No Pain Medication Given After Neck Surgery
I had a surgery for cervical fusion c5-c6-c7 recently. Was discharged from hospital with no prescription medication. I did wonder why I was not given medication for pain or muscle spasm. "Doctor knows the best", I thought!
The very first night i came from hospital, I started getting pain in my back below neck. I called my doctor. "It is very common side effect", he said. Because of the pain, I was constantly twisting and turning all night in my bed while trying to get sleep. Five days later i noticed swelling around the incision.
called my doctor. it should go away in 5 days, he said Waited for 5 days. It did not go away. He asked me to come to the clinic. He explained my dura was leaking during surgery. He had patched it and watched for 20 minutes when it had stopped leaking. it started leaking again. He took out the fluid from the swelling and asked me to come back 5 days later. Swelling was still there 5 days later. He advised for another surgery to patch the leak. Second surgery was peformed 3 weeks after the first surgery.
Second surgery failed too. Fluid was leaking again the very next again. My real trouble began after that. I was put on bed flat for 7 days. I was not allowed to get to eat or go to bathroom. Spinal fluid was discharged from lower spine (lumbar) to reduce pressure in cervical. 7 days later patch was healed and i was send home.
This time i was given medication for pain/muscle spasm.
Because i lost brain/spinal fluid, I had sever vertigo for 3-1/2 months. Everyting used to move around me. Was treated with medication for that. Once vertigo slowed down, I started getting flashes, sort of electric pulses, inside my brain which was too horrific to tolerate. Although, severity of flashes went down 3 months later, I still get it once in a while.
In addition, I was sseverely weak as a result of double surgery plus 7 days of lying flat on bed loosing my brain fluid. Weakness has not recovered completely yet.
Four months after 2nd surgery, i started getting pain in my front side of neck. i never had pain my neck before surgery. Only reason i went for surgery was that my left hand was getting too weak. I am still getting pain in my neck that i never had.
All along it bothered me why i was not given medication for pain after first surgery so i could sleep comfortably. My constant pain in my back, uncomfortable sleep, constant twisting and turning my body, head, neck while trying to get sleep may have put pressure on my neck that gave up 5 days later and started leaking.
I saw my surgeon a month ago and i asked him why i was not given after the first surgery. he looked mad and surprised -- "all of my patients get medication after surgery", he said. I felt sad. I was hoping he will give me a good reason why i did not get the medication. All those pain i had to go through was not necessary after all. I did not need second surgery.. no need to lie flat for 7 days loosing brain fluid .. i did not have to go through 3-1/2 months of vertigo .. 3 months electric pulses inside my brain .. constant pain in my neck.. sever physical weakness ..
I tried to convince him i did not get the medicine. I reminded him i had called him the first night complaining him of my pain in my back. He had said it was common side effect. Besides, i have hospital discharge paper signed by hospital discharging nurse that says i left hospital with no medication. Doctor looked angry. "I will subpoena your hospital records. I will see who the nurse was!" he said!
Who do i blame for my misery? Was it hospital who did not bother to contact my surgeon for prescription drugs for pain prior to discharging me from hospital? ot was it the doctor who, apparently, "forgot" to give me medication?
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Quoting july55
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