Post op pain after translab surgery

[Pbellovin]

Am 7 days post op. I don’t really know how to gauge my healing. I am having pain and soreness on the left side of my tongue and pain and soreness going down left side of my neck below where the stitches are. Is this part of the normal healing process. The pain also radiates into my left eye and up into my head which is where I imagine the tumor was

[samanthalambert]

This could be normal. I had a lot of weird feelings when I was recuperating. Are you on any pain meds or steroids? You might want to send a note to your surgeon just to check. I sent many questions thru the portal to my surgeon and his assistants. They were great at responding. I hope you feel better soon. Get lots of rest and continue to hydrate. You have just had major surgery.

[Pbellovin]

Thank you. I really appreciate your response. Those2 days right after surgery we’re somewhat euphoric. I was hoping to be the exception to the rule!  I am on pain meds but would prefer to take Tylenol in place of hydrocodone. Unfortunately these drugs cause extreme constipation with headaches and I’m not sure which is the lesser of the two evils. Sorry for being too graphic. Just looking for a bit of relief!

[chrisabbott]

Hi there - I too was incredibly surprised at how comfortable I was the first 24 to 48 hours post op (in my head, my tummy was a different story).  I am 2 weeks post translate and have learned:  drink way more clear fluids than you might think necessary as this will help flush out the toxic stuff and also helps the meds work better.  Rest often - you will feel more pain if you overdo it.  Take the meds as soon as its OK per x times per day schedule for a day or two, then interpret "as needed" as being when you first get symptoms vs when you can't hold out any longer (don't chase the pain it results in using more meds).  I took the Oxywhatchamicallit at night only as soon as I got home, and haven't touched it for 3 days now - still taking Tylenol though.

For the constipation, lots lof liquids, lots of prunes, veggies, fruits, oatmeal, whatever floats your boat + get up frequently and wander around.  I've been drinking a whole glass of hot water with a slice of lemon and find that helps with keeping things moving as well as being pleasant.  Unfortunately. healing is not sensation free - but I'm pretty sure if you find you have too much pain after meds they let you go home with, you should check back in with your doc/surgeon (wouldn't want inflammation to get out of hand).

I have rough evenings, but it doesn't last more than an hour and I drift off to sleep - wishing you the best on this bumpy road to recovery!