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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> CH and having Surgery
        
(Message started by: islandsonja on Aug 18^th, 2005, 9:15am)

Title: CH and having Surgery
Post by islandsonja on Aug 18^th, 2005, 9:15am

Has anyone had an attack while recovering from surgery?

Im having surgery this next week and I am a little nervous about the days following when I am laying in a hospital bed with limitedy mobility due to stitches and whatever else they decide to attach to my body. Being in a place where no one understands why you cant handle the light, struggling to raise up because you cant bare laying day, requesting oxygen immediately but not getting it until the nurse gets good and ready and having a bunch of "professionals" see me going through an attack and having no idea what is going on. These are some of the things that I am dreading.

Hopefully I am getting all worked up for nothing. Talk to me. Please!

Title: Re: CH and having Surgery
Post by nani on Aug 18^th, 2005, 9:23am

Hi Sonja!
I think your concerns are valid and you should dicuss them with both your surgeon and anesthesiologist. Probably wouldn't hurt for the doc to relay all that to the charge nurses, too. I can't imagine it would be hard to be sure there's an O2 tank ready to go at your bedside, BEFORE you may need it. As far as mobility... I don't know. I once had a k9 while strapped in an ambulance gurney. All I could do was rock my head and squirm...but it didn't make it any worse. Just more frustrating. Good luck, hon...let us know how things go. hugs and pf wishes, nani

Title: Re: CH and having Surgery
Post by marlinsfan on Aug 18^th, 2005, 10:55am

Hi Sonja, my last cycle started 3 days after back surgery in April. I was laid up and only got out of bed to go to the bathroom, and it was a real struggle. When the cycle started, I was jumping out of bed and doing the dance, and everyone thougth I was nuts.... While doing the dance, I was very aware of my back and believe it or not, I was able to dance without hurting myself.

As masochistic as this may sound, the head pain was a welcome relief to the back pain, it seemed to take over my pain receptors. My back did not hurt during CH attacks, probably because the CH hits were so hard.

Nani makes a good point. Tell your surgeon and nursing staff that you have CH. They will do a pre-surgery questionnaire, and that is the perfect time to do it. They will ask about what meds you're on, etc. Make sure that you tell them everything. The Doc doing the questionnaire is a different one than who will operate on you, and it's his job to ensure you have everything you need post-op.

Good luck, and pf wishes.
Jose

Title: Re: CH and having Surgery
Post by Karla on Aug 18^th, 2005, 3:23pm

I have had surgery several times over the last 5 years. It never impacted my ha or brought them on. However, I always found myself with morphine or oxycontin or some strong narcotic for pain. So that may have kept the ch at bay. However they do shortly return a couple of days after surgery.

Title: Re: CH and having Surgery
Post by unsolved1 on Aug 18^th, 2005, 5:56pm

I had a CH Attack in the recovery room. Woke up to it. I think it was from the anesthesia. Anyways, they got me Imitrex quick so I didn't suffer long. I went right back to sleep.

Goodluck

UNsolved

Title: Re: CH and having Surgery
Post by Jasmyn on Aug 21^st, 2005, 5:14pm

If I could ever be a drug addict (Ha-Ha-ha...!) it will be on anaesthetic. That is the best sleep I ever get and I feel really GOOD afterwards.

So different strokes for different folkes!

The best advise is like the previous, when in doubt tell your surgeon everything and have your meds or at least O2 on stand-by!

Good luck! ;)