Search Results for: blog oy i overdid it recovering from surgery

Questions to Ask About Surgery

If your doctor suggests surgery, you may feel a little overwhelmed, or a little scared. But surgery may not be your only option! Here are some things to consider, and some questions to ask. 1. Get a second opinion. Two different doctors may have two different opinions on how to treat your disease or injury. 2. Do some research. Don’t immediately say yes or no to whatever your doctor proposes. Get your diagnosis and find out more. You may decide that surgery is the best choice, or you may decide to pursue another course. Contact your insurance company to see … Continue reading →

Preparing for Surgery

Going under the knife (or just going under, as many surgical procedures don’t involve much knifing anymore!) can be a daunting prospect. Here are some tips to help you prepare mentally and physically if you or someone in your family is preparing to undergo surgery. Be as informed as possible. Talk to your doctor about what to expect before, during, and after the surgery. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! You may want to know about anesthesia, recovery time, hospital stay, pain management, and follow-up procedures. Be as honest as possible. Talk to your doctor about your health — especially … Continue reading →

How to Recover From Surgery

Are you someone who can’t stand to sit still for days on end? Then this is the blog for you. I am speaking from experience because this is what I am going through right now. I’ve had surgeries in the past, but I always seemed to bounce back from those with relative speed – apparently because what I experienced this time was a major surgery, my bouncing back is a lot slower than I expected. Great Plans of Mice and Men It’s said that there are great plans to be made – and that we base all of those plans … Continue reading →

Oy, I Overdid It – Recovering from Surgery

Let me tell you, the most frustrating part of having had surgery is that as an active person it’s very difficult to sit around and do nothing. So, while I am smart enough to follow my doctor’s instructions, I’m also stubborn enough to push the envelope and today – I overdid it. 15 Minutes of Effort Currently, 15 minutes of physical effort leaves me weak and exhausted. If I take a shower for fifteen minutes, I take a 2-hour nap right afterwards. When I go for my designated 15-minute walk, well that’s another 2 hours I need to spend napping. … Continue reading →

Treatment Options for Hyperthyroid Disease in Cats

If your cat has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, don’t panic. Approximately 98% of all hyperthyroid issues are benign! Treatment for this disease is usually very successful; affected pets can live a long and healthy life with proper treatment. There are three basic courses of treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats. Your veterinarian can help you pick the best treatment based on the age and health of your cat, chances for complication, and budget. Radioactive iodine treatment is the most effective way to handle hyperthyroid disease in cats. The cat is injected with radioactive iodine that destroys all abnormal tissue and essentially … Continue reading →

Type of Anesthesia may Influence Post-Op Pain

Posted on by

A new study from Georgetown University Medical Center is looking at the connection between post-operative pain and the type of anesthetic used for a procedure. This is the first study that is scientifically explaining an anecdotal observation: that many general anesthetics can actually increase the discomfort patients feel upon waking. The researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center found that so-called “noxious” anesthesia drugs activate and then make specific neurons in the nervous system more sensitive. In other words? Inflammation and pain sensors can become irritated by certain types of anesthesia drugs. That much was already known. General anesthetics can cause … Continue reading →

History of Anesthesia

Posted on by

Surgical anesthesia makes many medical procedures possible — without anesthesia, many procedures would be too complicated or painful to perform on conscious patients. But for a long time, medical personnel didn’t have access to any sort of anesthesia. Before the 1840s, surgery was only attempted when it was absolutely necessary. Operations were mostly limited to amputations and removal of external growths. Most patients remained conscious and in pain during the procedure, though alcohol or drugs were sometimes used to help relieve discomfort. Can you imagine undergoing surgery wide awake with NO painkillers? I can’t. In 1846, a dentist demonstrated the … Continue reading →

Teacher Appreciation Week: Hats off to Ms. Diaz

Posted on by

I am going to cheat a little or maybe it isn’t cheating, but I asked Karri if she’d mind whether I posted my teacher appreciation letters here in Education this week and she was gracious enough to allow me the latitude. Today is May 8, 2007 and the theme for today at my daughter’s school for Teacher Appreciation is Letter Day from Parent. This is my letter to Erin Diaz, mother of three and my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher. Dear Erin I can’t tell you how lucky and blessed I feel that you were Cassidy’s teacher this year. From the first … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action 2007: What Are We Doing?

It’s that time, time for us to spring forward to action. Well, actually the spring forward happened earlier this year than it typically does. In fact, I know a lot of people who were thrown by the clocks turning forward on March 11th. It was early enough that it stayed dark here until after 7:30 in the morning and if that doesn’t throw you, I don’t know what will. So here we are, a month later, to kick off our Spring Forward to Action fitness challenge. Last year, our Spring Forward challenge involved a detailed workout plan for every day … Continue reading →

What’s My Workout Like These Days

Trying to balance recuperation with recovery and getting back into shape is a tightrope that requires a juggle and then some. I have had several people ask me what I am doing these days and how am I doing with the exercises. So I thought I’d spend some time giving you an overview of my current workout and my goals, such as they are. My Workout During the bulk of my recuperation period, I was working on fifteen minute a day walks designed to boost my stamina and help me recover my energy. At first, all those walks did was … Continue reading →