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+--- Thread: Recovering from surgery and frustrated with leaks (/Thread-Recovering-from-surgery-and-frustrated-with-leaks)
Recovering from surgery and frustrated with leaks - Marnid2014 - 03-22-2014
I am not able to raise my left arm as I just had a pacemaker put in, and it's almost impossible to get my mask on right and keep it on through the night. My numbers are fine, but the leak rate is up as I can't adjust or get comfortable. This is going to be going on for a month. I am thinking of taping my mouth shut with medical tape so I can't open my mouth. My nose runs a bit and so I find myself pushing the pillows out of my nose and then putting it back in so I guess that is probably accounting for the leaks, I seem to be doing that a lot during the night, also since the surgery, I am still having to take Xanax at night for my panic disorder so I am in a bit of a drugged state during the night. I can't keep going to the ER when I think I am having Afib, I did that a few nights ago and the readout on my pacemaker was perfect. What would you all suggest so I can get some sleep. I am usually on my left side sleeping and now have to be on my right, I can't move my arm, it's in a Velcro band so I don't accidentally raise it up. Soooooooooooooo frustrated.
RE: Recovering from surgery and frustrated with leaks - Peter_C - 03-22-2014
When I had my right shoulder rebuilt, my poor wife had to help me put my mask on each night for the first six weeks or so, so I do feel for you!
I can only tell you what I did back then, but as a rule I would not suggest it for others. Add a nightly antihistamine on top of the Xanex - it will help dry up your nose during this period, and will also help your sleep too. I would check to make sure it does not conflict with any of your meds first though.
Sadly, this is one of those periods where 'time' is the answer. Just gotta do what you can do to get through it.