Im scheduled for an MVD on 11/22/11 and im really scared and want to know firsthand what to expect. Does anyone want to share their tips or story with me?
Thanks!
Brenda
I felt just the same so scared ,strange thing was as soon as I got into the hospital I was fine ,everyone was so kind and thoughtful ,just be kind to yourself afterwards ,give yourself time to heal .
I send all good wishes for a pain free future for you x
Hi Brenda,
I remember that feeling so well. The thought of the surgery was scary, but the thought of increasing pain was even more frightening. While the recovery from surgery is different for everyone, I was amazed that I had surgery on a Thursday and walked out of the hospital that Saturday!
I have to say that when I came to in the ICU, I felt like someone had blown the back of my head off with a shotgun. (Not that I would know how that feels, but that was the first thought that came to me after the surgery!) My ICU nurse called my surgeon right away and he came right in and increased the pain medication from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes. That helped immediately. He explained that they have to be very careful with the pain medication right after the surgery because they have to watch for complications. They asked me four or five questions before they administered the next dose of pain meds (so every 15 minutes). I do not remember much else from that first night, but I felt much better the next morning.
The morning of day two, they got me on oral pain meds, had me up and walking the hall, and moved me to a regular room within a couple of hours. I think the worst part of it at that point was that I really wanted to wash my hair! I know that sounds silly, but it is true. I just put it in a ponytail and put on a baseball cap. I did have a dull headache that day, but nothing too severe.
By day three, I was ready to go home. My appetite was back, my pain was under control, and I went home that afternoon. My neck and shoulders were very sore. They prescribed Flexeril along with my pain meds and the Flexeril and a heating pad helped a lot.
While MVD surgery is not something I would want to do on a regular basis, but I was very pleased how quickly I recovered. It took me about 10 - 14 days to feel back to normal. I took a walk outside everyday and noticed that I felt stronger each d
Good luck with your surgery. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. You are in my thoughts and prayers for a successful surgery and a quick recovery!
Stefanie
Stefanie,
How are you feeling today? Is the pain gone?
mjwc