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Waiting for surgery is driving me crazy!

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Posted 2/27/2012 6:47 AM (GMT 0)
I have been depressed, short-tempered and unable to compartmentalize the pain. My use of oxycodone has doubled. The oncology and j-pouch surgery is March 8th. The delay is due to the difficulty of coordinating the schedules of three surgeons.
I need suggestions to fight the feelings of helplessness. I cannot exercise because it causes a dramatic increase in pain. I would really welcome success stories.
Szm
Posted 2/27/2012 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
I can't even imagine your stress level at this time. I wish I could give you words of wisdom. I do hope that the pain will subside. Just try to get through these days and think positive. It's so very important when there's an upcoming surgery. 1st and foremost, we're here for you and you have my email so WHENEVER you want to talk I'm there to listen. Some suggestions: knit something wonderful - your very talented, maybe if you can walk alittle you can go to an indoor park district where they have a walking track or join the mall walkers in the morning, keep having on some music to your liking, light candles often, read, play some computer/hand games/puzzles (scrabble, uno, yahtzee, etc.), see friends/family as much as you can, invite friends over for a card game night, maybe a new craft you'd like to try that you haven't (yesterday I just made my 1st pottery bowl).

Wish you the very best. Stay strong and positive!!
Posted 2/27/2012 5:04 PM (GMT 0)
So sorry that your surgery was delayed. This is a tough time, no question about it.

Windy City has some good suggestions. Some other thoughts:

Get engaged in a tv show that you haven't seen before, where you can just watch one episode after another on dvds or streaming. For me, that's the right balance of familiarity and novelty and it's absorbing and distracting. If you want suggestions, let us know what you tend to like...

You might also try some mediation tapes to cope with the pain. Jon Kabat-Zinn has some very good tapes from the UMass Mindfulness based stress reduction program (the book Full Catastrophe Living also talks about dealing with pain). I used these when I had some very painful sciatica. There are also some good free podcasts at Meditation Oasis, you can get them via itunes or from their website. These kinds of things can help you stay calm, so you don't exacerbate the pain and stress and fear....

A really gentle restorative yoga might be possible w/out exacerbating pain..... I've been going to a class that uses all these pillows and tennis balls and other props, and it's very calming. There are dvd's for that too, probably some free videos online too.

I have not always been great w/pain myself, so I feel hypocritical to give a "success" story because the only success is that I'm not in so much pain anymore.... it's not really a coping success. But I think the feeling of helplessness can be addressed by doing things that help you stay in the present, rather than worrying about the future. You have scheduled surgeries, the things you need for the future are in place....

Hang in. Thinking of you.
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