her plan with my back pain is physical therapy once I am recovered enough since the x-rays only showed some minor disc compression). I honestly know that I am not a drug seeker, and am only asking for pain medicine because I am in pain!
I don't know what to do. I've spent most of a week either near tears, or actually crying because I hurt so much and I feel defeated after no one would help me today. I was in nowhere NEAR as much pain with my lap-band or gallbladder surgeries. I don't feel like any of my pain is urgent enough to go to the hospital for - my bowels are doing OK, i'm getting in enough water, I am walking as regularly as I can... I just can't sleep. Or sit still. Or lie down... or be anywhere NEAR comfortable.
Does anyone have any advice? Sorry if this is a bit jumbled. Much thanks in advance.
