It's a hell of a thing....

[Hey-O]

God love you guys and I do, like brothers, but no pain meds. Try bringing in two fingers that you cut off and asking for them to be reattached. The nurse almost fainted. Pain meds, hell yes!! you have no idea what pain is. My hand felt like it had been crushed by a 20 pound sledge hammer. Trauma team was on me like white on rice. Some trying to save my fingers and the others my life, from bleeding to death. There's a reason for pain meds and part of it is to keep you from losing your mind, apparently you've never been there yet, thank God. Only by the grace of God and a team of pros, I still have both, my fingers and my mind.

 

[1967coronet]

God love you guys and I do, like brothers, but no pain meds. Try bringing in two fingers that you cut off and asking for them to be reattached. The nurse almost fainted. Pain meds, hell yes!! you have no idea what pain is. My hand felt like it had been crushed by a 20 pound sledge hammer. Trauma team was on me like white on rice. Some trying to save my fingers and the others my life, from bleeding to death. There's a reason for pain meds and part of it is to keep you from losing your mind, apparently you've never been there yet, thank God. Only by the grace of God and a team of pros, I still have both, my fingers and my mind.

I hear ya HeyO, years back I wrecked a bike. Fd up my left knee, separated right shoulder, broke the right collar bone, plus a good case of rash lol.
I was eating oxys like m&ms for a week and washing them down with a shot.lol
It do help.

 

[moparedtn]

God love you guys and I do, like brothers, but no pain meds. Try bringing in two fingers that you cut off and asking for them to be reattached. The nurse almost fainted. Pain meds, hell yes!! you have no idea what pain is. My hand felt like it had been crushed by a 20 pound sledge hammer. Trauma team was on me like white on rice. Some trying to save my fingers and the others my life, from bleeding to death. There's a reason for pain meds and part of it is to keep you from losing your mind, apparently you've never been there yet, thank God. Only by the grace of God and a team of pros, I still have both, my fingers and my mind.

I'm not sure why you felt as if I was somehow besmirching your need for painkillers in the past, my friend.
Not what I was doing....at all.
I don't want to get into all of this here, I really don't - we can talk privately if you like - but suffice to say:
1. You have no idea what I know and have experienced with pain - obviously.
2. I've been administered prescription painkillers in my distant past, many times (for far worse than you describe).
Most importantly:
3. By stating that I steadfastly refuse painkillers now, that does NOT, by any stretch of the imagination,
indicate that I am "dissing" anyone else who chooses to accept them, needs them, has had them help
them.
That happens millions of times a year over this planet, I'd wager - and I don't have a negative thing to say about
them at all OR about anyone who "goes there".

I'm not bragging or showing any false bravado about refusing them now (and for the past dozen years)....
rather, I am scared to death of them and know how weakness and abuse of them have ruined some
otherwise pretty remarkable peoples' lives - few of which ever intended to let the drugs do that to them to begin with.
Powerfully addicting, they are...
Does that mean I suffer needlessly as a result? Probably. Don't care.
Am I somehow resistant to pain? Not at all - in fact, I've been hyper-sensitive to pain for decades now.
To me, as a result of all the times dead in ER's, all the cancers, all the falling/crushing/accidental injuries
I've had in this life - those are all what keep what my doctor calls my "pain bucket" big and full, constantly.
Throw this latest **** in there with it....
I'm good at it anymore out of necessity, but that doesn't make me "special" - EVERYONE is carrying a pain
bucket of their own, too.

Finally:
I'm very, very happy you're still happy and healthy and with us here!

 

[Hey-O]

You're right, we all carry our own scars, I've had my fair share too. I'm sort of mental about the drug thing also. I'm sorry for you and yours and I'm glad you have learned to cope so well thru such adversity. I only wish you well.

 

[BDF6]

Glad to hear you survived ANOTHER ONE Ed!
Praise the LORD (& stop cussing your nurses)

 

[moparedtn]

Glad to hear you survived ANOTHER ONE Ed!
Praise the LORD (& stop cussing your nurses)

Thank you, my friend....and no, I usually try to have a good time with the med folks, at least when
I'm fully conscious.

 

[F4R/T]

Nice to hear your up and going Ed. I understand the pain med thing too..I also understand everyone else too.. They terrify me.. Take it easy Ed, relax and give the big guy up above some thanks for another successful trip home. Check out Chuck and see what’s new with him.

