I'm Alive!
Dearest Friends--'Just a little note to let you know that I am home from the hospital. My surgery lasted four hours and my hospital stay was four days. I didn't have the greatest experience this time: the Neurology floor, at Morristown Memorial Hospital, couldn't get their act together with regard to giving me my pain medications on time. In fact, I went without pain meds for the first 8 hours after my surgery! I had a low dosage of pain killers to combat the surgically induced pain, but they neglected to give me my maintenance drugs for my chronic pain/radiculopathy condition! Can you believe that? I'm happy to state that my neurosurgeon was pleased with the condition of my spinal chord--he stated that all of my pain is caused by damaged nerve roots and that I have no damage to my spinal chord itself--i.e. there is no 'mechanical' problem with my spine. I suppose that IS a good thing--although I am hardly able to celebrate that fact because of the amount of pain I am experiencing. I have NEVER experienced pain like this before. I actually had to visit the Emergency Room--and be admitted to the hospital--the day after I was released from the hospital from my surgery! I went to the ER for two specific reasons: 1) the pain was excruciating--so much so that every time I tried to roll over in bed, I would get a sharp/lighting bolt type of shooting pain down my back and up my skull--all starting from the place of the surgical incision. Once I got to the ER, I was treated for a fever, too. (It never ends!!!)
Something horrible happened after I was admitted to the hospital from the ER; I won't go into all of the specifics, but--in a nutshell--the admitting doctor refused to let me see a pain management specialist! He wouldn't even talk to MY pain management doctor on the phone (so that my doctor could assure him that I truly DO suffer from a chronic pain illness and that I hadn't gone to the hospital just in order to score some new pills.) The NERVE of this man--insinuating that I am less than a model citizen and that I lacked character. Basically, that's what he was saying. He yelled at me; I yelled back at him! Ultimately, I left the hospital in more pain than when I arrived at the ER just 16 hours earlier!
A lot more happened than that, but I'm so incredibly sore and tired, I don't want to go into it right now. I think I will tell you this one other thing (hey Gyrobo, I think you'll like this!): I kept waking up with blood on my pillow-so I assumed it was my incision that was oozing, as incisions tend to do after surgery. No such luck. It turns out that I had about six needles stuck into my skull so that my pain management physiologist Dr. Rao--a very kind and funny man from India, whom I love to death--could monitor my brain waves and nerve reactions. This enabled him to tell my neurosurgeon, Dr. Chun, when he was getting too close to my spinal chord. Well, it was one of the puncture wounds from the needle that kept bleeding onto my pillow. The needles he used were about the size of acupuncture needles (extremely tiny in diameter), which made me wonder how such a tiny hole could bleed so profusely. That's when Dr. Rao--whose office I visited yesterday--told me that one of the needles was larger than all of the rest and had to be screwed into my skull!!! EEEeeewwww! I have this hole in the side of my head that is about 1/3 the size of a dime. That's pretty big!
Well, that's it for now. I am on very high levels of medication right now, and I am unable to move around freely--I am supposed to stay in bed for at least the next two weeks. I will not be posting anything during those two weeks. However, if I get up the strength, I will check in to read your comments.
Thank you for all of your well wishes. By the way, I am happy to report that meditation, contemplation, and being in the company of friends and family are the three things (besides the drugs!) that have gotten me this far along on my recovery: my doctor surely wasn't joking when he said that this recovery would be ten times worse than my last surgery!
I hope this finds YOU well.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Much love,
Bhakti
tags: Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy, spinal surgery, Dr. Jay Chun, Dr. Rajesh Rao,
Something horrible happened after I was admitted to the hospital from the ER; I won't go into all of the specifics, but--in a nutshell--the admitting doctor refused to let me see a pain management specialist! He wouldn't even talk to MY pain management doctor on the phone (so that my doctor could assure him that I truly DO suffer from a chronic pain illness and that I hadn't gone to the hospital just in order to score some new pills.) The NERVE of this man--insinuating that I am less than a model citizen and that I lacked character. Basically, that's what he was saying. He yelled at me; I yelled back at him! Ultimately, I left the hospital in more pain than when I arrived at the ER just 16 hours earlier!
