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My MVD

Posted , 5 users are following.

richard22091
richard22091

Hi:

I had MVD surgery on Jan 13 with Dr. Sekula at UPMC, Pittsburg. I am spasm free, but the 48 hours post op were the most miserable of my life; my head felt like it weighed 100 pounds, I had terrible retching nausea and peeing felt like a 3 alarm fire. The Nausea and burning urination have passed, and with the help of meds, my head is down to about 50 pounds. I can't say enough good about Dr Sekula and all the staff at UPMC. They were caring, class acts, and it was well woth the travel from my home in Atlanta. 

Feel free to pick my brain if you have any questions re my experience.

Richard Evelyn. 

 

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • sue15958
    sue15958 richard22091

    Posted

    Richard,

    I am so happy to hear that you are spasm-free.  The MVD surgery is tough.  Hang in there.  I had my surgery on 10/10/2014.  I felt awful afterwards!  The nausea and dizziness lasted weeks for me.  I'm back to normal activity now and feel wonderful.  Being spasm-free is such a joy!  I had my surgery in Philadelphia, PA at Thomas Jefferson U. Hospital.  Dr. Farrell and the staff were terrific!  

    Wish you all the best!

    Sue C.

    • richard22091
      richard22091 sue15958

      Posted

      Thanks Sue. I'm hopeful that the headaches will diminish with time. 

      In the meantime, I coping well enough.

      best to you,

      Richard. 

  • Mark_Tyrrell
    Mark_Tyrrell richard22091

    Posted

    Hello,

    Glad to hear you have recovered somewhat, and that the spasdms have gone.

    I'm in for surgery on Friday, looks like it's going to be an interesting weekend.

    Mark Tyrrell.

    • sue15958
      sue15958 Mark_Tyrrell

      Posted

      Mark,

      Good luck with your surgery.  It's tough afterwards but not too bad.  Make sure you have someone to help you when you come home.  I live alone and a friend came to stay with me for the first few days.  I was so glad she came!  I was dizzy, nauseous, and could not sleep after surgery.  I had a mild headache but nothing too severe.  It takes a few weeks before you feel good, so take it easy and don't expect to return to normal activity too quickly.  It's a slow recuperation.  Wish you all the best!

      Sue

      PS.  Have Ginger ale on hand when you get home!

    • Mark_Tyrrell
      Mark_Tyrrell sue15958

      Posted

      Sue,

      Thank you for sharing that, I too live alone, I'm hoping to cope alone also.

      Not allowed to drive home, so I will have to get a taxi to the train, train for 60 miles, then 30 minute walk.

      I hope I'm up to it!

      Mark.

      P.S. Why Ginger Ale?

    • richard22091
      richard22091 Mark_Tyrrell

      Posted

      Mark, I would definetly persuade or hire someone to be with you for the first few days, especially for that 30 minutes walk on discharge day. Not sure I could have coped with the first few days without my significant other at my side. She has been an angel

      richard. 

    • sue15958
      sue15958 Mark_Tyrrell

      Posted

      Mark,

      I strongly recommend that you ask someone to help you.  I would not have been able to take a train or walk by myself for even 5 minutes.  I was very dizzy the day I came home- needed lots of help!  I recommended ginger ale because that was the only thing I could drink when I came home.  The nausea is pretty bad the first few days.  Consider asking a friend to bring you home from the hospital.  I don't think you'll be able to take a train or walk for 30 minutes.  The last thing you want to do is fall on the way home- be safe and get someone to pick you up and at least stay with you for a day or two.  You will need help when you get home.  Good luck!

      Sue

  • gwen90321
    gwen90321 richard22091

    Posted

    Hi Richard, It's really good to hear that you are free at last from those awful spasms.

    I am really glad that you have discribed how you felt after and how you feel now, I

    have all that to come so it is good to hear from all of you that have taken that path

    already.  I have to go for botox on the 4th Feb which I put off the first time round as

    I was sure there would be something more natural that would calm the spasms, my 

    spasms are not to bad most of the time but when they go it's hard to try to get my face calm down on the side affected at the moment it happens sometimes during

    the day and before I go to bed always.  Please let me know how thigs progress and wish you all the best.    

    Gwen

     

  • janet_K
    janet_K richard22091

    Posted

    Hi Richard, It'd been a year since your surgery, how are you feeling now?

    I am scheduled with Dr. Sekula on Feb 18.

    Can you tell me what to expect in Pittsburgh?

    Did you stay in ICU?

    How did you do in the hotel?

    Where did you stay?

    Do you recommend it?

    How did you do on the flight home? 

    I saw on a youtube of Dr. Sekula that he used a foam form rather than the "birdcage" and that is cutting down on headaches. Did he do that with you?

    Did they proactively Rx anything for nausea for you? 

    What caused the burning urination?

    I hope you have time to answer these questions. I am really excited about getting TN pain out of  my life!!

    • richard22091
      richard22091 janet_K

      Posted

      Hi Janet:

      i've been spasm free for a year. Can't say enough good about Dr Sekula and his staff. Very glad I did enough research to seek out the most experienced surgical center for the mvd procedure. I had a really rough recovery period of a day or two. My head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and was on fire. Plenty of others have not had a rough recovery, so don't think that my experience will necessarily apply to you. My painful urination was due to difficulties they had inserting a catheter. My urinary tract was pretty well irritated by that process, and burning urination for the first 24 hours was the result. I felt well enough to return to the hotel 36 hours after surgery. My girlfriend was with me and we stayed in the hotel for the next 4 days to be close by the hospital in case any complications came up. No complications, and we flew home to Atlanta after 4 days. 

      The hotel was the Hilton about 3 blocks away. Some of your other questions: I was never in ICU. Yes they used a wafer, not a birdcage. 

      The lingering post op problems, headaches, weakness, constipation, all eased up daily and I returned to normal activities after about a month. 

      You've made the right decision to go to Pittsburgh. 

      Best to you, and let us know how it goes.

      Richard. 

       

  • janet_K
    janet_K richard22091

    Posted

    Richard, were you there for hemifacial or Trigeminal Neuralgia? Ann told me that we need to stay two nights after I will be released from the hospital, but you stayed four? Do you think two nights is too soon? Was your surgery on a Tuesday or a Thursday? .., so many questions!!!!
  • janet_K
    janet_K richard22091

    Posted

    Was your surgery at Presbyteri an or Mercy?
    • richard22091
      richard22091 janet_K

      Posted

      Janet:

      I was at Presbyteri. Surgery on Tuesday. I had hfs, not TN. Not really familiar with TN. Four days in the nearby hotel might have been overly conservative, but you never know. I definetly did not want to have to travel back to Pitt in case of any complications.

      Good luck to you and keep us up to date on this forum. 

      Richard. 

    • janet_K
      janet_K richard22091

      Posted

      I have a thousand questions, I hope you don't mind.

      after surgery will I be asleep that whole day or will I be awake?

      the next day does Dr. S have his patients sit straight up for the day and walk every two hours (I've read that Dr. Linskey does)?

      when did they take out your IV fluids?

      did they require you to wear the hospital gown the whole time or could you wear your own comfy things?

  • janet_K
    janet_K richard22091

    Posted

    Dr. Sekula did my MVD on Feb 18, 2016 for TN. I cannot believe how easy it was! My incision is less than two inches long.  I have had no pain and it has been almost a week. I am going off my meds and look forward to being med free by March 14! 

    If you are considering surgery, I can give Dr. Sekula a high recommendation. He is a genuinely nice person. His team members are kind and helpful, too, 

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