The surgery itself is typically intense and the recovery is a going to require a fight. I think once you awake from general anesthesia, you start to gather your thoughts and you smile when you realize you have survived. You will find that there are many tubes inside your body, connecting you to machines and fluids. You will have some aches and pains, and will probably wake up complaining. But, you have won round one!
While I will discuss many of the post-operative issues patients experience, following is the key advice I like to offer anyone who is planning to have mesothelioma surgery. A little planning up front can help in your recovery:
- Line up a supportive caregiver;
- Purchase a scale to weigh yourself;
- Find ways to relax, such as through listening to soft music, yoga or deep breathing exercises;
- Gain a little extra weight if possible prior to surgery;
- Try to stay active by taking short walks, or doing some light activity.
After the Surgery
I think in this day and age we are in tune with people’s need for pain medicines, and we can accommodate them. The goal of pain medicine is to make and keep you comfortable, and we want you to be able to work with the staff caring for you. The skilled nurses will want to get you out of bed possibly, turn and reposition you. Nurses try to get people moving as quickly as possible, although your activity level will be determined by what type of surgery you had and your overall health status.
Every day we try to increase the activity a bit more, and believe it or not, each day usually gets easier. As your strength increases and time passes, the tubes will start disappearing one by one. Although patients tell me that the tubes can’t disappear fast enough!
Another hurdle to overcome is the fact that you will not be allowed any food or drink for a couple of days after surgery. General anesthesia has put everything to sleep, so therefore the body needs time to wake up after surgery. Often times the nurse will place the stethoscope against your belly to see if she hears anything. We are listening for bowel sounds to see if things are moving along. We also ask to see if the patient is passing any gas. This is another reason why we try to promote ambulating as soon as possible.
As you probably know, when you are in the operating room you get tons of IV fluids and blood products. Often the body will fill with fluid and your feet and hands can become quite swollen. Although this is perfectly normal, it can affect your efforts in moving and your comfort factor. Sometimes we give diuretics to help the body rid this extra fluid and as well as placing you on a fluid restriction. There will be times when you think you are going to go out of your mind because you are so thirsty – but it is important you are “dry” so your breathing and your lung status are at their optimal level. Although this seems very cruel, I promise you this is critical for your recovery.
Mentally, recovery from mesothelioma surgery can be very challenging. There are days when you think you are going to be okay, and then there are some days when you feel like you could just throw in the towel. You are going to have days where your head will not be in the game. When that happens you just can’t give in. You have to fight through it and go, move, talk and tell someone how you feel.
One other issue is shortness of breath. You will be weighed every day and you will need to continue to weigh yourself when you leave the hospital. This will be a good indicator as to how your insides are doing. Are the diuretics working efficiently, have you become more short of breath over the last day, are your legs or feet puffy? These issues can be rectified by medicine and fluid restrictions usually. There is another component for shortness of breath: anxiety. Let me tell you that this can wreak havoc with you. Again this is just another obstacle that you have to overcome.
The last thing that I think people get frustrated with is the fatigue. It can be overwhelming. You can have naps during the day and still sleep 8-10 hours a night. There is nothing wrong with rest, but when awake you cannot forget to keep moving.
There can be many complications that go along with surgery with mesothelioma, but by following your recovery plan you can help minimize them.
If you have questions about your mesothelioma surgery or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, feel free to email me at LHyde-Barrett@mesotheliomahelp.net.
More articles by Lisa Hyde-Barrett
Lisa Hyde-Barrett has been a thoracic surgery nurse for nearly 25 years, and has the skill and knowledge to care for and support mesothelioma patients. Through her work, she has helped ease the stress of patients and their families by offering a comforting hand. She is passionate about helping the mesothelioma community.
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