my husband would like to know

[cheza]

Hi guys,

my husband would like to know what to expect when the surgons wake me, I have told him that everyone is different and it all depends on how the surgery has gone,  I think he's worried that I won't be very with it or that I may have problems with speach etc..... does anyone have any advice for him?

Thanks Cheryl XxX

[marg]

Hi Cheryl,
     I had my surgery in May..... for me my tumor was so small that my balance had not really been affected  yet..... so I woke up 'loosing my lunch' for a while (although I hadn't had anything to eat for the 18 hours before surgery...... my surgery was delayed an extra 8 hours).  I did wake up with some facial paralysis - but I could talk to my husband ok.... and the nurses were so supportive in ICU that my husband had a great source to ask questions.
     It's hard for you.... and it's hard for your husband as you face this surgery...... but you both should be just fine.  It is the unknown (how are things going to go ) and lack of control in this situation that  makes a tough thing even harder.  I started taking B vitamines (they help with stress and nerve support).. you might want to check with your doctor about that for before and after surgery (  they might help your husband with the stress too).
      I'm praying for you and your husband Cheryl.  Just think - you will be through this soon and it should all be uphill from there.  We are here to support you both 
Margaret

[Obita]

Hi cheza:

My family was there when I woke up.  The nurses ask you all of the usual things like what is the date and who is the president etc...then, one nurse asked me who they should call first if they need anyone.  I told her to call my brother as he always has his cell phone on him.  Then, she asked what his number was.  I started to answer her but my sister didn't think I would remember it, so she started telling the nurse his number.  I rattled off his number and stuck out my tongue at my sister.  That convinced my family that I was indeed the same as before surgery so they all went home.  (My sister stuck her tongue out at me just before she stepped out the door.  We irish just gotta have the last word  )

It was a very long day for my family but, it had a very happy ending.

Best of luck to you Cheryl.  It won't be long now..........Kathy

[Boppie]

Cheza, My tumor was 2 cm, surgery room time 9 hours.  I couldn't speak when I first opened my eyes in ICU.  When my surgeons asked me to smile I could make a grimmace and then go back to sleep.  My husband was there next to me and wanted me to wake up and take a few steps.  But I just wanted to sleep.  I only vomited once on plain water.  I stayed in ICU for almost a full day and didn't get out of the sleep until my husband told me in my good ear that the doc said he'd be down the hall for his evening visit and if I was out of bed and taking a few steps, I'd get out of ICU and go my own room.  Well. I opend my eyes wide and said "sit me up.  Get me out of this bed so I can get to the chair."  I took several steps to the big lounge chair and sat down.  The doctor walked in just then and the nurses fetched a wheel chair and took me down to a regular room.  I still didn't speak much and couldn't get any solid food down my throat as my tongue hurt (or was numb).  Slowly I came out of it and by the next morning I was able to sip boullion and juice.  I didn't eat solids until the morning of discharge (day 4).  My husband was allowed to stay the night in a chair and he did stay for several more hours to watch me.  My husband told me later he thought I'd had a stroke since I couldn't speak.  But I just came out of the anesthetic slowly.  I felt fine, could eat and speak well,  and rode home in the car on day 4.  We live 115 miles from the hospital, and I made the trip fine with my eye shades and a neck supporting pillow.  No complications post op.  My husband came through the event worse for the wear than me I think. 

When you wake up you will have a turban bandage.  Most patients get this removed before discharge.

[Charlotte Lady]

Cheryl

Hmm...apparently even drugged I play the fool.  I would wake up and announce "I'm Donna and you're Carmen (to my friend Carmen)", doze off and then wake up and say "I"m Donna and you're Carmen", doze off and then wake up and say "I'm Donna and you're Carmen".  Seems I did this more than five times. 
When I was in the pre op holding area I was told I would go to the ICU when I knew who I was and who Carmen was.  Guess that stuck!!!!!

I didn't have a turban.  I had a funky C shaped bandage glued to the side of my head around my ear.  I was told I looked like a bad night partying...pale, left eye droopy, hair all crazy (they don't do anything to make you pretty after surgery).  The left eye droopy part is just a natural thing for me when I'm tired or drunk.  It did startle the night ICU nurse.   My surgery was on the right side.  Guess she must have thought I'd had a stroke.

