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View Full Version : Surgery induced depression and feel so alone


ibtracy
12-31-2004, 12:58 PM
Hi there. As many of you know I had my Stage 2 Interstim Implant surgery on Monday, the 27th. I am really down in the dumps. My MD who has been kind enough to keep me comfortable with my long term pain therapy has chosen to quit helping as of yesterday and I have no where to turn. I don't know what I'm gonna do from here on out.

My husband thinks that because surgery was 4 days ago that I should be back to normal and to be quite frank "I don't know what "normal" is". It hurts still to bend over or pick anything up and I was told to take it easy and rest for a couple of weeks. (Couple of weeks NOT 4 days). He keeps saying to me that I'm sitting in the house rotting away and always on the computer. I come to this site to find support because I don't get it from him and that's what he doesn't understand. My shrink increased my anti-depressant this week but I don't see yet where it's helping, maybe it's not the right medication I don't know. He also has me on a mood stabilizer which I can see a difference as far mood swings but I'm just so down about life right now. It seems as though everything is stacked against me.

I feel like I have to ration what pain meds I do have and that's not fair to my body when I wake up in excrutiating pain and feel like I have to cut back. I still need pain meds from my surgery which was just 4 little days ago, it's not like it's been months, ya know? I feel like he's (hubby) expecting way too much of me and I've tried talking to him and he just gets ruder. I truly think he thought I'd get this interstim placed and then in 4-5 days I'd be cured and out looking for a job, wouldn't we all like that to happen? I can't work because of the chronic everyday and SEVERE IC pain that I have. We're broke, have no money, barely making the bills and I don't know what it is he expects me to do. When I do ask him he just walks away, that doesn't solve anything other than make me more upset and more anxious, ya know?

I've forgotten already what pre-IC life was like and wish that somehow I could go back in time to that wonderful time but even when I look back we still had problems in our marriage then. He tries to blame our current marrital problems on IC and all the associated disorders I've been diagnosed with since then on IC but we've had problems since we got together.

I've got a 7 year old in the house that is so full of stress that is on an anti-depressant, anxiety meds and meds for ADD cause she can't concentrate in class. Her counselor thinks it's because of all the stress at home, yelling, screaming, fighting, etc. The harder I try to make it stop the worse it seems to get. Her counselor said no more, especially in front of her but that doesn't seem to stop him (hubby) from making snide remarks or saying things to set me off.

I'm at a point where I'm very depressed, still sick and healing from surgery and things just don't make alot of sense. You'll all find it really easy to say you need to leave and move on but it's not that easy. I have no money, no place to go and need help with the kids because I'm so sick with IC, Fibromyalgia, Severe Depression and Anxiety and a recent surgery that will take some time to heal. Plus I ended up with a severe skin allergy to the adhesive they used on me post-op that appeared/looked like it was the beginning of a staph infection but thank God it wasn't.

It's just all so much at once. I need to take things one day at a time. I'm worried about running out of pain meds, I'm worried about my dull marriage and getting no attention or love from him, I'm worried about getting the recovery time that I truly need and deserve and I'm worried that staying in this marriage is only making my children's anxiety levels worse because they are so sick of the fighting and arguing that goes on here.

:help: I seriously don't know what do here. My Mom says to concentrate on me and get myself better and then tackle each problem one at a time from there, but for someone that just naturally worries constantly about every thing that still isn't an easy task. I always put everyone else before me and not used to putting myself first.

WHAT SHOULD I DO? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? HELP ME, PLEASE!


Lost, Stressed to the Max, Confused, Hurting and In Total Pain,
Tracy K.

daydreamer
12-31-2004, 02:45 PM
I don't have any answers for you but right now you need to get better so you can handle the other things. It will take a few weeks for the upped antidepresssant to see a difference. I know your husband is not much help, is there anyone else that can help short term just so you can recuperate after the surgery? Your mom is right, focus on getting your strength back.

