I am feeling very anxious about what to feel after my surgery. Can anyone help me out? Can I lay down, I just want to know what you can and can’t do straight after surgery. Thanks
Hi Eryn,
Just wanted to send good wishes. I’m meeting with surgeon next week. I’m also hoping to learn more about surgery experience and recovery. Hope all goes well for you.
Hi!
Yes, good wishes to you Eryn; hope all goes well. I am waiting for surgery too, officially, as of yesterday, my prayers were answered with the appt I had.
If you look in the previous discussions (click on the bar above), and look up post-op updates, there's lots of posts from people who've had surgery. Eaglewon'tbeatme did a very detailed post with lots of info about what to expect, if you look this up:
Bilateral Eagle Syndrome Extraoral Surgery #1 of 2: My day 1 experience/post-op recovery/tips
So praying for you that all goes well!
God Bless, Jules
Crushed ice seems to be a winner with the folks that had the surgery. Good Luck!
Hi Eryn, what kind of surgery are you having? I had an extra oral surgery to remove my right styloid. In summary - you go into the OR and are under full general anesthesia so you don't feel anything. The surgeons prep the neck and clean it all up. They do what they have to do and remove the styloid process. And then you are wheeled out to an area where the nurses and all monitor you closely for a few hours (time is variable). At this time you'll feel that your throat is very very dry... and you really want to drink water and have something to eat but they won't let you just yet (all this is from the anesthesia and the tube they put in your mouth). So they might instead give you ice-chips and sometimes dry crackers. Ah, a lot of people say they have some vivid dreams so maybe you'll find yourself dreaming away as you are in bed while the nurses and doctors are running around. You'll feel very tired and sleepy and that's absolutely okay. You can expect to have difficulty eating and moving your neck for some time as everything heals. I also had some trouble opening my mouth all the way for a few days but it all comes to pass quickly. You can definitely lie down and move around but don't lift anything heavy and don't make any jerky movements. Basically, go a bit easy on your body as it recovers. I think the best thing would be to go on gentle walks everyday and keep moving the rest of your body. Give your neck some time to heal. Eat soft foods if you have to (Oh SMOOTHIES were the best! I drank so many smoothies.). It's natural to feel tired as you recover from the anesthesia, it's natural to feel sleepy all the time... it's just your body taking the time it needs to get up and going again. And then after a few weeks once the scar and all is healed up - you can start doing gentle stretches of the neck. And of course, talk to the surgeons and doctors about what you can and shouldn't do! All the best to you!
My surgeon said I needed to sleep w/ my head elevated 30 degrees or more for the first couple of weeks post op. I ended up needing to have my head elevated for at least the first month post op or my throat would swell & swallowing/breathing would be more difficult. I also had extra-oral surgery. As has already been mentioned, listen to your body & do what it asks. Don't push yourself for a couple of weeks (at the very least) post op. Take your pain meds according to the prescribed schedule to stay on top of your pain i.e. don't try to space the meds out & wait till you're starting to hurt before you take your next round. Playing "catch-up" doesn't work too well. Also, don't leave the recovery room if your stomach feels the least bit nauseated. Ask for anti-nausea meds for your IV as nausea is a very common side effect of anesthesia. If they aren't offered to you, ask for steroids to help w/ post op inflammation. I think I took them for almost 2 weeks post op & they made a BIG difference.
Go into surgery relaxed & confident in your doctor's ability. You'll do just fine!
I'm praying for you to have a peaceful heart & a great outcome!