Pain Management Appointment Following Surgery
[ Tuesday July 8th 2025 at 3:11 pm ]
A few days before my pain management appointment I prepared notes for what needed talking about. This time there was 5 topics. All relate to the recent surgery I had. The notes I prepared were really helpful. I am having a hard time going by memory on account of the healing from my April 2nd 2025 operation. I was with the pain management doctor for a total of 11 minutes. This was all that was needed today. It was time very well spent.
All the fluid that has been coming out of me is called a seroma. It may take up to a year to heal inside of me. This business of my incision reopening is part of this healing process. But it is so physically draining. My pain management doctor knows what a seroma is. He wanted to explain to me more about a seroma. He knows me well enough to give me the knowledge I need to best manage it. He referred to having a seroma as "suffering". He has a good idea of what I've been through. When I said my pain went up concerning this he understood. He wanted to know if the underlying problem was fixed by replacing my left artificial hip. It was been. He was genuinely happy for me.
When my body needed me to cut on the 12 hour pain medication it was 3 days before the pain medication needed to be renewed. I renewed the capsule I wasn't using. This recovery has been so much different than every other hip surgery I've had as an adult. This is on account of having a high number of surgeries on the same hip. I just didn't know what to expect. I filled it again in June because I didn't know what my body was going to do. He understood this. Since I am not needing these and I didn't have to go back to a higher dose I will turn these into the pharmacy for safe disposal. He thought I was acting reasonable in the decision making related to this. I really didn't know what to do. I am glad he understood the uncertainty my seroma brought to my life. I appreciate the trust that exists between my pain management doctor and myself.
I went to the hospital emergency department where I was operated on for pain management advice on June 20th 2025. I needed to tell my pain management doctor what changes this doctor made for the following 2 week period. He was understanding why I went to the hospital and he agreed with the changes the emergency department doctor made during this 2 week period. The seroma that formed following my April 2nd 2025 operation creates soft tissue pain. Soft tissue pain is very difficult to get under control. I am really glad I don't just get medication. I appreciate the time spent helping me to understand my body.
My pain doctor was very understanding when I talked about not being able to predict how much fast acting pain medication I would need during the recovery and how pain came back when the seroma was forming 3 weeks after surgery. He has understood that I needed to use more fast acting pain medication. This wasn't a problem. The doctor didn't think I was being reckless with the fast acting pain medication. For the time being we are leaving the higher dose of fast acting pain medication to get me through this recovery. It is a means to an end.
My pain doctor wanted to look at my incision. For everything I've been through my incision looks good. I am glad he took time to do this for me. My incision needs to go see a therapist for all the trouble it has given me.
Just as I was finishing with the doctor he made a statement similar to how he can make a big difference to my life with how open and honest I am with him and that I come prepared for my appointments with him. My pain doctor has honored the trust I have in him as I share not only the pain I am experiencing but also what I am trying to do with my life.
Then I spoke to his medical secretary to arrange the pain medication dates I would need during the next few months. Then I will be into the operation to have my right artificial hip replaced. Lord willing 2026 will be a much better year for me.