 

[moparedtn]

Nice to hear your up and going Ed. I understand the pain med thing too..I also understand everyone else too.. They terrify me.. Take it easy Ed, relax and give the big guy up above some thanks for another successful trip home. Check out Chuck and see what’s new with him.

Heh, he's apparently learning how to weld - so that means I am too, at least vicariously.
Yes sir, the fella upstairs and I have been chattering away. I reckon it's going to be ok.

 

[moparedtn]

EPILOGUE:
It's been a couple weeks now and I just got a good look at the surgical area (in the mirror)
yesterday for the first time.
My wife had kept me from doing so up until then, saying it would freak me out.

Turns out - she was right.
Looks like a bad sci-fi movie down there....

It's not pretty is what I'm saying - downright scary, really - but both she and the surgeon
say it's actually improving nicely.
He tells me it was one of his more "invasive" procedures in recent memory, what with old
scar tissue from previous (cancer) surgeries in the area and all. They go through six layers
of muscle and diaphragm and catgut and whatever else is down there, put everything from
your innards back on the right side of all that, then put a big ol' round mesh patch in there
to get that rascal to stay on the good side of things.
Stitches inside, stiches on the underside of the closure (but nothing but human glue on the outside!).

All that means is that it was more than he bargained for before he started, but he handled it fine
and I'll be ok eventually - just going to take time (and y'all know how I am with patience...).
Kills me I can't do much of anything work-wise right now - and I can't drive Fred, despite the
really nice weather we have currently!!
Hell, I'm not supposed to pick up 10 pounds for crying out loud....
Not that I'm that good at listening to instructions, either...

Gonna be some cool scars to add to the collection, though.
Oh....and the oxy-whatevers that my wife filled the prescription on "because doc says you'll
need them"?
They're still full in the bottle and stuffed in my desk. Forever.

 

[BDF6]

Glad you're on the mend Ed!
Best follow Dr's orders & not bust a gut AGAIN

 

[moparedtn]

Glad you're on the mend Ed!
Best follow Dr's orders & not bust a gut AGAIN

Yeah, I got fussed at a little for that.
Thanks my friend.

 

[khryslerkid]

Damn right I'm hijacking this thread!

Well it's my turn now. Secluded surgery for tomorrow. Same thing as friend Ed had, umbilical hernia. They're using Mr Roboto to preform the belly button tuck.

I've been dealing with it for several years now. I even remember when it happened. Working on the '62, during the master cylinder install. I had everything installed and was bleeding each wheel. Seemed a little soft and wasn't getting any air. I had bench bled the MC but thought I'd do it again just to rule it out. So instead of going through removing it from the firewall I thought what if I disconnected the brake pedal rod and used a long rod to push the cylinder's piston. You have to completely bottom the piston to get all the air out of it. The rod hooked to the pedal won't let the piston go all the way, it's designed that way.

So I found a three foot rod and placed it into the MC piston. Sitting in the seat, holding the rod between my legs, I applied enough pressure to bottom out the piston. (I had the MC bleeder lines hooked up to recycle the fluid) Well after the second time I pushed on the rod something in my belly popped out. What the heck was that? I got out of the car and noticed my belly button sticking out. I cautiously pushed it back in but every now and then it came back out. So with a little research and talking to my Doc I realized what it was

Recently it's been given me a lot of discomfort and last Friday I experienced some severe pain. Certain foods are getting stuck in this location and causing the pain.

So Wednesday I saw the surgeon and decided to have it fixed before the holidays. He said it probably wouldn't last till after the holidays. He had an opening tomorrow so it's a go. Today I went to the hospital for the blood work, x-rays and ekg. Wish me luck!

 

[Cranky]

Damn right I'm hijacking this thread!

Well it's my turn now. Secluded surgery for tomorrow. Same thing as friend Ed had, umbilical hernia. They're using Mr Roboto to preform the belly button tuck.

I've been dealing with it for several years now. I even remember when it happened. Working on the '62, during the master cylinder install. I had everything installed and was bleeding each wheel. Seemed a little soft and wasn't getting any air. I had bench bled the MC but thought I'd do it again just to rule it out. So instead of going through removing it from the firewall I thought what if I disconnected the brake pedal rod and used a long rod to push the cylinder's piston. You have to completely bottom the piston to get all the air out of it. The rod hooked to the pedal won't let the piston go all the way, it's designed that way.

