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Day 3 With the Permanent Implant

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  • #1

    Day 3 With the Permanent Implant

    Well, my muscle soreness from the anesthesia seems to be better -- I have certain sore areas still, but it's not all over me like yesterday. Also, the itchy red rash I had in certain areas is better too -- as I said, it seemed to be in areas where I would sweat the most, and today I seem to only have a little bit around my armpits. Hopefully it will stay that way.

    I plan to take a bath today -- of course, I cannot get my incision wet, so as during the trial I will be using my trusty stool and hand-held shower to wash without getting my lower back wet. I hope that will help wash off whatever was irritating my skin and causing the rash. Plus, I'll feel better after washing my body and hair. I have "hospital hair" still, even though I brushed it yesterday You know, hair all plastered down around your head from the silly hat you have to wear into surgery, plus from all the sweating you do when you come out of anesthesia, plus from spending a day in bed.... LOL...

    I have a question for those of you who have the Interstim. When I finally heal, and everything is going as planned, what can I expect from sex?? Am I supposed to turn the stimulator off or can I leave it on? If I leave it on, what will sex feel like? Normal? Different? Just curious... actually, I hadn't been thinking in this vein at all, but Hubby brought up the subject earlier today and I started to wonder how it goes with my new body part in place!! Anyone who is willing to respond... please do
    ****
    Jen

    *Diagnosed with severe IC in 2004
    *Also diagnosed with PFD, fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, IBS, migraines, allergies/asthma, dermatographism
    *Kept trying a million different treatments for all these things until I found what works, and I am doing okay these days with the help of a cocktail of medications and the InterStim, which was first placed in 2007. [I have had 2 revisions - one in 2010 when my battery died and had to be replaced, and one complete replacement (lead and generator) in 2012 after a fall on my stairs caused my lead to move.]
    *Current meds include Atarax (50mg at night), Lyrica (150mg twice a day), Xanax (0.5mg at night and as needed), Zanaflex (4mg at night), hydrocodone (10/325, every 6 hours as needed), Advair, Nasonex, Singulair (10mg at night), oral contraceptives, home instills containing Elmiron and Marcaine (as often as I need to do them).

    **I am not a medical authority nor do I offer definitive medical advice. I strongly encourage you to discuss your medical treatment with your personal medical care provider. Only they can, and should, give medical recommendations to you.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Interstim

    Jen,

    When I had my Interstim, We turned it down or off during intimate times.
    I hope you can get your shower and feel all clean! I know the feeling!

    Thinking of you!

    Kara and the Coons

    Complex Case: Severe IC 1999, Interstim 2001, Endometriosis 2001, End Stage Refractory IC 2002, Bladder Removal (Cystectomy) 2002, Gall Bladder Removal 2005, Infertility 2003, Urethra Removal, Bladder Reconstruction (Urethrectomy/Indiana Pouch) 2006, Celiac Disease 2007, Adhesion Disease 2007, Pudendal Nerve Entrapment, Ovarian Cysts, Vestibulitis, Vulvodynia, Total Vestibulectomy and removal of both Skene's Glands, 2007 and Coccydynia 2007. Fibromyalgia and, Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome both in my neck and knees, 2007, PNE Decompression Operation May, 2009.Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Anesthesia Awareness (to awaken during operations)Pudendal Nerve Decompression Surgery, Revrse Uterine Sling, Sept. 2011

    "One hour at a time, this was NOT my American Dream but it has to work out somehow."

    I also have some journals of my journeys, past and some present at:
    http://karasnewblog2008.blogspot.com/ and http://icnkaralynn.blogspot.com/

    Most of my Journaling now is currently on Facebook. These are old and my ICN Patient story is very old and outdated.

    Comment

    • #3
      Hi Jen;

      Well I have had my InterStim almost eight years and I never shut it off or turn it down at all..
      Well a matter of fact it has improved my sex life very much so !!


      Cheers, Debbie
      Thinking positive has got me through to another day!!

      Comment

      • #4
        Jen,
        Glad your soreness and rash are getting better. I still have hospital hair as well, I think I will try and do something about that tomorrow...just not feeling like messing with it today.
        I also got the hand held shower thing and the little Walgreens stool, and will probably attempt that tomorrow as well.
        Very interesting thought about intimacy and the stim...glad that a couple people have responded and hopefully some more will. I would just like to get to the point where my pelvic floor allows me to have intercourse.

        ~Claudia

        "A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others."
        ~ The Wizard of Oz

        "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own
        back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!" ~ Dorothy

        Comment

        • #5
          Thanks from the gals who have had sex with the 'Stim, I appreciate your replies and look forward to more. I am nowhere near ready for intercourse at the moment since I'm so darn sore still, but it was an issue hubby raised this morning. We had a little just-him action this morning, and he wanted to at least touch me or do SOMETHING in return, but I was just in a lot of pain and was afraid to mess stuff up.... I appreciated so much that he wanted to "return the favor" ... but I was SO not in the mood...

