THAT is awful, I can't imagine how I would have acted if my son was treated like you were. BUT it is really good advice to talk to your surgeon about pain care before surgery, we ALSO discuss pain control with the Anesthesea team when we have the preop test day and meet everyone. I'm sorry you had to go thru that, it sounds horrific, did you have your first surgery there?
What does intubation feel like?
- Thread starter TakeStock
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THAT is awful, I can't imagine how I would have acted if my son was treated like you were. BUT it is really good advice to talk to your surgeon about pain care before surgery, we ALSO discuss pain control with the Anesthesea team when we have the preop test day and meet everyone. I'm sorry you had to go thru that, it sounds horrific, did you have your first surgery there?
witzkeyman
Well-known member
BigOwl, sorry I didn't reply sooner. I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open. The intubation was remarkably painfree. Of course everything is painfree when you are so tired you can't stay awake for more than 30 secs. (I said secs not "sex") The nurse turned on the full lights and turned on the TV to "harass" me awake. The eventually left the tube in but disconnected the oxygen just to see if I was breathing -- it was weird hearing my breathing over the ventilalator. Towards the end I was just dying of thirst. I really don't know how you can go more than 14 hrs like I did and deal with the thirst. The didn't put any water in my mouth the whole time, so I was loving the ice chips I got when they finally took it out. Of course then I find out they try to limit you fluid in take for several days after surgery, so I would only get about 8 oz of Sierra Mist for the next several hours when I was finally cleared for liquids.
those ice chips were heaven.
I told my girlfriend I wanted to buy a machine that made ice chips that shape and texture. I haven't thought of ice chips since, but the taste of those ice chips were fantastic. thanks for the memories.
BigOwl
Well-known member
I'm just glad you made it through this (for some of us) very scary part of the process, TakeStock. I found your post on the other thread--but glad to have you back, having your way with puns and such. Your sense of humor wasn't lost in the operation at least!
During my last 5 day session on the respirator the tv was on showing a commercial of toilet bowl being flushed. That was the only thing that caught my attention. I thought at the time I could have drank the water in that toilet, for I was so thirsty.
Ross
Well-known member
those ice chips were heaven.
This is a little off subject, but we did a poll once to find out how many of us liked to suck on ice cubes and it was surprising large. I'm not just talking after surgery, but all the time since surgery.
http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12371
BigOwl
Well-known member
Just don't chew on it! Bad for the teeth.
My wife says I fought like crazy to get it out but don't remember much of it.
I DO remember dieing of thirst. And after a while the nurse made the mistake of leaving the water jug in reach of my lips and I drank the whole thing, which had them upset.
I wish BEFORE hand someone would have explained too much water can be a very bad thing after surgery, I had no idea. Not sure if it attributed or not but 4-5 days post op I had CHF from fluid build up.
But hey I SURVIVED it and you will too.
I DO remember dieing of thirst. And after a while the nurse made the mistake of leaving the water jug in reach of my lips and I drank the whole thing, which had them upset.
I wish BEFORE hand someone would have explained too much water can be a very bad thing after surgery, I had no idea. Not sure if it attributed or not but 4-5 days post op I had CHF from fluid build up.
But hey I SURVIVED it and you will too.
WilliamJE
Well-known member
Try telling the nurse you need to write something and have them refuse to give you anything that happened to me.
First they had trouble intubating me, I therefore spent the first day with tube in my throat. The reason- they feared having to tube me again and not being able to.
Then the 2nd night I got pnemonia and they put me on cpap. Early the nxt morning I began gagging on my tongue. I couldn't tell this to anyone, because the cpap didn't allow me to talk and the nurse wouldn't give me anything to write with.
ccummins
Well-known member
I hate to say it but I hated that damn tube. It is my worst memory of my surgery. That being said it came out pretty quickly and all is well as it will be for you. The thirst though ... I will never take water for granted again. I had a nurse that gave into my pleads for water. I promptly vomited it up. I never did get ice chips. They gave me little sponge lollipops.
