PCA up today and is leaving me on bed rest

Hi all
I did not expect to be posting to you until I got home but surprise surprise, the hospital now has Internet connections. That made my day!
The surgery went well, am always nervous and a bit out of control I the anaesthetic room, but staff were great and that part went without a hitch, apart from my veins playing hide and seek. They tried more than five times to get a vein, in the end found a little one to get me off to sleep, then triennial some more in the theatre. I'm full of puncture marks!
Surgery lasted about three hours but I was in recovery for three more as the pain was out of control, it was really bad. Eventually, after a cocktail of drugs I was finally brought back to my room on an oxycodone PCA. That's a new one on me, in the past it's been morphine or fentanyl. Not sure what I think of it really. Pain has been bad all night, about 8 and sometimes more. The usual problem reared it's ugly head. My sats have the habit of going really low, blood pressure 87/49, pulse 45 and oxygen with mask 88. Naturally they have to be very careful but they upped the fluids which brought the sats back up so I was never left as long without pain relief as I was last time thankfully.
My surgeon has decided to leave the PCA up today and is leaving me on bed rest. I am comfortable just now, very tired and a bit woozy so I hope I am making sense. I am having a lot of back pain still, but there is a possibility it is also from another disc issue so they have put me on diazepam for that, to top the spasms. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your kind words from my previous post. It meant a lot to me and I was thinking of you all before I went 'under'. Glad to be out the other side now, I will keep updating when I can. Love to you all, and to David's wife, I hope she continues to make good progress. And how are things with you Matt, what's next for you. Hope you get some plan in place soon. As far as I am aware it's important they act quickly.
Jane

Jane,

You've been in my thoughts - so it's great to hear an update from you.... though I'm sorry you were dealing w/ low sats and so forth. Are you still on oxygen?

Yeah, I've never had an oxycodone PCA either.... always morphine, dilaudid, fentanyl. I'm glad they are keeping it on board for the day....

I, too, wish you the best possible recovery, Jane.... keep us updated as you are up to it :)

--Tina

Thank you all for your replies!

Tina, yes OxyContin in a pump is new to me. Anaethetist said she would use it as I was on OxyContin anyway. Still have my 25mcg patch on. And oxygen mask too, will be glad to be rid of that!

RM, never think of yourself as a whimp. You are NOT. Us CP patients have a lot to cope with. I know the class me as very different to treat compared to the normal post op patient. I used to get upset by it but I understand it a bit more now and I am lucky enough to have a wonderful doctor too. I hope the trial goes well. The brace will only be on for a short time so try just to go with it. Hopefully it will all be worth it. I will be thinking of you too. One day at a time and positive thoughts for both of us.

(((hugs))) to you all

Jane

Hello Jane! I hope your feeling a bit better now! I hate not being able to post during the daytime hours! Just wanted to wish you a good recovery, and to plea with you to take it easy and be a good patient.

Looking forward to another report on you soon, but take care of yourself first. We will be here anytime you feel up to a visit.

SE

Hi Jane...Wow...can't believe you are posting so quickly!..I hope you take the time you need to rest and recover...

I've never heard of Oxycodone used in a PCA either so that makes all of us! LOL...You Scots....just wanting to be different! HAHA

Seriously though...I am praying for your recovery and hope that by Christmas day you will be feeling SO much better..

Hugs..

You can ask the anesthesia department what meds you were given. The surgeon may not know. I always get myalgia (severe muscle pain) from rocuronium, which is routinely given as a muscle relaxant to make intubation easier. I complain every time to the anesthesiologist, but I'm always told that is all they use and they can't do the operation without it, which isn't true. One time I was given 3 doses of rocuronium during surgery and was in severe, intractable pain for 5 days, and no pain med would touch it.