Saturday, November 8, 2008 ~ Pain management drama

Crystal's Flowers!!

The last few days have been hell.  I’ve had a tough time with pain management.  I have no appetite. The thought of food makes me nauseous.  On Wednesday I called the doc and she encouraged me to take in more fluids and to continue with Alleve and add Tylenol into the regimen.

Yesterday afternoon (Friday) I gave in and went on Hydrocodone/APAP; two pills every four hours. I had wanted to tough it out but the Alleve was doing a real number on my stomach and not managing the pain.  I was miserable.  After taking the Hydrocodone, I spent the afternoon in a dazed state on the sofa.  Finally, about 9:00 pm, to bed and at 10:30 I woke with no pain, took two pills. Twenty minutes later I was overcome with body wracking spasms of pain. T put a call to the emergency doc. I spent ten minutes talking with the doc and we concluded that I didn’t have a blockage.  No sense going to the hospital. 

I think lying down immediately after taking the pills induced the nausea; also, lack of food and adequate hydration. T made me a protein shake and Gatorade with ice.  This morning at 4 am I woke with no pain.  I took two more pills, a long hot shower, ate some marshmallows, read for a bit and returned to bed.  I woke at 8:30 am feeling no pain. I am now enjoying chocolate protein shake and some dry toast.  I am feeling tentative.  My guts have some movement and much gurgling.  The meds create this kind of masked shut off dull feeling. Its as though the pain has been tightly swaddled.  I am thinking more positively now and I am motivated to write.  These are good things.  I must be on the upswing.