A
axeldog
I woke at 3 pm and the tube was taken out at 6 pm. Not too bad but it was more comfortable when they finally pulled it out. After that I remember how good ice chips tasted.
A
axeldog
Just look at it as another step to recovery.
Megan
Well-known member
i remember the tube very well too-i have a very big gag reflex and couldnt stop gagging so they gave me meds to put me back to sleep i think. just try to do what everyone is saying here and give in to it and dont fight it. tell your family or whoever will be with you to watch out for this and speak up to docs to put you back to sleep but they should know this already anyways.
Ross
Well-known member
This is why you must have someone there - a spouse or someone else who will not back down - with a paper and pencil. There is no excuse for the behavior of the nurse in this example, but there are always a few like that lurking around.
They will also tell your spouse that he or she should leave, any time they are going to do something. Baloney! My spouse took root in my room, and they had to do everything under her watchful eye. Your spouse/parent/advocate should be in the room with you when things are done, such as extubation. That's how you and they can be sure the right things are being done. Of course, they shouldn't get in the way, but there is always room in a corner, and there's no secret magic being done here that needs to be hidden from the audience.
Best wishes,
Reddog
Well-known member
Hmm.... all this talk about intubation has me scared about... the other end. Is the urinary catheter inserted and removed while you're still asleep?
WayneGM
Well-known member
Thank goodness it was inserted while I was asleep. I was awake when they took it out and I feared the worse.....for nothing. It came out easily and I didn't feel a thing.
palmaceae
Well-known member
They insert it while you are asleep, but take it out when you are awake. Feels weird but no pain. Now I had the unfortunate experience last year when I had kidney stones, the day before my surgery to remove the stones. Well I got one stuck in my urinary tract, so could not relieve myself. Had to wait in ER for over 1 hour in total pain, they finally got me in and had this inexperienced nurse try to insert a catheter, while being fully awake. Normally that is not too bad but remember I had a stuck stone. So while inserting it it hit the stone, talk about pain, I almost passed out! After attempting this 4 times they finally got a specialist and took him 1 try. That is not an experience I would want again!
TakeStock
Well-known member
No need to be worried about intubation. It really turned about to be no big deal. The urinary cath is installed while you're asleep, along with everything else. I had mine in for several days and it felt a little weird especially when they moved the tube around so I could get out of bed. I'm not sure why the cath tube, not the part they insert, is so wide and bulky. I guess they don't want to accidently bend it and cause it to block. If you're a guy, I believe it's kept in with some of balloon and it would make me very nervous when my wife walked by it -- I didn't want to find out what would happen if she tripped over the tube. Taking it out was painless. Watching how the nurse did it, I believe they used a suringe to pull out the air in the balloon so it could slide right out. There's a small IV type plug on the tube for where the suringe is inserted. Anyway, nothing to worry about.
ccummins
Well-known member
I was out when it was inserted and awake when it was taken out. No pain at all though, just a little tugging.
SHEEPDOG
Well-known member
It goes inthe TRACHEA...
It goes inthe TRACHEA...
...and then they blow up a little balloon that keeps it in place. I knew it was there and do remember the nurse telling me not to bite it but that is it. DRUGS are the word of the day. Baring any BIG problems, it should come out shortly after waking. I remember consciously working on my breathing to show anyone that was around I was able to breathe on my own. Taking it out was really fast and I don't remember that too much either. I was stressed too but for no reason.
You will be fine!
PS. With it in the TRACHEA, you should be able to swallow. The balloon keeps STUFF from going into the LUNGS. The only way to breathe is through the tube.
It goes inthe TRACHEA...
...and then they blow up a little balloon that keeps it in place. I knew it was there and do remember the nurse telling me not to bite it but that is it. DRUGS are the word of the day. Baring any BIG problems, it should come out shortly after waking. I remember consciously working on my breathing to show anyone that was around I was able to breathe on my own. Taking it out was really fast and I don't remember that too much either. I was stressed too but for no reason.
You will be fine!
PS. With it in the TRACHEA, you should be able to swallow. The balloon keeps STUFF from going into the LUNGS. The only way to breathe is through the tube.
