Post operative pain

[thorn105]

About 48 hours ago I had a laproscopic apendectomy. I was sent home with NO pain medication except for tylenol, even though I informed my surgeon of the pain I was still having.  At this hospital, it was difficult to get a nurse to administer pain medication, even though it was ordered. After 24 hours, the pain medication was DC'd.  I do not understand why my surgeon told me Tylenol would be sufficient. I am in extreme pain, was sent home in this condition, and am very upset and bewildered at this lack of compassion.  I am not a drug addict, nor have I abused drugs in the past.  My surgeon told me pain medication was not necessary after a procedure like mine, and told me I would just have to deal with the pain.  I had an adrenalectomy a year ago, and the treatment was very different, with my surgeon scheduling my pain meds to be administered to keep pain from getting out of control.  Is it really common for patients NOT to be given pain medication for a couple of days following surgery?  

[Totie]

I never thought about it going into the water system. Thanks for that information.

Was there anyway possible to have contacted your PCP and ask for pain medication? I am just still flabbergasted. When I had the first surgery (submandibular gland removed along with a cyst and two lymph nodes) I woke up in pain, when the nurse asked if I needed pain medication I said yes. She realized the surgeon did not have any pain medication listed, she immediately paged him to get him to sign off on it, when he did not return the paige within 5 mins. she literally hunted him down and had him sign it. He apologized for forgetting.

I have survived and doing a lot better thanks for inquiring....

You do need to file a complaint with the hospital, but also let your PCP know. Do you have to go back for a follow up with the surgeon?

[thorn105]

Thank you both for your emotional support.  Stoneformer, I assure you I would have pitched a huge fit and demanded to speak to a hospital administrator, but I was in so much pain, it hurt to move.  I had to remain as calm and still as possible, otherwise I would have done exactly what you said. My husband said the fact that I DIDN'T pitch a hissy fit in the hospital told him how much pain I had to be in.  LOL, sad but true.  I do plan on contacting the hospital and filing a grievance.  I don't know if it will do any good or not, but I will feel better just doing it.  At least, maybe it will cause the hospital staff who were so uncompassionate toward me to be watched more closely, perhaps preventing someone else from receiving the dismal treatment I had to endure.  Totie, I am like you when it comes to getting rid of medications I am through with, except where I live, they request us to take unused  medication to the pharmacy for proper disposal.  We have recently had more than just trace amounts of drugs found in our water supply, some of it from being passed as waste into the toilet, but do to the increase of the amounts found, we have been asked not to dispose of our unused meds in that way. I used to flush mine too, before the city had all this uproar over recent water testing.  That is why I had so much pain medication left over from my adrenalectomy last year.  I hadn't thrown it out because I was intending to take it to the pharmacy for disposal.  Thank goodness I didn't get around to it, it has been a lifesaver! And had the city not requested we take it to our pharmacy to dispose of, I would have flushed it just like I used to. I am feeling much better, just sore and a little tired.  I'm sure you know how it is when you move in your sleep, and the pain jerks you awake. I slept almost 5 hours in a row last nite, which is very good. Again, thank you both for your emotional support. I hope this posting finds you both well and pain-free.  (Totie, THREE surgeries in one year??!!  Bless your heart, I do hope you are doing okay now.)
Take care all,
Kelly

[Totie]

I can not believe what you went thru. I have had 3 surgeries within a yr.; laparotomy, bladder sling, neck dissection and not once was i NOT given pain medicine.

The laparotomy was the worst pain I ever had, they even gave me the pain pump; they even kept an extra day due to the pain.

I was even give pain med for the bladder when I was sent home with a catheder for six days because those things are painful....

Not once did a nurse or surgeon, or even my PCP not give me pain meds. Of couse they had to be legit reasons. They even give me pain med when i get perianal abscesses, I even got a shot of morphine in the ER.

Now, don't get me wrong. When sent home with pain med, I do not use them all, I never get the refill, I end up throwing what i don't use in the sink. I usually only use the pain med 2-4 days after the surgery.

You were truly treated WRONG....I am so sorry to hear that.

[stoneformer]

THIS EXPERIENCE YOU HAD WAS VERY WRONG AND UNPROFESSIONAL!! I WOULD HAVE BEEN SCREAMING AND YELLING TO SPEAK WITH A HOSPITAL ADMINATRATOR AND HAVE EITHER THE SURGEON OR THE NURSING STAFF BROUGHT UP ON DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.  NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE SHOULD GO THROUGH WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THESE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS?? IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THEY NEED TO BE RE-TRAINED OR SENT BACK TO MED SCHOOL.  I HOPE YOU GET YOUR PAIN RELIEF AND FEEL BETTER SOON.

[thorn105]

Thanks so much for your kind words.  I KNEW I wasn't crazy!  Your comment on reminding my surgeon's doc that he won't be needing narcotics really cracked me up, since this is exactly what my husband said!  My nurse aides were shocked, but of course could do nothing since they weren't nurses or doctors.  The nursing staff even had a problem giving me pain medication while it was ordered, and would tell me I shouldn't need this yet (even though it was time for me to have it if I requested it), or they would wait 1/2 hour to an hour to come in (even though it was time according to the doc's orders) and only give me pain meds after I was reduced to a sobbing hysterical mess. I felt humiliated having to beg for meds that were ordered for me, and no one should be made to feel that way.  I mean it wasn't my master plan to have my appendix explode so I could score a few narcotics.
  Just to let you know, there was a silver lining. I was searching thru the medicine cabinet for some ibuprofen and stumpled across a huge blessing.   I had an adrenalectomy a year ago, and had a big bottle full of hydrocone left over.  It was a refill that I only used a couple of tablets from and had just forgotton about - I am so glad I didn't throw it out!!!  By the time I found it, I was having extreme difficulty urinating.  Had I not found it, I certainly would have had to follow your advice about a visit to the E.R.

Thanks again for listening,
Kelly
  

[Tuckamore]

Hi Thorn,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. I wish you would have posted as soon as you returned home from surgery. I would have advised you to go to ER, If you are still in significant pain I would still seek pain releif through ER.

In my experience it is not normal to be send home without narcotic pain medication post laparoscopic procedures, including an appendectomy. Sometimes the crude attitude of surgeons or physicians makes me so angry my blood boils. Obviously this surgeon has no compassion, at least in my opinion.

I am sorry that you've had to endure post-op pain without appropriate pain medication. Maybe when your surgeon has to have a surgical procedure you can see his doc and remind him that he will not require narcotics.

I hope you are feeling better.
Take Care,
Tuck