Questions/sharing about my surgery today

[kukukajoo, LPN]

SOrry long and may ramble- on some heavy (for me anyhow) meds.

Doc said my tonsils were way worse than he even thought rotting from the inside out. He wold have done surg way sooner had he known. I am relieved as I am certain on recovery I will feel tons better now that I am not fighting an infection and have lots more energy.

Had my tonsils and adenoids out today- no cmoplications but SEVERE pain. Am home resting in bed, still having pain but using deep breathing, etc.

Background- I have trouble taking pain meds and have to also take phenergan and benadryl with it or I will be puking and itching all over the place. I have narrow angle glaucoma so lots of meds are contraindicated which sucks as a scoplamine patch would have been perfect. All of this was known by med staff prior to surgery and was discussed with everyone present to control my pain and also n/v so the throat does not begin to bleed, etc.

Evidently pain meds also do not work that well on me either as I found out today.

Now when I woke up in postop, the pain was a 10 if not worse! no nausea at all, just pain. Nurse gives me fentanyl IV and I almost immed. begin to vomit. SHe got MAD at me as I had just told her NO nausea and copped a huge attitude with me that lasted until I was transferred to an observation floor. I know for a fact she was told to give me antiemetic before narcs as I as there when doc told her. Next time she gave me some same thing happened- I was tossing cookies before she had it out of the room. Angain ager at me for lying!!

She gave me a total of 100 mcg of fentanyl and gave me almost NO relief at all, it felt like I took absolutely nothing. MY BP was sky high 165/112 and I told her that it was d/t pain as I have this same thing happen in past. She told me it wasnt and that I must be noncompliant with bp meds as that was the ONLY thing that would make it bad. Well now, on admit my BP was a nice 117/64 on admit so I knew this was not the case!

After the fent wasnt working she accused me of taking narcs on a reg basis and kept asking about drug use and alcohol use like I was some druggie! Now I do neither and I was a bit annoyed by her but played nice since I most likely will be working on same unit upon graduation. Besides I cant reallly talk at the moment! I felt really awful and felt judged and humiliated. It really bothered me the way she treated me.

Anyhow, my pain was eventually controlled and my BP was back to 117 with a combo of morphine and some other stuff. WHen I was brought up to the recovery floor, she was giving report and said "this one is NURSING STUDENT very snidely (I hadnt told her, but the dept head knows me well as we are in AORN together). She gives report there at bedside and was rolling her eyes when telling about pain , etc!!! Finally the relief was ad with ice chips and codeine and mophine 2mg.

I also would like to point out that this was by far the only negative thing about whole day. EVERYONE else was awesome and great and even my recovery roomate was so nice. I know a few of the RNs and docs on floor and they stopped and visited. I did not get into this while there but thinking I should bring it up. My docs all KNOW I am not a drug seeker

I guess I have a few things on my head- what do you all think of this nurses behavior? Should I just let it go since she will soon be my coworker and just learn from it that I dont ever want to be like that?

Have you ever heard of fentanlyl not working at all- not even making me loopy or crosseyed, blurry- nothing at all?

Can reactions to narcotics get worse and is an allergy possible? Reason I ask is I had cough syrup with codeine 2 weeks ago and usually can tolerate best of all- no severe itch, no nausea and just a small headache. But this time I had severe itching that was awful.

Are there other alternatives for severe pain aside from narcs?

What are some pain remedies to soothe throat that you have used on pts that work the best.

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

This nurse's behavior was inexcusable. If I were the pt in this case, I would write a detailed letter to the hospital admin, and cc copies to the nurse mgr and to my doc.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

What an experience! I'm very sorry though that we can't provide medical advice...please call your after-hours doctor's line and get some relief. Take care.