I'm praying that your pain will lessen and that you will have the power to take back your life. I wished I lived closer, I have 2 daughters that she could play with and the older one could even babysit.

ibtracy
12-31-2004, 06:23 PM
I don't know who I'd ask. The sad thing is I shouldn't have to "ask" anyone with my husband living right here. He left me alone with 2 kids and 1 is sick tonight so he could go to a New Years Eve Party with some friends of his. I'm sitting here 4 days post-op in horrible pain and he's out celebrating without me and ringing in the new year with people other than me. You can't get much crappier than that.

To top it all off without getting any rest/relaxation today my lil 7 year old is puking tonight so i'm having to deal with that alone as well. :cussing: I tell ya what, I won't forget this incident that's for sure.

Thanks for the reply and the advice, I might just have to move into my parents house for a while until I recouperate. :help:

Thanks,
Tracy K.

liz25
12-31-2004, 08:31 PM
Tracey,
I completely understand where you are coming from :headbang: I am in a research group and I got a bion implanted that is similar to what the interstim does. It is research so it is not approved by the FDA here yet, but it is already being used in Europe. I have been under so much stress lately with my boyfriend and my parents. (Unfirtunatly, I had to move home once the IC got too bad). My boyfriend id out with his friends right now while I sit by myself stress out and depressed. My regular Dr. just put me on mood stablizerz too. I feel like I am having a nervous break dowm sometimes. I don't want to be on any more pills!! So, I understand, Tracey so you have someone to turn to when ever you need me!

ICNDonna
01-01-2005, 04:59 AM
Actually if you have the option of staying with family for a couple of weeks while you recover, it might be good for both you and your husband. When you're feeling better is plenty of time to make decisions about the future.

Have you applied for disability? It sounds like that could be a good move for you too.

Warm hugs,
Donna

ibtracy
01-01-2005, 06:32 AM
But they won't make their decision until later this month. I keep waiting and waiting. It will be their initial decision and I'm sure they'll turn me down, but I've included all infor from my uro, MD, shrink, PT, etc. so maybe I"ll get lucky and pass through the first time. Pray that I do.

Tracy

mayray518
01-01-2005, 05:00 PM
I feel so bad for you. Everyone needs a good support network. Frankly, I think your husband going out on New years eve was very selfish. And alot of people think that once you get diagnosed and start on meds that everything goes back to normal. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

work it
01-01-2005, 05:51 PM
Hey Tracy, sorry I haven't been on, I think things here are finally starting to slow down.

I am sorry you don't have the support from you hubby like you should. It must be very frustrating. Have the two of you tried to talk to a counselor? I bet he is scared or frustrated himself because he doesn't like seeing you in pain and he just doesn't know how to deal with it excepet to maybe come off cold.

If you have family around I would stay with them, just so yu can recope and relax and focus on YOU! You can't help others until you are able to feel well and help yourself. That way your girls won't be under so much stress either because you are recovering the way you should and they won't need to worry about you. they can go with you or stay back with dad either way you need to get better.

I really hope disability comes through for you. Let me know if there is anything I can do.

ibtracy
01-04-2005, 05:12 PM
:) You're so sweet. Things really haven't settled down. Tomorrow is my doctors appointment and I somehow have to convince him to continue keeping me comfortable with my medications as he's ready to take me off everything. He seems to think that this implant (interstim) is a cure-all. It helps significantly with urgency/frequency but does nothing with my bladder pain, it's not designed to. He decided last week that he wasn't going to treat me any more so I have alot of talking to do tomorrow in a very short amount of time. Wish me luck, without him I have no one to turn to and that scares the crap out of me. I've been so fortunate in the past that he's always been willing to help me but now....for some reason he wants to take me off everything and let me go as a patient. I'll be surprised if he even listens to me at this point.

I've got my notes and paperwork all stacked and ready to take with me.
Thanks for your concern. You're so sweet, Teisha!

Tracy K.

shennan
01-04-2005, 05:40 PM
good luck!

:angel: for you.

shenna

:)