My surgery lasted 4 1/2 hours.  I got to the room around 4, had some chicken broth and slept mostly through the night.  I did spew water (from ice chips) at 3 am when they came to take me for a CAT scan. 

How Carmen survived the waiting, I'll never know.  She took an iPod and a bunch of gossip magazines...nothing deep. 

There's no need to take anything with you.  Your husband can bring an overnight bag when he comes the next morning. 

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Cheryl:

As you can see, no post-op AN patient has the exact same response when they come out of the anesthesia 'sleep'.  You'll more than likely have a head bandage and be pale and somewhat slow to respond to others.  I was basically O.K. (no complications) but very lethargic and just wanted to sleep, which I did - a lot.  My 63-year-old body needed to recover from the surgery.  By Day 2, I was eating (very tiny portions), listlessly watching TV (daytime TV is awful) and chatting with my ever-present wife, who stayed with me for three days and nights following my surgery.  I firmly believe she should be a candidate for sainthood, but we aren't Catholic so I'll settle for loving her forever.    By Day 3, I was sitting up in a chair for a few hours and by Day 4, I was ready to leave ICU.  Day 5 I was discharged (just before lunch) after proving to the PT nurse that I could walk normally and navigate up and down stairs.  My home recovery went equally well.

As the car ads say, your mileage (experience) may vary. 

Jim

[ConnieJ]

Hi Cheeza

When I woke up I said some crazy stuff....lol, I guess I said to my son's girlfriend.. "hey Mikki lets go rollerskating" I called my niece Miss Tropicana,, she just won an hawian tropic pageant. I was just goofy, and very dizzy. I couldn't keep my eyes open because that would make me sick. I remember everyone and there names but thats about it. I was very hot when I woke up. I think that was because of the lovely "turban" they put on my head. I made my husband fan me...lol. The nurses in ICU where great and I was in a regular room in 2 days. You and your husband will do fine. I have faith. I know your scared and I am sure your husband is to but you will be ok. Just stay positive and keep your sense of humor.I am telling you that is what will get you through. One thing that I did for my friends and family was I made a goody bag for them while they where waiting for me to get out of surgery. I put all kinds of games and candy( I went to the dollar store..   The one thing that I put in there where cards for them to open every hour I was in surgery. I wrote things in the cards like ... hug each other.. say a pray ( that was on every one) tell a funny story about me. Stuff like that. They thought that was great. No one new I did that until I was in surgery. I gave it to my best friend and told her what to do with it. Then on the cards they wrote what they where doing at that hour and how they where feeling. It was really neat to go back and read them when I got home. It was just something to help us all get through. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers this week and especially on the 9th. God Bless You and your Family...  Connie

[Victoriah1999]

Well, my first post back is to you!
First, the waiting is going to be harder your fam than you.  You'll be out.  haha
Right when I got into ICU, my fiance` went and got my mom and grandmother.  BAD idea.  Not his fault, they were flipping out.
I was HOT.  I did not even want a sheet on me I was boiling over.  But NO WAY in Hades was I going to be nakey in from of my fam.  (YUCK!)  So I panted and said hi...  The blessed nurse caught on and get them out of the room.

Be sure to tell the fam you'll be hooked up to every possible machine the hospital has that first night, so they shouldn't be alarmed by just that. 

I started cracking jokes immediately.  I'm a goof like that though.

One nurse put cream on my back and then rubbed talc on over top.  BLISS!  After being on your back all that time, it is beyond wonderful.  HIGHLY recommend!

I had the infamous "C" pressure bandage as well.  Keep it on as LONG as possible, I wish I'd kept mine on longer.  I think it helps the
healing process and helps the bone fuse more correctly.  My hair was quite a disaster at first too, heehee.  But I wet it down witha bit of water in my hand and calmed it down.  (It's curly so it made it easier.)

I went to my own private room the next moring after I awoke and told them I was ready!!

PLEASE try to make sure your Dr. makes sure you get a private room.  This is a hard enough thing to go through without a roomie, nevermind with one!  Just make sure (s)he sets it up ahead of time. 

Take ALL the pain meds they offer.  I say this because it is almost impossible to get on top of the pain again after letting it go for a bit.  So no bravery. 

