PAM: Post Myo Trouble Sleeping

[Guest guest]

Hi, Pam!

So sorry to hear about your difficulty in getting a good night's sleep.

No, I did NOT have trouble sleeping after my myo--except for being woken up

due to a maddening itch--an wicked allergic reaction to the adhesive tape on

the bandage. The antihistamine Benadryl (which is mildly sedating) helped stop

the itch and gently put me back to sleep.

If you have not done so already, I would recommend applying ice packs on your

incision, several times a day, to reduce the inflammation--for say, thirty

minutes at a time.

I did that faithfully, and found it to be extremely helpful in numbing the

pain and discomfort , those first few weeks.

Remember my timeless motto " When in doubt, get horizontal. " I still live by

those words, Pam, and it's been well over a year since my surgery!! (You see,

I'm a mattress tester, by profession!! :-))

And as strange as it might sound, Pam, you might ALSO apply a heating pad to

your aching BACK--even at the same time you are icing your belly (or

separately, if preferred it doesn't matter).

Pam, sleep and rest are sooooooooo important---VITAL to your recovery. If you

are having trouble sleeping you really MUST discuss this with your doctor--if

not your gyno, then ask your GP for help.

Perhaps you and your doctor need to rethink a pain management plan, with more

frequent Percocet (in the evening, in the hours preceding bed time) or

perhaps consider the addition of a temporary sleep aid. You don't--and

SHOULDN'T

have to put up with this!!!!!

I took Percocet for a full two weeks after my surgery. After that, I took

ibuprofen (to reduce inflammation and pain)--every four hours--for many weeks.

But, once, I remember during an extended stay (after another surgery) in the

hospital, I could not sleep at all-- at night ! I could NOT get comfortable!

Neither could my hospital roommate! We thought we had to grin and bear it and

talk all night, just to bide the time until morning !

Gosh, we two roommates had some great all-night talks--about the meaning of

life, the World Bank, the reign of the Great, and discussions about

hospital food---but stimulating discussions notwithstanding.......sleeplessness

was NOT helping our recoveries from surgery!! Not one bit!!!

Fortunately, one wise nurse, who learned of our sleepless plight, intervened

on our behalf and actually . . . reported us both..... to our doctors! (Yup,

I was BUSTED for talking--just like my high school days!!!!!!)

From that point on, I believe I was taking Ambien, or some similar sedative,

just before bed. And it worked like a charm. And eventually, of course I

stopped needing it, once I started to be in less pain.

PLEASE call your doctor and tell him/her about your complaints. If he/she

won't take you seriously, find a doctor who will!

PLEASE make that call TODAY!!!

-Roma

In a message dated 3/24/2004 8:18:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,

pjkay720@... writes:

Anyone have any suggestions? I miss my sleep and am exhausted. Other

than the sleeping problem my recovery is going great.