All the Medi-cocktails in the Hospital!

 I wanted to post the below articles because no matter how familiar I become with my disease and the symptoms it can cause, I do not know much. Because my heart rate kept dropping well below the hundreds and I was becoming weaker and weaker this last time in the ER, the doctor prescribed me a Nitroglycerin pill for my heart. What they didn't explain was just how much it can scare someone who never even knew such a drug and its effects existed.

My point... know as much as you can, and definitely know YOURSELF. Every time I go in there vomiting they want to give me Zofran, and though it may work for 90% of the population, it doesn't work for me... Keep track of what they give you... they are telling you for a reason when they pump it in you... The second article is just a reminder.... seriously, overdosing with zofran, pain meds, pepcid and whatever else they decide to add to your medi-cocktail may not be a great idea... My papa was so constipated his last hospital stay and they kept wanting to give him more drugs to fix the constipation the other drugs caused... NO MORE, he said! And one of his doctors finally gave him some Epsom, and like Emeril says....BAM!! ...ok, that's not a good quote at a time like this, but you get the point.

In Surgery: Knowing what you can.

Jennifer Heisler, RN, is a registered nurse who has worked in the areas of surgery, transplantation and home health care.

Experience:

As a member of a hospital surgical intensive care unit (ICU), Jennifer helped critically ill patients prepare for and recover from surgery. She educated family members and loved ones about the intricacies of patients' conditions and care, putting what she calls "surgeon speak" into easier to understand terms. During her time as an ICU team member, Jennifer also provided nursing care in in-home settings.
Today, Jennifer is an ICU organ procurement coordinator. She manages critical organ donors prior to surgery, monitoring ventilator settings, medications and fluids. Jennifer also identifies organ donation recipients who are on waiting lists and provides support and information to family members whose loved ones are about to donate organs. She works in both ICU and operating room settings.

Education:

Jennifer earned an associate degree in nursing from Central Ohio Technical College.

From Jennifer Heisler, RN:

My experience as a nurse has taught me one very important lesson -- knowing as much as you possibly can before having surgery is the only way to make the right decisions for your health and well-being. The decision to have surgery is a big one, and I hope you will use the information I've provided here to take great care of yourself.

n Surgery: Dealing With Pain After Surgery

Tuesday February 17, 2009

I've noticed something about people in pain after surgery that I find rather interesting. All of the normal things we do when we are normally in pain go out of the window. You know what I mean by normal pain; the headaches, muscle aches, cramps and other small pains that plague us on occasion. What do you do for the normal pain in your life? Do you take a few ibuprofen or Tylenol? Do you find a warm compress or a cold compress and put it to work? What doesn't work for your pain? I ask because if Aleve doesn't work for you for normal pain, the likelihood that prescription strength Aleve will work isn't so good.
So, if you are reading this because you're having some post surgery pain, I will first ask did you take the medications that were prescribed for you? If so, great. If not, seriously consider it! Not in so much pain that you need the strong stuff, but you still could use something? It is time to try out those things you do when you haven't had surgery.
Words of warning: make sure you are not double dosing yourself. If your prescription medication contains Tylenol (acetaminophen) don't take more in the form of over the counter meds. This goes for ibuprofen and other medications too. If you are going to use a hot or cold compress, do not apply it directly to your skin. The skin around an incision typically does not have the sensitivity it normally would and you can easily burn or well, freezer burn yourself, for lack of a better term. Seriously.
Let me know if this helps you!
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