Pain Relief after Cancer Surgery
When you come round after cancer surgery pain relief will be very important. To begin with you may still feel a little drowsy and the anaesthetic may still be having an effect but once that wears off there will be the need to find something to replace it. Pain relief after cancer surgery is only to be expected so don’t worry too much about it. If you are anxious the pain may seem worse so you will be encouraged to relax although this will be easier said than done. Being fully informed beforehand should help with this as if you know what to expect it will not come as a shock when it happens.
Pain Relief after Cancer Surgery
In many cases it will be important that you are able to get up and move around as soon as possible after surgery so making sure that pain is under control is going to be very important. This will not only have a good psychological effect on you but can prevent chest infections occurring as this may happen if your breathing is not back to normal. Hospital staff will monitor pain accurately and while it may be tempting to exaggerate in order to get more medication during the first day or so this will not benefit you in the long run.
There are a number of ways that pain relief after cancer surgery will be dealt with and one way is through drugs while the other will be through things such as relaxation exercises.
Pain Relief after Cancer Surgery – Drug Related
Analgesics will normally be provided for as long as there is pain and if the amount provided is not working there is a possibility of having it increased. If this does not work the staff will need to look for a reason why and alter the course of action they were taking. It is very rare that anyone becomes addicted to analgesics but if there is a history of drug taking this is something to be looked at. There is also the concern that by blocking out the pain there may be further damage done if the tablets are blocking out the pain and making you do more than is good for you.
Pain Relief after Cancer Surgery – Non Drug Related
If this is something that you are serious about it will be best to discuss it with staff beforehand. These techniques will include:
- relaxation techniques including abdominal breathing, visualization exercises, listening to music
- holding the wound when coughing, moving and deep breathing after surgery
- massage as this will work on the muscles to relieve excess tension and make it easier to breath.
Very often there will be a physiotherapist involved in your recovery and they will be able to show you exactly how to carry out the above techniques. They will make sure that you do not do too much and will not force you to do anything that will hinder recovery. Pain relief after cancer surgery is very important and it should not be the case where you are left in pain. If this is the case the doctor should look at the wound to see if there is a reason why the medication and exercises are not working.