So I found a three foot rod and placed it into the MC piston. Sitting in the seat, holding the rod between my legs, I applied enough pressure to bottom out the piston. (I had the MC bleeder lines hooked up to recycle the fluid) Well after the second time I pushed on the rod something in my belly popped out. What the heck was that? I got out of the car and noticed my belly button sticking out. I cautiously pushed it back in but every now and then it came back out. So with a little research and talking to my Doc I realized what it was

Recently it's been given me a lot of discomfort and last Friday I experienced some severe pain. Certain foods are getting stuck in this location and causing the pain.

So Wednesday I saw the surgeon and decided to have it fixed before the holidays. He said it probably wouldn't last till after the holidays. He had an opening tomorrow so it's a go. Today I went to the hospital for the blood work, x-rays and ekg. Wish me luck!

Good luck and I pray that it goes well. Never heard of this until this thread....

 

[khryslerkid]

My younger brother just sent me this. Smart ***!

 

[Hey-O]

Good luck and I pray that it goes well. Never heard of this until this thread....

X2
I've had a very small one for many years. Doctor said I'll know when It's time.

 

[moparedtn]

Damn right I'm hijacking this thread!

Well it's my turn now. Secluded surgery for tomorrow. Same thing as friend Ed had, umbilical hernia. They're using Mr Roboto to preform the belly button tuck.

I've been dealing with it for several years now. I even remember when it happened. Working on the '62, during the master cylinder install. I had everything installed and was bleeding each wheel. Seemed a little soft and wasn't getting any air. I had bench bled the MC but thought I'd do it again just to rule it out. So instead of going through removing it from the firewall I thought what if I disconnected the brake pedal rod and used a long rod to push the cylinder's piston. You have to completely bottom the piston to get all the air out of it. The rod hooked to the pedal won't let the piston go all the way, it's designed that way.

So I found a three foot rod and placed it into the MC piston. Sitting in the seat, holding the rod between my legs, I applied enough pressure to bottom out the piston. (I had the MC bleeder lines hooked up to recycle the fluid) Well after the second time I pushed on the rod something in my belly popped out. What the heck was that? I got out of the car and noticed my belly button sticking out. I cautiously pushed it back in but every now and then it came back out. So with a little research and talking to my Doc I realized what it was

Recently it's been given me a lot of discomfort and last Friday I experienced some severe pain. Certain foods are getting stuck in this location and causing the pain.

So Wednesday I saw the surgeon and decided to have it fixed before the holidays. He said it probably wouldn't last till after the holidays. He had an opening tomorrow so it's a go. Today I went to the hospital for the blood work, x-rays and ekg. Wish me luck!

You know you've got all my prayers and thoughts going in with you, my friend.
You're actually going to recover more quickly than me, because robotic surgery on these is less invasive and
healing time is therefore reduced - but Lord yes, get the dang thing fixed!

Odd little side note on these hernia things, too - apparently when you get one weak spot in the system all shored
up and patched, there's a good chance the next weakest part of it will make itself known.
Must be like fixing an inner tube in that regard... hey, something to look forward to!
Be safe and Godspeed, sir - and freaking report afterwards, hear?

X2
I've had a very small one for many years. Doctor said I'll know when It's time.

That you will, my friend. After having had both an inguinal and this ventral, I can witness!

 

[Hey-O]

Mine started when I had my gallbladder removed. They put 4 or 5 small holes in your stomach, one close to your belly button, which had a very small bump next to it. I think the two connected and now it's the size of a quarter and sticks out about a 1/4 inch.

 

[moparedtn]

Mine started when I had my gallbladder removed. They put 4 or 5 small holes in your stomach, one close to your belly button, which had a very small bump next to it. I think the two connected and now it's the size of a quarter and sticks out about a 1/4 inch.

Yep, mine was the result of a previous surgery (cancer - kidney removal) as well. One of the robotic "holes"
from that was right on top of the belly button, and that became the weakest link...

 

[khryslerkid]

All went well. Dealing with the after pain. I'll post more when I'm up to it. No I didn't beat up any OR or Recovery staff

Signing off for now.

 

[1967coronet]

All went well. Dealing with the after pain. I'll post more when I'm up to it. No I didn't beat up any OR or Recovery staff

Signing off for now.

Glad it went well. Take things slow and easy now.