Before my diagnosis I was the same way with noise, especially my dog!!! I was away from my pup for 4 months because my surgery was in Maryland and I have been living inGermany. I missed him so much!
The eye surgery is called Strabismus. The iv cranial nerve is paralyzed and it caused the superior oblique muscle to atrophy ( weaken). So, they have to relocate the muscle. I don't know all the details, ophthomology is more complicated than neurosurgery, as far as I can tell! :)
Well, I was on regular pain meds. They were glorious...hahah
I do not like to take narcotic pain meds or anything like that,but this stuff would be easily addictive, which is why it's only in ICU. It was Fentinol(sp?). It made me feel warm and relaxed immediately, but didn't last very long. They also put me on pericidomol ( spelling is probably wrong....Tylenol through a drip....it was in a glass bottle. It's not often used in the US, but is more common in Europe)
I was "sedated", but I don't know if it was the meds or my complete exhaustion....
I was always noise sensitive. In the hospital I didn't watch any tv at all, & we unplugged the phone.
At home, my dog's barking is making me feel murderous. Well, maybe not as murderous as when I get up to answer the phone, & it's a telemarketer.
How will they repair your double vision?
Oh goodie. :) Hopefully I won't be there that long. Did they have you sedated the first day? My friend that has neck surgery alot said she was.
I was only there because of my 2 surgeries. Spent the first night there after they put the drain in my 3rd ventricle. I couldn't leave ICU until my ICP pressures leveled out on their own without the drain being open. It was only 2 nights after decompression though. :)
Dang. Your scaring me. 5 days icu. I thought worse case it was two. :( I'm glad your still around. My only problem with ear plugs is I can still hear everything. I just got used to the mri machine.
I was in ICU for 4 nights, 5 days. My first surgery ( endoscopic third ventriculostomy) treated my chronic hydrocephalus,( my ICP levels got as high as 45. Normal is 11) but there was a blockage so I had to have the 2nd surgery. It was the decompression along with the fenustration of the loculated (blocked) 4th ventricle. You can see in my pictures the terrible state of my 4th ventricle. My diagnosis and surgery took place all in the same week, including a military medevac from Germany to the States...
So, get some ear plugs. Every noise in ICU will bother you. Every beep, every time someone speaks, even people outside the room. I could hear my dad playing cards down the hall and the sound of shuffling the cards irritated me. When they brought me back from the 2nd surgery, it felt very chaotic. They were rushing to get me hooked up to stuff.( ICP monitor was tricky. Had to be exactly parallel with my drain) I felt like there were a dozen people in the room. The light was bright. They kept wanting me to say my name and I was so weak, I could hardly open my mouth. it was so dry and I couldn't have anything to drink. Once things settled down, my parents came in to say goodnight and to pray with me. I remember asking what time it was. I was always very concerned with the time...always wanted to see the clock. ( maybe I was waiting for my next pain meds?). I could usually sleep 30-45 min of each hour. I would finally fall asleep around 3 am, after they took blood samples. Then the docs would do rounds at 6 and wake me up! Grrrr. One of my dr's ( not the lead surgeon) , was always so loud! I don't think he really was, but it just seemed that way. I didn't sleep well in ICU and then, even worse in the regular room. The ICU beds were way better! I didn't sleep through the night for months and had night sweats for a long time too. It just takes your body a long time to heal. You will "feel" better soon, but some things take time.
Speaking of sensitive to noise, I'm extremely sensitive right now. It's hard for me to sleep with even the tiniest noise. I wonder how I will get thru icu.
How long were you awake in ICU? I've been trying to find out information about what it will be like while in there.
I wasn't at NIH, but when *I* was in ICU, there was a computer, but only for the nurses. :-) It sounds like there are computers for you to use. Nice! Hopefully they are laptops because I don't see you getting out of bed to use the computer ;-) I had a TV in ICU, but I was SO SENSITIVE to any noise, that I couldn't stand it. I never turned it on until about an hour before they sent me to a regular room. Even then, it was very agitating. I tried to use my computer a couple times in ICU, but the wireless wasn't on that floor for some reason. grrrr... I couldn't see very well either. My vision was so screwed up. Still is, but it's better than it was then! I pray you have a successful surgery with a quick recovery!
I don't know about icu but it said tv and computer in each room. I don't think I'll be able to remember if there is one in the icu
Yup, I know. I was across the street for 4 months. After my decompression, I had to stay for awhile until my optic nerve swelling was stable. I still have double vision, but will have surgery next month. The Dr was Dr. John Park. So, they have individual computers for patients to use? When I was in ICU, there was a computer, but it was for the nurse to chart.
Dr. Heiss. Wow 95 percent. Who did that surgery?
I'm not sure about visiting hours, but boy their security is as crazy as an airport. They don't even let you drive in without checking it.
Who is doing your surgery? My decompression surgery was across the street at the military hospital. I have heard there are very strict visiting hours at NIH. My friend's husband just recently underwent surgery for a stage 4 non operable brain tumor. They got 95% of it. Nothing short of a miracle!
All I'm saying is I can tell you I'm alive. 0:)
That is good to know, but do not over do it and remember to rest up post op too....