Tag: pain threshold

Normal? maybe I am a wimp.

decisionsformyfamily2 Comments

I am home and sitting for the most part comfortably.  I use the term loosely and for the first time today.  I consider myself to be pretty tough with a high pain threshold.  Child birth, a c-section, multiple surgical biopsies and the massive bilateral prophylactic mastectomy and DIEP flap all added to my ability to handle more than my fair share of pain.

Why do I list this?  Well everyone heading into today gave great feedback on the procedure.  I actually know many people who themselves have had it done and the universal feeling is a wonderful long-term result and most agree that there was minimal pain involved.  As I went into the surgical center today I went in very calm and felt confident about the next few days.  Then an interesting thing happened.  My doctor came in and talked about any pain over the next few days will be nothing more than that of “normal menstrual cramps”.  After the first breast revision surgery last summer, my surgeon at the time talked in a similar way about how pain-free things would be.  I remember the awful throbbing and sever pain.  After calling his office for stronger pain meds I remember him saying that yes it had been a big surgery.

When my doc today sounded the same, I decided to be a bit more proactive and asked if I would be sent home with any pain meds.  She seemed totally taken back and informed me that she did not even have her script pad.  I quickly looked at my husband who went to the internet on his phone to find a phone number to the drug store for something to be called in.  I told her that I would rather have something and not need it than have to hunt her down over the weekend.

This brings us to the point…THANK GOD I DID!  At the hospital they talked about the fact that I have a retroverted uterus and the extremely thick lining which to me was like whatever…what it meant was the most intense cramps I have ever had!  After some Tylenol with codeine and perception Motrin I have finally reached a point of calm.  All I have to say to the doctor is normal cramps my ass and thank-you for bowing to my request for meds!

It has been a long week

decisionsformyfamily5 Comments

I am tired.

I have been to the pediatrician twice this week, had a follow-up with the plastic surgeon and an endometrial biopsy all while the hubby has been out-of-town for work.

It could always be worse!

So, I had my little one home sick today with fever and sore throat.  Thankfully does not seem to be strep so just keeping her loaded up with Motrin and we will wait it out.  Megan continues to have sinus issues, an ENT visit is probably in the near future.  I need to get both of them healthy in the next 35 days…that is the official Disney countdown!  Tomorrow is my nieces birthday and the girls have been looking forward to it since we found out the date.  It is to be a bowling party.  I will evaluate everyone’s condition in the morning.  I hope to be able to go for at least a little while.  FIngers crossed.

My visit with the plastic surgeon was uneventful.  I am still not fully finished with him.  I still have some discomfort from the scare line on the right side.  We agreed to one more appointment in 3 months to make sure that scare settles.

The biopsy was also pretty uneventful.  I do not know if I have a high pain threshold or after the experiences of the last years surgeries, the many years of breast biopsies or child birth but it was really nothing.  It seems that they schedule for at least 30 minutes and often get a bunch of whining, squirming and requests for breaks.  Since we did not have any of that we finished pretty quickly so with the extra time the doctor drew the blood work for the CA-125.  That saves me a trip to the lab!  We did discuss the lack of reliability of the blood work and she explained that it is just part of the puzzle.  I get it and agree.  The blood results should be back next week, 10-14 days on the biopsy.  Until then, I have plenty of other things to think about.