          Still, it raised questions as to what would happen after I felt better...
          ****
          Jen

          *Diagnosed with severe IC in 2004
          *Also diagnosed with PFD, fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, IBS, migraines, allergies/asthma, dermatographism
          *Kept trying a million different treatments for all these things until I found what works, and I am doing okay these days with the help of a cocktail of medications and the InterStim, which was first placed in 2007. [I have had 2 revisions - one in 2010 when my battery died and had to be replaced, and one complete replacement (lead and generator) in 2012 after a fall on my stairs caused my lead to move.]
          *Current meds include Atarax (50mg at night), Lyrica (150mg twice a day), Xanax (0.5mg at night and as needed), Zanaflex (4mg at night), hydrocodone (10/325, every 6 hours as needed), Advair, Nasonex, Singulair (10mg at night), oral contraceptives, home instills containing Elmiron and Marcaine (as often as I need to do them).

          **I am not a medical authority nor do I offer definitive medical advice. I strongly encourage you to discuss your medical treatment with your personal medical care provider. Only they can, and should, give medical recommendations to you.

          Comment

          • #6
            you are a good wife Jen!
            we will all be rewarded... eventually
            Keep healing!
            Just a thought... have you thought of dry shampoo? it will not be the same as a shower and washing but may be something you want to try.
            Prayerfully,
            Georgia
            Faith is not believing God can; Faith is believing God will!

            Comment

            • #7
              Jen, I'm just happy to hear that you're feeling well enough to even **think** about sex! I'm sorry you've been so sore. I was the same way after my hydro. I really felt like someone had beat the crap out of me!! I felt that way for about 2 weeks, too. I know I was an exception. I hadn't thought about the 'sux...do they give that with general for a hydro too? I wonder if I was in the same small % of people you are.

              I hope by tomorrow you're feeling much better!

              Hugs, Sandy
              *IC-- Summer 2004; PFD--October 2005
              *Fibro--Fall 2000; CFS-- Fall 2000
              *MPS--Fall 2000; Crohn's disease-- 1997*IBS,GERD, *Migraines, hypothyroidism, GYN problems *Degenerative Disc Disease/scoliosis

              Total Abdominal Hysterectomy--adenomyosis--9\08

              04/17/09 Crohn's disease almost killed me with a combo of extreme constipation from pain medications. My bowel ruptured, I almost died from peritonitis and spent several days in the ICU then more in a private room on the floor. If you have any questions about severe constipation from pain meds please don't hesitate to send me a message.

              Comment

              • #8
                Sandy -- yes, they generally use sux in the general for a c/h too -- I had the same soreness after my c/h because of it.

                They generally use sux for shorter surgeries because the "off-time" for it is quick -- it comes off its receptors very quickly, which means paralysis doesn't last too long, making it great for short surgeries. However, they can do a continuous infusion too as long as you are well monitored, so some anesthesiologists use it for longer surgeries because it is cheap, cheap, cheap!

                However -- there are those of us, and it sounds like you are one of "us" for sure, that get the soreness BAD. We get sore because sux binds to the receptors on muscles that normally cause them to contract. When that happens, all of your muscles spasm really hard first; then, when the neurotransmitters associated with those receptors are depleted, you just flop down, paralyzed. It's that initial spasm that causes the soreness -- it's like working out every muscle in your body to the max all in one session. They give drugs to prevent soreness, but some people, especially those with fibro, don't respond to those and end up in pain anyway...

                The other paralytics are curare derivatives (pancuronium, aka Pavulon, etc) and have a longer mechanism of action -- but they don't work the same way as sux (in fact, one could say they work in the absolute OPPOSITE way, as they block rather than activate those receptors on muscles) and don't lead to such soreness. Most anesthesiologists stay away from them, though, unless it's a surgery that's going to take hours -- or if you're in the ICU and have to be tubed for several days such that they need long acting paralysis so you don't buck the tube.

                Sorry for the science here, but I find anesthesia really interesting
                ****
                Jen

                *Diagnosed with severe IC in 2004
                *Also diagnosed with PFD, fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, IBS, migraines, allergies/asthma, dermatographism
                *Kept trying a million different treatments for all these things until I found what works, and I am doing okay these days with the help of a cocktail of medications and the InterStim, which was first placed in 2007. [I have had 2 revisions - one in 2010 when my battery died and had to be replaced, and one complete replacement (lead and generator) in 2012 after a fall on my stairs caused my lead to move.]
                *Current meds include Atarax (50mg at night), Lyrica (150mg twice a day), Xanax (0.5mg at night and as needed), Zanaflex (4mg at night), hydrocodone (10/325, every 6 hours as needed), Advair, Nasonex, Singulair (10mg at night), oral contraceptives, home instills containing Elmiron and Marcaine (as often as I need to do them).

                **I am not a medical authority nor do I offer definitive medical advice. I strongly encourage you to discuss your medical treatment with your personal medical care provider. Only they can, and should, give medical recommendations to you.

                Comment

                • #9
                  I have the same response as DebbieB. LOL!