A lot more happened than that, but I'm so incredibly sore and tired, I don't want to go into it right now. I think I will tell you this one other thing (hey Gyrobo, I think you'll like this!): I kept waking up with blood on my pillow-so I assumed it was my incision that was oozing, as incisions tend to do after surgery. No such luck. It turns out that I had about six needles stuck into my skull so that my pain management physiologist Dr. Rao--a very kind and funny man from India, whom I love to death--could monitor my brain waves and nerve reactions. This enabled him to tell my neurosurgeon, Dr. Chun, when he was getting too close to my spinal chord. Well, it was one of the puncture wounds from the needle that kept bleeding onto my pillow. The needles he used were about the size of acupuncture needles (extremely tiny in diameter), which made me wonder how such a tiny hole could bleed so profusely. That's when Dr. Rao--whose office I visited yesterday--told me that one of the needles was larger than all of the rest and had to be screwed into my skull!!! EEEeeewwww! I have this hole in the side of my head that is about 1/3 the size of a dime. That's pretty big!
Well, that's it for now. I am on very high levels of medication right now, and I am unable to move around freely--I am supposed to stay in bed for at least the next two weeks. I will not be posting anything during those two weeks. However, if I get up the strength, I will check in to read your comments.
Thank you for all of your well wishes. By the way, I am happy to report that meditation, contemplation, and being in the company of friends and family are the three things (besides the drugs!) that have gotten me this far along on my recovery: my doctor surely wasn't joking when he said that this recovery would be ten times worse than my last surgery!
I hope this finds YOU well.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Much love,
Bhakti
tags: Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy, spinal surgery, Dr. Jay Chun, Dr. Rajesh Rao,
Labels: Bhakti Brophy, Dr. Jay Chun, Dr. Rajesh Rao, jaibhakti, spinal surgery
posted by Unknown at 2:47 PM
9 Comments:
Well I hope the worst is behind you and you are on a speedy recovery. We will be pulling for you.
I'm so sorry ya had such a bad experience with the hospital staff as concernin' yer pain medication. I bet ya coulda give Rush a call an' he woulda shared his Oxen Cotton.
At any rate, I'm glad ta hear yer doctor is pleased with the condition of yer spinal chord, an' I hopes ya a speedy recovery.
An' have a Happy Thanksgivin'!!!
I hopped in her to wish you happy thanksgiving, sorry to hear about your troubles and my prayers are with you that you'll recover and the pain susides or at least becomes managable. Blessings and my your doctor's words about the condition of your spinal cord be truly good news.
Thinking of you Bhakti!
Sending healing vibes your way!
:-)
Glad to see you back
This is why I hate hospitals. I am so sorry you had to endure this: surely you deserve better.
I am glad you're on the happier side of the curve, and I look forward to your continued recovery and your return to a pain-free life. You deserve no less.
Thank you all for your comments and well wishes. I am still in the throws of the initial healing period of this major surgery (I was told yesterday that the 'initial' healing phase of the surgery is one month--in other words, my doctors won't know how much pain will be permanent, etc., until about a month after the surgery. That leaves two more weeks. Let's pray for a very healing next two weeks! :)
I woke up yesterday in less of a 'fog', which was great. I think the remnants of the anesthesia have worn off a bit--a welcomed treat. I can think more clearly now--although I can't really talk more clearly, since I am so highly medicated for the pain. Godwilling, I will be able to get off of some of these pain killers some time this year. Let's pray for that, too!
I am looking forward to the day when I can blog a lot and post more photos. For now, thank you for keeping in touch, and God Bless!
;)
Bhakti
Geez Bhakti, what next??
I can't say why you have been chosen to endure all you have, but there must be a reason and hopefully you will come through the other side and have much strength and wisdom to share. Soon, I think, you will have the words another so desperately needs to hear. It will be your gift - the pain will become.
Mike
Can you contact me please? I have an appointment with Dr. Jung and he seems rather well.
I am in extreme pain and wonder what your thoughts are.
My number is 973-884-1779
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