HELP! Post surgery questions for you guys - please!

[DarlaLOU]

I have a couple of questions. Guess I sort of have answered them myself and now so much of what I have read here before makes SO much more sense to me. LOL But here goes:

- coughing up stuff... this is killing me! the pain overall is not bad at all until I have to cough and then I have this phlemish stuff coming up, I know that it is important to get it out so it doesn't settle in my chest, but is there ANYthing you guys found to make the coughing less painful? I have been holding a folded towel to my throat when I cough as sort of a "support" and that helps a bit, but not much... also how long does this coughing go on? iiiiick!

- feel like my chin is pulled down to my chest... making me crazy. Again I have to use a folded towel to sort of support myself when I lift my chin up at all. Makes sleeping crazy horrible and drinking is a joke...thank goodness for straws. Is this all from the amount of tape used to hold the incision closed or is it just the way the skin pulls from the surgery or what? How long till' it eases off as well?

THANKS so much for any and all input here! I feel like I am a 90 yr old granny hunched over  walkin' around coughin' up a lung or something!  (But I have my sense of humor so I must be ok - right??)

Darla

[ChitChatNine]

I was really lucky .. basically coughed it all up in one massive cough while in the hospital and they (and I ) were truly amazed what came out ...... really lucky is what it was.

Gueifesseinen (?sp) is the mucous thinner in the Robittusin DM .... the Dextro something or other is the other ingredient that controls the cough .. if you find you just wasnt the mucous thinner they sell that otc .... in either Robitussin brand or that Guaifenex brand I think ???  But I'd control the cough and upchuck the crud at the same time.. sounds good to me!

Cheryl

[shelly45]

I had a bad cough with lots of phem after surgery and ended in the hospital with bad brocohitis and vomiting due to the phem going into my stomach. One of the nurses told me to try Robotussin DM,its over the counter and safe to take after surgery and it had helped being that I couldn't take certains meds due to my stomach problem. It helps bring up the mucus and control the cough. I loved it because it worked for me and only used it for a couple of days. You can ask the doctor if its ok to use Robotussin DM to be sure or there might be something else he or she can tell you what to use. Also try to eat ice pops,its very soothing. Get lots of Rest! Let us know what the doctor tells you about the cough.

[JoBa]

I'm so sorry to hear that you are still not feeling well. Are they giving you anything for the nausea? It seems that you would feel a lot better if that were resolved. I made my anesthesiologist promise to give me compazine or something like that if I got nauseated. I also was told to stay away from aspirin and ibuprofin (advil, motrin, etc) for at least two weeks post-surgery because of the bleeding risk. I was afraid that the vicodin would make me sick since codeine does, but it didn't seem to bother me, maybe because I took it with food. There must be some painkiller that your doctor can prescribe to help you out.

Lots of pillows help, as does the neck pillow. I sleep on my side, and found I was able to do that if I actually rested my face on my little neck pillow to keep my chin elevated. You just need to experiment to see what works for you.

The first day or two are the worst and then it gets dramatically better, so hang in there and get plenty of rest.

[dart frog]

The vicodin ( hydrocodone) they gave you works BEST when the pain is not severe. You should use it to stay ahead of the pain. If it bothers your stomach take it right AFTER you eat and start off with only taking 1/2 pill. Sometimes it takes a couple of pills for your stomach to "get with the program"

[DarlaLOU]

You know, I was suprized they did not have me use the incentive sperometer (sp??) thing to breath and help move the phlem.... when dh had his surgery last year they made him use it every 1/2 hr for 2 full days. I have it up in the closet, maybe I should use it a few times and see if I can't loosen some of this stuff up??  
Talked to my sis a bit ago (she is a RN nurse) and she said do NOT take any motrin due to the excess bleeding I had until I talk to the Dr tommorrow and to force the cough as much as possible to keep it from settling in my lungs. ugh.
I did get a bit of a nap, kept ice on the insicion and feels a lot better.
Thanks again.
Darla

[TOLD YOU]

I coughed up alot and the ONLY thing that helped was holding my ice pack on it when I coughed.   It still hurt but not as bad, the hospital gave me some GREAT ice packs.  Did you have to do breathing treatment things, you know blow or suck  and make the thing go up, I did and would cough after that and stuff would come up.

My neck pillow saved my life it was the ONLY way i survived....LOL.
Good luck to you, been there done that so I know EXACTLY how you feel...LOL..as alot of us on here do..=)  that is what makes this place so AWSOME.  
All the posts on here make alot more sense now..=)
DANA

[DarlaLOU]

Well, I figured it was all pretty normal stuff... darnit! The coughing I can deal with, even though it sucks, but the feeling like my head is flopping over is making me miserable. I think that is part of what is making me feel so much naseau to be honest. The pain killers don't seem to do much either at this point but I can't take any motrin or alieve bc of the bleeding.... tylenol I doubt will do much too. I have to call the Dr Mon morning to make a followup for this week (Thurs) and I will ask them what I could take. I have Hydrocodone but it does nothing but make me sick to my stomach.  I just wish I could lie down and rest... let my head fall back, relaaaax.... I would feel so much better. This makes my whole neck, shoulders, back ache too. Sorry to whine but I am getting pansey mansey now and dh won't want to hear it!!!
Darla

[JoBa]

I coughed phlem-sounding stuff for a couple of days. It hurt, but to avoid coughing I engaged in a lot of low grade throat-clearing. That seemed to help a bit. I also took vicodin for the first day, but then didn't need it after that. The vicodin did not really seem to help the pain all that much, but I felt GOOD. I had to crush the pills, though, and take them with applesauce or chocolate pudding (helpful tip: the pudding is a lot tastier).

It was difficult to lift my head for a couple of days also. It still is a bit tight feeling, but it's almost back to normal (5 days out) and it really doesn't hurt at all (except when I sneeze, which I advise against.) I pretty much have full range of motion at this point.

Sadly, that will last until Tuesday when I get to do this again :(

[SuzieQTT]

I didn't have a lot of trouble coughing at all...only when I drank from a straw.  I did and still do have a problem with my chest pulling up when swallowing or drinking.  So much so that someone across the room can see it...and laugh...with you of course.  I felt like I had a speed bump (I think DartFrog came up with that description) or like I had a low adams apple.  Take it easy and let us know how it goes.
Suzie

[dart frog]

Glad your home and getting better!!

Keep in mind that they cut a lot of muscles in the neck to get the thyroid out. Kind of feels like your head is going to flop off right?? Once the muscle starts to heal it will get better....just takes time. When you drink and it feels like your chest is being pulled up into your throat..again thats the muscles trying to do their job. It does get better just hang in there.

I didnt cough up much stuff but when I did cough it helped to have ice on the area. One for the added support and two by keeping the area iced it helps keep it kind of numb so the strain of coughing and sneezing isnt so bad. If your still coughing up stuff monday I would call the dr. Maybe they can give you some medicine to help bring it up and dry it out.

Glad to hear your home and YES having a good sense of humor will help speed things along. {{{{{Darla}}}}}

Rhonda