Need Help

Re: Need Help
Picture yourself next year at about this time. You will have all but forgotten this ever happened. If that's difficult; picture a time in your recent past when you were most happy and study it intensely. Remember what you smelled, what you heard what you felt. Feel the smile on your face and remember those details and then project them onto a time in the future. You'll be there again. The crappy times don't last any more than the good ones. Don't let the crappy times make you too low. You're stronger than that. You always were and you always will be.

Try to find things to laugh about. What's the funniest thing you can remember? Feel that positive energy as you do so. You have the power to do this anytime you want. You will emerge from this stronger than you've ever been. That which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. What's your favorite joke?

Mina20- Welcome to A2K!

Everyone reacts differently to surgery, and to general anaesthetics. Apparently, this was your first foray into the world of surgery. If you are like most people, it won't be your last.

Sometimes, but not always, a person becomes very nauseated from the anaesthetic. If and when you have another operation, make sure to tell the doctor about your experience. He can put something into the I.V. that will prevent you from becoming nauseus.

As far as pain goes, it too varies from person to person, and beyond the actual physical component, there are psychological reasons that some people "hurt" more than others.

When I was your age, I had my son, by caesarean section. I was in a lot of pain in the first couple of days. I would hold myself very stiffly, to protect my body from the pain. On the second evening, the pain began to dissipate, and I realized that I could move about more easily. I went to sleep.

When I got up, in the morning, I was still groggy, and had forgotten that I had not been in pain the night before. Immediately, I tightened myself up, and that hurt. Then I remembered that I had not been in pain the night before, and I relaxed. The pain disappeared, and I was able to move about easily.

The first time that one has surgery can be very frightening, because it is unknown. After awhile, people learn to take these things in their stride. Get well soon. You WILL, and before you know it!

Thank you for the replies they really did help, im still ajusting but i think ill be able to manage, i cant picture being happy right now im very down but hearing im not alone and given help really has help in some ways i appreciate it very much

try listening to some relaxing music , it might help you in reducing the pain somewhat .
perhaps watch a funny movie if possible .
hope you'll feel better soon !
hbg

Mina- Surgery is very taxing to the system, and therefore very tiring. This is normal. When you are exhausted, everything that normally comes to a person easily becomes a big deal. Understand that you will get stronger and stronger, but it does take time to heal.

I like hamburger's idea about music and a funny movie. Stay distracted.

some hospitals and physicians think laughter may actually be beneficial to one's health .
at our local teaching hospital the interns have been produced a video to give both patients and doctors a chance to see the funny side of the medical profession .
our doctor has a wonderful magazine in his waiting room called "stitches" - i always try to grab it when i enter the office and carry it with me into the examination room . those physicians have wicked sense of humour !
hbg

here is a website for helping people relax and laugh , or at least chuckle :

...HEALING WITH HUMOUR...

Mina, Phoenix is spot on with what she says...yet again!

I managed no more than twenty yards when I first ventured out of the house after surgery. I felt totally exhausted, and had the weird idea that the whole world was staring at me.

It took about a month of gentle exercise to get most of my strength back.

As far as the post op depression is concerned, my remedy was lots of reading, plenty of regular, aforementioned gentle exercise (easy walks in the fresh air), and anything else that kept my mind distracted and busy.

The "blues" just seemed to fade away, as my fitness returned.

Good luck.

Mina--

Welcome to A2K.

First: I'm going to be a little brutal about your physical pain. You have spent twenty years growing up in the Western World where prolonged pain is not a Fact Of Life. Your post-op pain feels particularly brutal to you because you don't have a lot of experience in dealing with pain.

Questions: In spite of the emergency were you able to have keyhole surgery? Did the emergency involve an infection? Are you getting medication for pain? Do you think the nurses are sympathetic.

Second: Remember pain monopolizes your attention and distorts your impressions. I do not have a medical degree of any kind, but I've had abdominal surgery myself and since my friends are my age, I've collected a lot of second-hand surgical experiences.

I find it difficult to believe that because you vomited as an aftereffect of the anesthesia that your activity will be limited for four weeks. A month of taking it easy is the standard prescription for any sort of abdominal surgery.

Questions: Do you have family or friends who can visit you in the hospital? Do you have access to television? To your favorite music?

Third: Relaxing exercises may help with pain.

Put your bed flat.

Position yourself with your legs slightly apart and your arms slightly away from your side.

Imagine your body as enormously heavy and the pain as something that is weighing you down.

Now breath deeply and imagine the once-established pain evaporating as you exhale.

There is a (to my mind) rather jackass sort of macho motto, "Pain is imperfection leaving the body," but I've never found that a particularly helpful idea.

Fourth: Ignorance increases pain. So does panic.

How much do you know about why your gall bladder up and quit? You have only one gall bladder (and that is history) but are you worried about being ambushed by another of your twenty-year-old, gently-used organs?

Net Doctor has some very helpful information.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/gallbladderdisease.htm

Fifth: I'm well aware that time passes much more slowly--and intensively--for a twenty-year-old than for person collecting Social Security. All the same, Time Will Pass.

Good luck.

noddy wrote :
" I'm well aware that time passes much more slowly--and intensively--for a twenty-year-old than for person collecting Social Security."

were did the time between "carefree" youth and "old codger" go ?
there seem to be about 50 years in between that i can't account for !
for

Hamburger--

Do you remember how long a pregnancy used to be? And how short a time period nine months is now?

"Do you remember how long a pregnancy used to be?"

don't tell me they have been shortened now - have to advise mrs h
i guess it won't help her now !
KEEP SMILING !
hbg

It all depends, Noddy. I was almost 40 when I had SonofEva. Those nine months went zzzzzzzip!

I do remember how slowly time passed when I was 20, though. I had abdominal surgery when I was 25. (Appendectomy) As the doctors predicted, it took 4-6 weeks to regain my strength.

Hang in there, Mina! I know everything seems unbearable now, but believe it or not, everything you're thinking and feeling are a normal part of the healing process. Don't look at the big picture...concentrate on what you need to do to get through the next five minutes. That's all. Just five minutes.

You WILL get through this...five minutes at a time.


Then an hour at a time...


Then an afternoon at a time...


Then a day at a time...


Then...you'll start looking back and you'll realize you are getting better.

Glad you're feeling a little better. I've never had surgery, so I didn't know what to say... but wanted you to feel the warmth of empathy. I'm glad some more experienced people showed up to comfort you. Check out a list of top 10 funniest films and watch the ones you haven't seen! Regards,
((((((((((Mina20)))))))))) <--(That's a virtual hug)