A little impatient

[Kferguson1]

Hi all..just home from surgery a week now. (Lobectomy upper right). I’m 46 years young and feel like I should be doing or feeling better than I am. I am nauseous and still dealing with quite a bit of pain. I have cut my pain pills down and stretched my time frame to 6 hrs from the 4 even though I am always in pain. I am doing my walking and breathing excercises. How am I supposed to know if I’m on track? I had an open surgery with 6 incisions. I appreciate any advise.

[FtB_Peggy]

Good afternoon, I am so sorry for the difficult time you are enduring right now. You will soon hear from the wonderful survivors on this site, and I believe you will be told that what you are experiencing is normal - you had a very serious surgery and it takes the body time to recover.

Please be patient with yourself, but also continue to try to push the envelope - as you have been doing. Also, have you contacted your medical team about your nausea and your pain? It is always important to let them know how you are doing - they expect that. Please keep talking to us too! And welcome!

[judg69]

Hi Kferguson1, I had full thoracic surgical removal of my top right lobe 6 years ago. Don't stress on it too much as you are doing what is required to improve, and improve significantly you will. I weaned off the pain pills as fast as I could, and started using ibuprophen instead. Like you, I did get up and about and started walking. And importantly, I got a 'flute' like device( I got Aerobika ) and used it very often throughout the day, very often when watching tv or on my iPad . It works great and works wonders when used correctly( i.e. Pursed lips breathing) . Check back with me in a month or two, and I'll bet you are doing much, much better. BestWishes, judg69

[SusieJo1948]

Hi and welcome it's. Only been a week it's a rough surgery and you don't get over it in a week. I had a lot of pain for quite awhile I'm not saying you will have it for a long time. Just try to relax the more tense you get the worse the pain. Take it one day at a time and know it will eventually ease up. It's hard I know but will eventually get better. Don't push your self. If you need to talk or rant cry I'm here I'll help as much as I can. I'm a 5 and a half year lung cancer survivor I'm cancer free I had stage3and in lobes I did 6 month's of chemo. Have faith and hope keep fighting and don't give up. Susiejo1948

[Feelingblessed2013]

Hi Kferguson1, Welcome to the club no one wants to belong to. Like others have said, it's only been a week, you just had major surgery, it will take time to heal. In a way you sound like me, I have complained more than a few times that I don't feel I am healing as fast as I should be, but I am learning to take pleasure in the small stuff, the fact that I can finally pick up my coffee cup with my right hand without causing discomfort. I am a bit older than you (61) and I am 4 weeks out from having my upper right lobe removed along with the lymph nodes on the same side. I had the upper left removed about 5 years ago. You have to be patient, and give yourself time. I still use my spiromiter several times a day, my aerobika more often than that.

You said you had open surgery with 6 incisions, do you have any large incisions, or are they all small ones? I had VATS surgery, 4 small incisions (not counting the hole for the chest tube).

Try to have patience (I know it's not easy), give your body time to heal. You said you have cut back on your pain meds, not a good idea at this point, you are only a week out. I was told that in order for the medicine to work you have to keep it in your system, you have to take it on time every time. I don't like the way the prescription stuff screwed with my system, so as soon as I was home from the hospital (3 days post op), I switched to 200 mg ibuprofen, 2 tablets every 6 hours.

If your pain is not being controlled, call your doctor, they will want to help you manage your pain. By the way, the pain could be causing the nausea, but make sure you mention that as well.

I am not a big meat eater, so for about 6 weeks after any surgery (I've had a few) I drink a Boost high protein every day. There are many protein drinks out there, if you can find one you like, our bodies need protein to heal.

How is your appetite? If you are not eating well, maybe try milkshakes or fruit smoothies?

Do you know what kind of cancer you had, and what stage you were? I had squamous cell both times. The first time I was stage 2, so I had (some) chemo. This time I was stage 1a, no chemo needed.

Please keep in touch, let me know how you are doing.

Kate

[Kferguson1 in reply to Feelingblessed2013]

Hi! Thanks for your response. Today is two weeks exactly and I have seen improvements but yes still slow. I was supposed to have VATS but, when they got me in the operating room there were complications. So the six incisions are five smaller ones (one for the chest tube and four others for lymph nodes) and a large one on my back.

I have/had a neuor endocrine tumor that is a rare carcinoid. Caught very early on. They first saw it at 7mm and watched it for 6months before it was biopsied and had grown to 1.3 cm x 1. I will have my follow up tomorrow with my surgeons but was told previously once it’s gone, I shouldn’t need chemo or radiation. I will be need to be watched to make sure nothing else shows up.

I know I am on the up side of things. I am learning to have patience..and of course after getting to know your stories, I am thankful.

[Feelingblessed2013 in reply to Kferguson1]

I hope you get good news tomorrow. Please let me know how it goes.

[FtB_Peggy in reply to Kferguson1]

Let me join Katherine in wishing you well today! Please let us know how things go!

[Steph60]

As everyone else has already said- give yourself time to heal. Your body had major trauma and needs time to heal. Take it 1 small step at a time, talk to your doctor about your level of pain and see if they can give you a different type of pain med’s. Keep us updated.

[joeyroe]

All i can say to comfort you is you are over it now and you are getting better each day.

My Husband is facing the same surgery and has not seen his surgeon yet and he is so stressed i had to take him to our Doctor to give him something to help, he wishes it was all over and at home because if he had a date for the surgery we would both feel a bit better.

Keep your chin up and take one day at a time.

Will keep you in my prayers.

Joeyroe. (margaret).

[JRuthI1946]

Hi K....

Pain is different for all of us. Coming down off them too quickly is not advantageous. You can't CHASE the pain. For the first week you need to control your pain. You will not become addicted. In order to move around and breathe you should not suffer with pain

It's great to cut back on pain meds but not too quickly. No one gives out medals for suffering

Be kind to yourself. Every day gets a little easier.

[FtB_Peggy]

Well said, Ruth!

[Lucieee]

You are expecting too much too soon. They give you the meds for a reason. It will be very hard for you to heal if you are in constant pain. Take it as prescribed. You are not going to get addicted in a couple of weeks. It will help you progress. I tried doing what you are and did myself no favors. I am currently 10 weeks out and doing well. I still have nerve pain but it is getting better. I am still having shortness of breath without a whole lot of activity but I guess it is getting better also. I have a great dog Hogan who is my walking buddy. Give yourself a break, a little time will help.

[tvf60]

Hi Kf. I too was impatient after my upper right lobectomy. I was in a lot of pain. It took me a solid 8 weeks to become pain free. I now just have numbness on my whole right side but, no pain at all. It does gets better. It just takes some time. I'm 57.