Thinking of you Dawn and hoping all goes well.
Lynn xx
Gd luck dawn I know first hand what pain is like hope it works well for u x
Dawn, thinking of you today, it will be an anxious time I’m sure but I’m sure that the end result will be so worth it.
Nicky xx
All the best with your op Dawn; hoping this will really help with your pain.
Tournesol x
Hi Dawn, I dont post much, but I read all the time, and just
wanted to say I hope it all goes well today, I will be thinking of you and sending lots and lots of hugs xxxx
~Thinking of you today Dawn and looking forward to time I can unstretch and cross a few things!!
Nina
Hi Dawn, I don’t post much either but read everyones posts. I just wanted to wish you good luck and i very much hope it gives you some pain relief and returns some quality of life for you.
Best wishes
Pumpkin x
Good luck dawn , hope you have a great result x
Good luck Dawn.
Hugs ‘n’ stuff
Lozza xx
Cyber hugs coming your way Dawn xxxxxxxx
hope all goes well Dawn and the sun rises on a pain free morning for you soon.
Jacquixx
You are all so lovely, thank you so much for your good wishes. I am still in hospital but now have my own room with en suite.
The op went well finally but what should have taken 30mins took very much longer as I was in theatre for 1.5hours. The problem was as I had warned that the surgeon had difficulty getting the needle into the space between the discs (what space!!) even though he had opened the skin through to the spine to find it. Sadly my bones are in a mess. But he did it :). I also have problems with G.A.when they put tubes down my throat or rather when they pull them out. The anaethetist was so caring and after a bit of discussion went for gas to avoid the problem.
Now we have get the pump programmed to deliver the amount of morphine I need direct into my spine and as it is so concentrated this takes a great deal of skill. It has to be done slowly whilst withdrawing some of the oral and patch fentanyl and oxynorm. A mistake in judgement was made on Friday which gave me a bad turn - too much too quickly. but we have got over that. So the day of the op I had 2mg a day programmed, then the following day a further 1mg. On the next day (Sunday) after my bad turn fortunately the consultant came in and upped it to 4mg then was surprised to find that her registrar had removed my last 100mg fentanyl patch. She had that reinstated and I still have that backup. I am also allowed my regular fentanyl breakthru lozenges and oxynorm if I need it. As I still do it tells them I havent yet got the right amount in the pump. Because it is so concentrated it takes a while to reach the right spot.
I have just had four of the pain team round my bed incl. one consultant. They are just so nice and don’t rush off - make you feel that you are important and what you have to say is as well. They think what they are going to do next will be maybe to increase the morphine another 1mg, and give me a ptm Patient Therapy Manager (it is like a little computer mouse to give extra boosts when pain is bad) They restrict this to only a certain amount of times per day and hope this will enable me to get off the other patch, and the oxynorm and have the lozenges as back up if need be.
They think realistically I am looking at home on wednesday as they want to monitor the changes they make rather than drag me back into clinics. But they are going to talk to Snr Cons, and see if she thinks this is the way to go. I haven’t needed so much pain stuff through the night.
I have rambled on a bit but it gives you some idea of what is involved in quite a big decision I had to make whether to have this pump fitted or not. The surgiical part of it has gone well and I am not sore at all even though I have massive bruises.
Dawn
xx
Dear Dawn, Lovely to hear from you with an update. I hope all goes to plan from now on and that the new device does the trick. I have been thinking about you and wondering how you were doing.
I am fine and Friday is important for me as I will be seeing my Consultant ot discuss how this chemo is going and if we have to continue or try something new but at the moment I haven’t a clue if it is keeping the b*ggers at bay. I hope it is doing something because I would not like to think I have been through all this for nothing.
The sun has been shining here all weekend and today too. I have not got the stamina to do very much although I did venture out today for a liittle while but what my head wants to do my body just is not able to do at the moment.
Keep in touch as I would love tio hear how things are progressing. Thinking of you, much love as always, Val
Hi Val, hope you are keeping well, nice to have a bit of sunshine junieliz x
Hi Dawn, sending you my best wishes thinking about you Junieliz x
Dawn - have been thinking about you - thank you for updating xx i so so hope and pray you get some relief. xxx
Val - Wishing you lots of luck for Friday - do so hope it’s good news for you.
Much love and healing thoughts to you both.
Lozza xx
Hi Dawn,
lovely to hear from you,thanks for taking the time from your hospital bed to fill us all in. So peased the op went ok and you are not in discomfort from it, sounds like they are on the way to getting the tweaking sorted and finding you an appropriate dose. Hope you manage to get home soon but best to stay there till all is properly under control. Very gentle hug heading to you xx
Val,hope you get the news you want on Friday, will be thinking of you. Has the pain in your arm improved at all? Sending you positive vibes for Friday xx
Rosvi and tourismo good to see you posting, hope things are going ok with you.
Keep in touch Dawn, will let the girls on livechat tonight know you are doing ok, unless you manage to get on chat and tell them yourself, lol
Well here I am 2 more days on and another 1mg morphine in my pump and my little mouse to give me a couple of extra boosts in the day if I should need them. I came home yesterday (Weds) and have needed just one boost each day. When I had a boost in hospital on Tuesday 15mins later my left leg gave way when i got out of bed and I wasn’t able to use it for the next 15 mins. The consultant had heard of this before and adjusted the bupivacaine (local anaesthetic) in the pump to flow more slowly with the boost. I had it happen again last night but an hour after the boost! and have just tonight needed another boost and the same thing is happening - so I guess more tweaking. But it is just wonderful to have had many hours each day totally pain free for the first time in 5 years! I am sure when I see the consultant next week to make some more adjustments that she will have be well on the way to NO PAIN :).
Dawn
xx
Wow , that is good news and we are all so pleased for you. Well Done on being brave enough to try this. We are so relieved that it is working for you. Love Tracy xxx
There aren’t enough smilies to say how happy your post has made me, I’m delighted that you are well on the way to having pain free days and comfortable nights xxxxxx