VATS fusion T3-4 and T6-7 post-op

jchebert1979 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-12-2009, 01:11 PM

Had the VATS fusion at T3-4 and T6-7 with Dr. John Regan yesterday. The post op pain is unreal. I am having an extremely hard time breathing due to the surgical pain and pain from the chest tube. I can't speak or expand my chest in any way. One mg. of dilaudid every two hours was doing nothing, so they just upped it to 2-3mg every 3 hours.

Even though the post op pain is this severe, the searing electrical pain that was in my chest and abdomen 24/7 for two years causing every breath and heartbeat to feel like I was being electrocuted is gone. The pain from C7-T1 and T1-T2 is still there, but my gamble paid off in that the worst pain was coming from T3-4 and T6-7. If it didn't hurt so bad to expand my chest right now, I would be crying from joy. I really don't know how I held on for so long. I was so close to dying from the pain.

So anyway, because of all of the different doctors I have seen and had surgery with, no doctor in my area will even see me anymore. It really is disgusting the way I have been treated. Dr. Regan has told me that in 6 weeks I will be healed enough to have another surgery, so I will come back to Los Angeles then for a follow up to the thoracic surgery, and have surgery on C7-T1 and T1-2. I am now on short term disability insurance which only pays 60% of my salary, however if need be I can borrow against my 401k to finance the next trip.

I really believe that I will get most if not all of my life back. When I do, I plan on writing a book chronicling this tortuous battle that I had to wage with this broken health care system.

dshobbies · #2 (**permalink**) 09-12-2009, 03:56 PM

After all the suffering you've been through, a great big congrats to you

I'm amazed that though your pain is unreal, you still managed to post the success of your surgery. Please don't push yourself during these first difficult days (or even after). Don't forget, you're facing another surgery soon.

Regardless, glad you've made the right decision- and you're smiling through your pain.

Your pain should subsude daily and soon you will be whole. My thoughts are with you,

Dale

Maria · #3 (**permalink**) 09-12-2009, 04:25 PM

Just reading what you wrote hurt tho I can imagine it remembering the pain of my first open lumbar discectomy.. I know the two areas are quite different anatomically re what is affected and can hurt but I remember my PCP telling me I was going to hate him and the surgeon (PCP referred me to him) for about 2 weeks at least because of the pain.

Long story short I did well post op (first surgery at least) and hope you will as well~ am glad to hear that searing pain you felt has been alleviated and sorry to hear about the surgeons/doctors in your area and the treatment.

The latter brings to mind how I was treated post my failed 2nd spine surgery~ I mean it was like I was a leper.. and to top it off I remember me who was an RN/NP at the time being told by some radiologist in the MRI dept at the local hospital I was "doctor hopping" too much and all I wanted was an explanation of the residual horrendous pain I was left with post op 2nd surgery.

I hope you will write a book.. believe me there are many of us out here that you will be representing!

Ok, 'nuff of that.. hope that chest tube pain eases off and you will be more comfortable ASAP. Am so glad you are getting some relief and thank you for posting and letting us know how're you're doing.

jchebert1979 · #4 (**permalink**) 09-12-2009, 10:11 PM

Thanks guys, not only do I plan on writing a book, but if my quality of life can support it, I am going to return to college and go to medical school.

mmglobal · #5 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 12:05 AM

Jason, it's 2am in Munich... I've been running non-stop it seems for days and I really needed some good news. I read right past the ultra-intense post-op pain and on to what seems like great news.

I was going to call you, but I think I'll let you rest... when you feel better, I'll give you a shout. Thanks so much for posting... all the best,

Mark

jchebert1979 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 04:09 AM

If you have been following my story you know that I have been very frustrated by people not being able to understand the extreme intensity of the levels of pain I was in. Since the pain started it was so severe that I was not able to feel any emotions. I could not feel happy, sad, excited, etc. Only severe pain. This was very different from a depression. I would say that this was more something like depersonalization due to severe pain. I will definitely need to seek counseling of some sort when I return home as I am feeling a flood of emotion that is returning that has been completely foreign to me for two years. While most of it is good, I am experiencing periods of complete rage in the direction of the medical care professionals who ignored the correct diagnosis while I was dying from the pain and losing my home a the possessions that I had worked so hard for. Remember the first MRI two years ago diagnosed everything yet the proper diagnosis was ignored and I was written off.

Well anyway, I think the issues that I am facing and will face in the near future will pale in comparison to what I've made it through. I hope everyone is here is doing the best that they can.

Aaron · #7 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 03:24 AM

I don't really frequent this site much due to little on thorasic, but for you who don't know there is a denial in much of the medical community that thorasic discs can herniate or cause pain. Due to the dilegence of patients like this and others on spine health it is slowly becoming a realization that they can cause pain and terrible at that. I have fought it for 5 years, its not that the doctors just disagree they range from there is no way a thorasic disc should herniate to the only way surgury is an option is if you are within paralization. But who is qualified thorasic discs only make up 1% of all disc surguries per year, not really enough to qualify many as experts and with the type of surgury you need you need an expert. There is no money for medical professionals in it yet. I have lived the worst years of my life since I was hurt , 3 years to get diagnosis after I was told the pain was in my head. I was athletic and had numerous injuries and yet I could bounce back and belived i could take on anything, this destroyed those beliefs. I have exercised everyday, do yoga, stretch, have had every treatment know to man and nothing has phased this thoraisc pain. I know exactly what this person talks about because this pain has not put me in the grave , but it has left me dead inside. No emotion, no hope for the future. I graduate in less than a year with duel degrees in engineering and process technology and I just think what kind of life can I live like this. I too was scheduled with dr. regan for Vats surgury last yr. but ins. has stopped it for now. But I was given such hope by this Vats surgury and I hate he had to go through it but I hope it works out great for him and I am (guilty) but excited to follow his progress. Please go on spine health and post to thorasic about your exp. with this surgury they need some hope to.

dshobbies · #8 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 04:56 AM

Aaron,

I am so sorry you find yourself having to live with this type of pain. Until I discovered the world of ADRs, I too felt a hopelessness and no joy to life. Insurance companies doom us to this life unless you're fortunate enough to have the funds to go ahead with the surgery anyway, which it seems you do not.

I feel for you and have little or no words of comfort except that maybe one day, your surgery will be covered and you'll be able to live your life pain free. Please hang onto that if nothing else.

We all understand. I'm sending you e-hugs even if they don't bring you any comfort.

Dale

Maria · #9 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 02:34 PM

I think when one has flooding emotions for whatever reason the process of going thru it is the only thing that can happen. If it is something that is really difficult to deal with emotionally then pyschological intervention/counseling can be quite useful (I went thru this for 6 month post my failed 2nd spine surgery). I had so much rage that even tho my daily emotions presented more as depression, my dreams were filled with violence and it scared me. Part of that may have been the medications used to treat the nerve pain but I'm sure it was me working out my rage against the failed surgery/surgeon/medical system and in great part my decision to have the surgery. Regret was something that I felt for a long long time.

I think the sloppiness in medicine today is reflective of how the system is functioning overall. Not well. Insurance companies should not be in charge of what decisions are made medically. I know it varies from place to place how personnel are trained and interact with patients/clients but I'd swear things are far more robotic now and patients don't get the respect that they should when walking in the door, let alone through out most of the 2-5 minute follow up medical visits (I will give that first surgical consult is usually given a half hour to hour, first medical visits 15 minutes to half hour).

Doctors still need to listen to their patient and regard the person as the most valuable source of information regarding his or her condition.