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Apr. 24th, 2002 11:13 pmlast wednesday, i had a particularly violent coughing spell. it was very short, but quite vigorous... the doctor had suggested i cough as much as possible to rid myself of blood and mucus in my lungs from the surgery the previous friday. sometimes, especially after being in bed for a bit, i'd have a lot of stuff to cough up... if it got cough just below my throat, i'd end up really hacking to get rid of it. hate ticklish stuff back there... this is what i was experiencing that morning...
well, that day, i felt something just below my right breast give and i felt more than twinge of pain despite the meds i was on... i figured i'd injured a site where the surgeon had cut.
thing is, the spot STILL hurts. it's right under my right breast, along that rib... very tender. i have to hold my hand there frequently to alleviate the pain. on monday, i called my doc to ask if this was normal. i just spoke to his assistant and i just said it was pain along the rib under my right breast. he said that was to be expected...
well, that was the same day he told me to stop the duragesic patch. i'm glad to be off the patch, but DAMN, this hurts. he suggested my dilaudid would be sufficient.
since it isn't and i figured this pain is inflammatory surgery-related pain, i started taking naproxen a couple times a day (lower than my post-surgery dose in february). this helps considerably, but i'm still breathing shallowly (bad thing bad bad thing post-gen anaesthesia) and wincing a lot.
bending over or turning over hurts like the dickens, but some of that is back-related surgery pain. breathing hurts, but not as much as sneezing. sneezing produces horrid, stabbing pain. and i now have a nearly constant shallow cough. coughing a lot hurts. trying to clear my nose while irrigating stabs. this is insane.
i don't know what to do. my doctors are all still in DC. we've chosen a local GP, but our change in insurance hasn't been approved yet. i could probably go to the ER, but i feel like they'll tell me the doctor is right and there's nothing they can do. my follow-up with the surgeon isn't til next thursday (i already tried to reschedule for this week).
gah.
i want this to all be over. i hate recuperation periods. i hate inadequately managed pain.
well, that day, i felt something just below my right breast give and i felt more than twinge of pain despite the meds i was on... i figured i'd injured a site where the surgeon had cut.
thing is, the spot STILL hurts. it's right under my right breast, along that rib... very tender. i have to hold my hand there frequently to alleviate the pain. on monday, i called my doc to ask if this was normal. i just spoke to his assistant and i just said it was pain along the rib under my right breast. he said that was to be expected...
well, that was the same day he told me to stop the duragesic patch. i'm glad to be off the patch, but DAMN, this hurts. he suggested my dilaudid would be sufficient.
since it isn't and i figured this pain is inflammatory surgery-related pain, i started taking naproxen a couple times a day (lower than my post-surgery dose in february). this helps considerably, but i'm still breathing shallowly (bad thing bad bad thing post-gen anaesthesia) and wincing a lot.
bending over or turning over hurts like the dickens, but some of that is back-related surgery pain. breathing hurts, but not as much as sneezing. sneezing produces horrid, stabbing pain. and i now have a nearly constant shallow cough. coughing a lot hurts. trying to clear my nose while irrigating stabs. this is insane.
i don't know what to do. my doctors are all still in DC. we've chosen a local GP, but our change in insurance hasn't been approved yet. i could probably go to the ER, but i feel like they'll tell me the doctor is right and there's nothing they can do. my follow-up with the surgeon isn't til next thursday (i already tried to reschedule for this week).
gah.
i want this to all be over. i hate recuperation periods. i hate inadequately managed pain.
