[lenjan]

typing one fingered, so bear with.

i had elbow surgery friday. i've had stitches before, and i've had a cast before, but not at the same time, lol (two well-spaced-apart injuries).

are these suckers supposed to HURT? my elbow hurts at the joint, while the surgery was done down the side of my arm starting at the elbow. not only does it all hurt, but can casts expand? i've been bagging it with a tall kitchen garbage bag so i can wash my hair one-handed (VERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY frustrating!), and i've taken care not to get it wet, but it feels a lot tighter farther on up my arm.

i go in for a followup tomorrow and hope he wants to see the stitches so he'll cut the stupid thing off and give me something lighter. i guess i've just been lucky up to now that i haven't had that many significant physical traumas, so i don't know what to expect!

thanks!

candy

[Perzephone]

From long experience w/casts & stitches (I spent 6 months in a leg cast due to being hit w/a car, I've broken both feet at different times, broken ankles, you name it) - watch for swelling - not of the cast, but your arm inside the cast. Yes, anything that's had surgery can hurt, and inflammation affects not only the immediate area, but all the surrounding areas as well.

Ibuprofen is specific for swelling, and you can ice the outside of the cast to relieve the swelling on the inside. If you're trying to perform a lot of strenuous activities w/the casted arm, you can aggravate any inflammation that's there.

Keep an eye on your fingers - if they are always cold, look fish-belly white or start to get bluish under the nails, immediately go to a doctor or emergency room - it means that your circulation is being affected & no oxygen is getting to your hand.

If you're stuck in the cast & you start to get itchy, since you've had surgery, you don't want to stick anything down inside the cast to physically scratch yourself - if you break the skin this can cause an infection to set in. Instead, try an OTC antihistamine like Sudafed or Benadryl. When you do shower, check the cast over for moisture - you can use a blow drier on its lowest settings to make sure it's completely dry - you can end up w/an athlete's foot-type fungus on your arm if it's constantly moist underneath the cast material.

Hopefully your time in plaster bondage will be short & your healing will be quick and successful!

[inkblot]

Maybe part of the problem is swelling? Swelling can cause the cast to seem tighter, if if not in the incision area. It can also add pressure to nerves, adding to pain. Hope the doctor goes well tomorrow! Let us know what he says, okay? I'll be watching for an update!

[lenjan]

wow you're better than my dr! lol thanks! i've been icing the outside but it still hurts.

thank you for all the very useful info!!

candy

[inkblot]

Good tips, but you may want to check on the ibuprofen. I assume that you were given an Rx for a good pain med--make sure that ibuprofen does not interact. Were you told to use ice packs?

[lenjan]

thanks inky i will let you know what happens.

candy

[inkblot]

I hope so--We all worry about you, ya know, Ms. Editor.

[lenjan]

hehe my pain med, which sucks, is percocet -- has acetominophan (sp) in it. was told to use icepacks and i have two gel freezer packs they gave me to use -- it is hard to get into a comfortable position with them, though.

[lenjan]

hooray! cast came off, staples (ewwww, what's wrong with stitches?) stayed in, now have a wrist brace and a bunch of gauze and bandages over the incision. next week i get the staples out.

it didn't look swollen, but i'm still supposed to wear the sling, so i'll keep putting icein there.

all in all, not bad!

candy

[dottie]

Candybear, here is some very interesting info on Surgical staples. (I hate staples too...but it seems the better route to go.)
web page

[inkblot]

Wow, you got Percocet?! No wonder you like your pain meds! Dang, all I got when I had my knee surgery was Norco! And Norco is darn good stuff--what you've got is a helluva lot better! Never had Percocet before, but it's a C2 Rx, so it's *GOOD*!

[lenjan]

and here i was, thinking it was lame.

[Perzephone]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
inkblot said:
Wow, you got Percocet?! No wonder you like your pain meds!

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Percocet, aka oxycontin, didn't do diddly-hoo-ha for me the one time anyone prescribed it for me except make me puke til I couldn't puke anymore. Fun, fun, fun!!! Then again, I always hear people rave about Vicodin & Loritab (hydrocodone) & I might as well not take anything at all.

It's weird how not all pain killers work for all people, or they work differently for different people.

[(JD)]

ouch! Hope you are doing better today! Guess I'm too late to offer advice

[gardenergirl]

Hi candybear,
I'm glad surgery went well and that you got your cast off. If it still seems to swell, you might try elevating it, along with icing it. Of course, that may make it even arder to get into a comfortable position. My mom just injured her wrist (not broken, thank goodness) and has a splint. She can't seem to find a good place to lay her arm where it doesn't hurt or pull on some other painful area.

Hope you mend very quickly and are back up to full use soon.

Take care,

gg

[lenjan]

gg, that is exactly my problem. i do elevate and ice it, but even if i lay it down on a very soft pillow, that pulls on the stitches. get the dumb things out wed. hope i get some decent sleep before then!

candy

[lenjan]

The dumba$$ nurse my surgeon has cut off the cast last Wednesday, gave me a wrist brace (the nerve i had fixed runs wrist to elbow), and wrapped the stitches (staples, actually) VERY VERY LOOSELY in gauze. So loosely that every time I pull a shirt on or off, the gauze moves up and down my arm.

I finally took it off yesterday and bought all my own stuff and did it myself. I made sure it was enough to cover the staples, and I got some non-paper tape (which I find stupid to begin with!), and covered them up myself.

Then, I decided that just for even MORE protection, I would cover up my stuff with the old gauze.

I've been totally uncomfortable all day today, and finally just got up off my butt to look in the mirror. I fell on this arm a few days ago and thought perhaps it had a bad bruise or something I hadn't seen yet.

You know why I'm uncomfortable laying my arm down? BECAUSE THE FRIGGING STITCHES ARE UNCOVERED! And they were nicely contained before I put the old crap back on.

I am wondering how long my wound has been exposed like this, and what lovely sort of infection I'm likely to have because this dumba$$ nurse is a dumba$$. Any health care professionals out there?

candy

I think you should just wrapped it up yourself with new gauze. But, do not wrap it too tightly as the blood must circulate very good between the stiches to permit it to heal well. Another reason to not wrap it too tightly is to permit air to go throught so it will not sweat and it will stay dry. It has to stay dry.

If you noticed that you are starting an infection go to the ER.

I don't know if I'm helping you or not.

I hope it heal well and soon.

time0

[lenjan]

thank you, that was a big help!