Does it get better?

[Bwoolard]

I am sitting here beside my wife who had her surgery in June this is going on week 5 and is still in a lot of pain.
June15 was the date 5days later was sent home while she still had bad headaches and. Vomiting.
Continued pain and vomiting everything she ate except for 3days when she was on steroids. This hole time she was on 15mgoxycodone  and 425tylenol eveey4hrs and  valium(which. Ome to find out you should not mix with perocets causes breathing problems)and zofran every 6hrs
About 2weeks in went Er her pain and vomiting was Icontrollable they gave her. Ct scan Benadryl raglan and a shot of steroid and sent home
Next day she felt great and it went down next 3 days back to 12hrs after last dose of steroid to pain and vomiting.
We then had ns app went and saw her  and gave her reglan script and said try that,tried that for a few days still nothing was controlled.
Went back to ns with a copy of the ct scan that licking memorial said looks ok.
She looked at it and said in2min that she now had hydroxyl (excessive wAter. On her. Brain) sent her back to riverside in nero critical care  dis another mri  and wens(almost 3days ago had a shunt put in andran down under skin to her stomach.
She still can not keep any food down  so they did a. Ct scan and said the fluid was now normal but she still has a horrible headache and vomiting and now a irregular heart beat
She has said several times she would rather be dead
I have not left her side the entire except 3trips home . My family. Are watching our three kids 11-7-4

[drewlevas]

I send you good vibes to you, your DW and family.

[actressmouse]

Thinking of you and your wife....sending positive thoughts/prayers.  I had a few rough days/nights last week due to over-medication....elimination of 1 completely and lowering a dose of another helped me tremendously.  I'm happy to hear that your DW is on the road to feeling better.  A 3 is better than a 10+ any day!!  

[linnielou232]

Want to compliment you for being such a wonderful husband and being there for your wife.  I was also very ill after surgery and I found out it was the med's they had me on.  I'm so happy to hear she is getting some relief.  Your both in our prayers.  
Linda :)

[Viva001]

So glad to hear of the improvement!

I'm guessing that the more severe the malformation, the longer the recovery.  I had a severe cervical compression 12 yr ago, & that recovery was worse than this one. ( I'm also 4 wk post op).  My NS said my surgery was easy, no surprises.

Food still seems repulsive to me, it doesnt go down very well, and I eat just so that I can take ibuprofen--which also doesnt go down very well. I lost a bunch of weight--good riddance-- but I have enjoyed pizza & ice cream, which I haven't had for years.
I'm living on frozen fruit pops too.

It does get better!

[Rahe28]

you are both in my prayers and I will continue sending them and praying that her pain stays down. I am still on heavy narcotic pain meds....and I pray that she finally gets some relief !

[Bwoolard]

She did not have any major trouble with her bowls before

[Bwoolard]

You could see on her MRI before clearly that she had the malformation it looked like to a plain eye there was not even any room for the fluid to get through they said it was going through like jackhammer and it wearing the epidurum down and it was very thin
  She was on zofran ,a patch for nausea,one that goes in the other end. And one that begins with a r.
Today she off all. Narcotics and now on ultram and Tylenol day 2 and she quit taking all nausea meds except milk of mag.she is still on Iv fluids and clear liquid diet.
   So far she has got her pain down to a 3 at her best time today we are praying that it stays down and does not come back when the steroids wear off.we don't know if maybe the fluid finally equaled out after the shunt or if this is just a good day this at least the best day in 4 weeks that did not involve heavy narcotics to the point she basicly was knocked out. I think we might be starting to a small light at the end of the tunnel lets pray it don't go out

[Rahe28]

I had surgery about a week before your DW. I am still in ALOT of pain as well. I am a 28yo Female. I had and still have alot of trouble with coughing, leading to headache. I do not have the other issues you are talking about like water on the brain. I just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you both and keeping her and you in my prayers !

[irislita]

recovery is a tough thing.i felt worse after and really regreted having done it in the beginning. But things for me got better at about 3 or 4 months post op.I already read about others having similar problems. anyhow did they ever check for any kind of infection? does she have fever??? I am wishing u and ur family the best

[actressmouse]

Sending positive vibes to you, your wife, and your kiddos....hang in there.  It does get better.  We all heal differently.  Your wife and I have (had) many of the same issues (my nausea was horrible pre-surgery) and I still need occasional medication help with this issue.  I'm glad you're there for her....she really needs you now.  {{gentle hugs}}

[Viva001]

Also, Please know that we're all praying for her recovery!

[Viva001]

Im so sorry for her pain & nausea.  Did she have trouble with digestive system before surgery?  I ask because mine shut down before surgery, and it has not come back very well since my surgery last month.  
For nausea, I found that chewing mint gum worked as well as, if not better, than Zofran.
I had promethizine in the hospital, which also seemed better than Zofran.

Isn't there some injection they can give to stop the nausea?  I would think that they would be hydrating her, IV.  Can she keep down some pedialyte, a teaspoon at a time?  The irregular heartbeat could be due to the loss of electrolytes.

[selmaS]

  So she had many of the typical issues most of us deal with......

Did they rule out ehlers-danlos, tethered cord, disk issues b4 surgery?

[Bwoolard]

She also got headaches from straining

[Bwoolard]

She had headaches ,cold feet and hands,short term memory trouble,light headnes ,shoulder pain,hers was 13mm and thick, they told her if she did not get it. Fixed it would block the fluid from coming down also and it would cause her to have a stroke in prob about 6months to a year.if she did elevation changes or went around a sharp turn in vehicle it would make very light headed.

[selmaS]

  Hi, I am so sorry this has happened to ur DW, as I mentioned b4 there is no way to know who will have adverse affects from surgery......

In time she will begin to feel better, I just wonder if she has a CSF leak,....does she feel worse when she is upright?

Does she feel better if she is laying down?

Keep her hydrated....and all she should be doing is resting at this point with occasional neck exercises to help from it getting stiff and scar tissue forming
.
May I ask what symptoms she had b4 surgery?

[Bwoolard]

I forgot hers was 13mm every thing was packed in according to the surgeon
And they talked about if part of it was dead cutting it off to also along with the bone they removed from the back of her skull and they said her me membrain around her brain was very thin at the patch because of the fluid forcing it way through
She is 29

[redkim]

I had some complication after surgery, but mostly with the medicine.  So I don't have advice for you, per se.  I will say.  It took me 6 months at a minimum to feel like I had the strength for everyday activities.  Sometimes I would just have trouble walking and it would take me forever to get anywhere.  This was months after surgery.

You should like a great husband!  I know this is very hard for both of you.  This sounds like a lot to deal with.  Just hang in there.  Be persistent with the doctors!  My thoughts are with your family.