Please feel free to ask me any questions.  I'm glad to help.  My surgery was in 1999 (as suggested by my screen name.)

[bweaver]

Hi Cheryl,
       As you can tell by reading the replies everyone is different but when I woke up I did know what had happened and my name and everyone else.  I had swallowing problems,my voice was different,my depth perception was off, double vision, and facial paralysis. I'm not trying to scare you all of this went back to normal except the facial paralysis. Just want you to know that things can go back to normal even if you wake up with these problems.
                                                                                 Best Wishes,
                                                                                       Barbara

[hhb]

My husband had the RS surgery on 10/22. He was admitted at 5:30 am and surgery began at around 8:30. He was in the recovery room by 1:30 pm where he was watched until he came out of anesthesia. He then went straight to the ICU. Where I was waiting for him. He was awake and was answering the typical questions that have been mentioned in previous posts. I was asked a number of questions by the ICU nurses about who to call, spiritual needs, etc. His head was bandaged over the incision site and had some oozing. Nothing really significant. He was not cognitively impaired at all. He was very tired.  He did have lines for iv medication. He did have some nystigmus which was normal for this kind of surgery but odd for me to see.  In the ICU he was turned every two hours. That night he had intense nausea and vomitting. By 10 am the next morning he was on the neurosurgery/neurology floor of the hospital.  He had a hard time focusing but wanted to look at the newspaper.  He had one more bout of intense nausea on the second evening in the hospital. He did not expereince extreme dizziness due to the loss of the vestibular nerve which means he had probably lost that function earlier and had already been compensating. Today, two weeks after the surgery, he is walking the dog to another neighborhood (about 4miles) where I will meet him for coffee. A far as a caregiver, I need to tell him what scares me about his rehab because he wants to push hard to regain function.

[lori67]

Hi Cheryl.  How sweet of your husband to be worried.  I think this surgery stuff is harder on everyone else than it is on the patient since we get to sleep through the worst of it!  My husband kept himself busy by writing a journal on his laptop computer in the waiting room.  He was able to e-mail it to everyone so they could keep up on what was going on.  We don't have any family in the area, so at least they felt like they were staying well informed.  It was also really interesting to me to read later on and gave me a real appreciation of how concerned everyone was.

As you can see from all the responses, everyone is a little different, but each day is a little better.  I think I was most amazed that one day after having my head opened up I was walking down the hall (with help, but still, when you think about it, it's pretty amazing).  I guess one piece of advice I'd give you is to get up out of bed when the nurses offer you the opportunity.  I remember when they suggested I get up to sit in a chair for a few minutes I thought they were crazy, but being a nurse myself, I knew I should.  After that hurdle was out of the way, everything else seemed to be okay and I really started to feel a lot better.

I realize after reading the posts here that I was very fortunate - I never had any real pain after the surgery.  A slight headache, but nothing I couldn't deal with.  After I came home, I only took regular tylenol at night.  I'm now 8 months out and still only get the occasional headache when I get really tired.

My surgeon had told me that at first, everything seems to be going so fast - one day major surgery, the next day you're walking down the hall, before you know it you're going home and feeling pretty good.  He said that at about 2 weeks post op, many people tend to "hit a wall" - where things settle down and any long term effects you may have are being realized (eye problems - things like that - that take time to heal) and a lot of people tend to get depressed or feel bad about how slowly things seem to be going.  He was absolutely right in my case - i did feel like I'd hit a wall and thought things would never get back to normal.  He said to just be patient and get through that and then things would start looking up.  And, like I said, he was right.  I spent a little time feeling sorry for myself and then just accepted the fact that what I had gone through was a huge thing - and the fact that I was still around to enjoy my kids and my family and there were people around who were truly concerned was more important than the fact that I needed to put goop in my eye all the time.

I think everyone here should be patting themselves on the back for what we've all gone through.  I have to admit when I first heard of this forum  I thought it would just be a bunch of people sitting around complaining about how horrible things are.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a great group of people are here and want to help anyway they can.  I know that you'll be able to offer words of encouragement after your surgery too.

We'll all be thinking about you and your husband and kids and looking forward to hearing how things went!
Lori