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    I remember using pavulon way back when with the NICU babies on vents. I just hadn't thought about them using a paralytic with such a short procedure. It all makes sense to me now. Next time I have a hydro or other procedure done I'm going to mention this prior to anesthesia. That achey, soreness/pain was the worst part of the whole procedure for me. I remember writing on here for days and days that something was wrong with me. I guess there really was something wrong!
                    *IC-- Summer 2004; PFD--October 2005
                    *Fibro--Fall 2000; CFS-- Fall 2000
                    *MPS--Fall 2000; Crohn's disease-- 1997*IBS,GERD, *Migraines, hypothyroidism, GYN problems *Degenerative Disc Disease/scoliosis

                    Total Abdominal Hysterectomy--adenomyosis--9\08

                    04/17/09 Crohn's disease almost killed me with a combo of extreme constipation from pain medications. My bowel ruptured, I almost died from peritonitis and spent several days in the ICU then more in a private room on the floor. If you have any questions about severe constipation from pain meds please don't hesitate to send me a message.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Yep, it's a real problem for us, particularly fibro patients... this time I wasn't as bad as after my c/h, because I talked to the anesthesiologist beforehand, so it can help; I guess he can use more of the drug that's supposed to prevent the soreness or something. Still, it didn't get rid of the soreness.

                      Maybe a different anesthesiologist would be able to switch paralytics or whatever, but the guy I had seemed to be set in his ways. At least he TRIED though.

                      I am noting that while I'm not really too sore anymore (except for a little in my quadriceps), my muscles still aren't too happy -- I started to head into our downstairs and my legs felt kinda shaky on the stairs, so I turned around and went back up. Last thing I wanted was to fall on this implant just days after getting it put in....
                      ****
                      Jen

                      *Diagnosed with severe IC in 2004
                      *Also diagnosed with PFD, fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, IBS, migraines, allergies/asthma, dermatographism
                      *Kept trying a million different treatments for all these things until I found what works, and I am doing okay these days with the help of a cocktail of medications and the InterStim, which was first placed in 2007. [I have had 2 revisions - one in 2010 when my battery died and had to be replaced, and one complete replacement (lead and generator) in 2012 after a fall on my stairs caused my lead to move.]
                      *Current meds include Atarax (50mg at night), Lyrica (150mg twice a day), Xanax (0.5mg at night and as needed), Zanaflex (4mg at night), hydrocodone (10/325, every 6 hours as needed), Advair, Nasonex, Singulair (10mg at night), oral contraceptives, home instills containing Elmiron and Marcaine (as often as I need to do them).

                      **I am not a medical authority nor do I offer definitive medical advice. I strongly encourage you to discuss your medical treatment with your personal medical care provider. Only they can, and should, give medical recommendations to you.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Hey Jen,
                        What is the difference between the pain level of phase one verses phase two?

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Do you mean in terms of surgical pain? In my case, phase II is more painful because they have to make a larger incision in the back/upper butt, and then insert the stimulator itself deep under the skin and anchor it down.

                          That's not to say that the trial phase wasn't painful -- I was pretty sore for a while with that too, but I think I'm definitely more sore after the permanent implantation.
                          ****
                          Jen

                          *Diagnosed with severe IC in 2004
                          *Also diagnosed with PFD, fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, IBS, migraines, allergies/asthma, dermatographism
                          *Kept trying a million different treatments for all these things until I found what works, and I am doing okay these days with the help of a cocktail of medications and the InterStim, which was first placed in 2007. [I have had 2 revisions - one in 2010 when my battery died and had to be replaced, and one complete replacement (lead and generator) in 2012 after a fall on my stairs caused my lead to move.]
                          *Current meds include Atarax (50mg at night), Lyrica (150mg twice a day), Xanax (0.5mg at night and as needed), Zanaflex (4mg at night), hydrocodone (10/325, every 6 hours as needed), Advair, Nasonex, Singulair (10mg at night), oral contraceptives, home instills containing Elmiron and Marcaine (as often as I need to do them).

                          **I am not a medical authority nor do I offer definitive medical advice. I strongly encourage you to discuss your medical treatment with your personal medical care provider. Only they can, and should, give medical recommendations to you.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Jen I am so sorry....I have not been on since Friday Morning. I am glad so far things are going well. I know they will continue this way.

                            About the sex question I have not turned mine down or off during. Even with all the problems I have had I did not. And also my hubby could never feel anything, like the pusle feeling.

                            Again sorry I am now just getting back to you.
                            God grant me the serinity to withstand the days ahead!!!

                            My myspace link...
                            www.myspace.com/patricia_luvs_matt

                            Patricia

                            In Memory of My Father (Lawerence) 1/25/2007

                            Procedures:
                            Interstim Sept 2001
                            1st InterStim Removal May 2005
                            2nd Interstim Implanted May 2005
                            2nd InterStim Removed March 2007
                            Hysterectomy 1999
                            Tubes Tied 1997
                            C-Section 1996

                            Me and my kids


                            Taylor (my daughter) Me and my daughter My son Cody and Taylor

                            Comment

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