Surgery & Post Surgery Recovery

Hi Oyita, sorry to hear that there was complications with the surgery. I can understand why your mind is racing and full of questions. Take a slow deep breath and slow down. I don't recall getting a leak test maybe it depends on where you get your treatment. However he has probably been through the worst of it now and the healing process and recovery takes time. One of the best things you can do for your husband is to look after yourself so that he will see you are ok. Try not to show you are worried and still try to be positive when you are visiting him. You can let your emotions out when you are away from his bedside. I was in the High Dependency Unit for 4 days then moved to a general surgical ward. I developed a chest infection and the major wound was infected so I spent another 8 days in hospital. I don't remember much about the first 4 days and don't recall being in too much pain. Seemingly the epidural wasn't working when they brought me around from surgery and my heart was racing. In the HDU I was in a bit of pain but that was because the canula wasn't connected properly and was leaking onto the floor. Once that my wife saw it and told the nurse it was sorted and I didn't really have much pain after that. I'm almost 3 years post surgery and life is good. I hope your husband starts to improve and the pain is dealt with. Please keep us informed,ask anything you want and be patient. Kind regards Frank.

Hi oyita, 

I had a leak test within the first week post surgery. Sorry I can't be more accurate than that but I did not keep a diary. I do remember having to stand on a shelf about 18 inches high and having major problems getting to the shelf for the scan. 

As for pain, my pain management post surgery was good and was only in major pain when my pain management drips ran out and it took them 45 minutes to replace the pumps. I tried to walk as much as possible even with dozens of drips and drains in, and still try and walk a minimum of 2 miles a day. and go to the gym at least once a week (not high bars but achievable goals for me). My pain from surgery subsided about 12 weeks after surgery, but I was on my second cycle of FLOT that made me feel so ill that I didn't notice the pain from surgery. I also had 1 broken rib which I think stopped hurting about 12 weeks after surgery when I breathed? If your husband is in pain in hospital they should be able to sort this out? I went home with lots of pain management drugs which worked for me. I stopped the oral morphine at home after a few weeks and I found the best pain management drug for me was co-dydramol which my GP (not the hospital) prescribed. 

Normalcy is something that may not come back? Things will have changed both physically and mentally. I stopped needing daytime naps (due to fatigue) maybe 3 months after finishing my post-op chemo. 

While I was in hospital recovering from surgery, I really appreciated visits from family and friends, but only for short periods (up to 1 hour) and my wife didn't visit me every day which was fine but arranged that someone did visit me every day which I appreciated. I think everyone is different and has different wants and needs?

Your feedbacks really put my mind at ease and I am confident that they will of use to other members as they search content.

Today my husband passed the leak test on post op day 6 morning, and was moved to the general surgical ward.

He also managed a glass of juice but was later too tired for his soup. The pain management so far has been mediocare because epidural is not enough and the other intravenous stuff is not doing enough. The drains are huge trouble. I hope they can remove them, and he can move more freely.

Recovery pace is really slow and I just wish that he could be more mobile at this point. Having him lay in bed is worrying me.