Minor Surgery

I've had a recurring small hard lump show up and disappear just inside my mouth.  When it gets big enough I bite it by accident and I get a whopper of a blood blister and it gets even bigger.

I finally went to an oral surgeon and he removed it.  So I've been recovering from minor surgery since Monday.  Of course a normal person would be up, walking around, going to work and taking aspirin for the pain.  Not me.  I've spent the last three days unable to get off the couch.  The first 24 hours my mouth hurt so badly even my teeth hurt and I had to crack open my stash of Tramadol.  Today is the first day I managed to skip pain killers most of the day.  I'll have to take some before I go to sleep.

Of course recovery for a CFSer isn't a simple thing.  I can't detox from the surgery because I have to take pain meds.  I can't sleep properly because I'm in pain, I can't wear my dental sleep appliance so I'm not sleeping well when I do get to sleep and I can't eat my regular diet since I can only tolerate soft foods.  Of course eating a real food diet means I use my teeth all the time and chew a lot so I'm off my normal diet completely.  So I'm tired, toxic, underfed and haven't drunk enough water.  Holy crap.  Such a simple thing becomes so difficult so fast.

They are biopsying the lump.  I'll know the results next week.  I had to return to the doc this morning because when I woke up my entire lip was swollen and my mouth hurt again.  I'm scared to death of infection since once they start they just take off because of my compromised immune system.  So he gave me antibiotics to take.  This of course will mess up my stomach flora which I just got cranking by eating fermented foods and yogurts.  Sigh....  I can't win sometimes...

However, there was some humor in my day.  I cracked open my new med bottle to find it full of blue pills.  I guess I'm stuck in the Matrix for a while longer....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix

Medical Procedures

Medical procedures are a trial even when one is well. I have found it to be an absolute mine field due to my FM and CFS. Now that I know I have had FM for years it explains my adverse reactions to the various surgeries I've had over the years. I've woken up during a surgical procedure. Yuck! Then found bruises on my body afterwards where the staff apparently had to restrain me although I have no memory of that part. I take months to recover afterwards. I stay weak and fatigued for up to six months post surgery and prior to now no one has been able to explain why. I've also ended up in the ER with my throat swollen shut and unable to breath after a surgery involving intubation. They had to tank me up with prednisone to get the swelling down. Now that I know most of these reactions are due to the interaction of the meds with the illness here are some useful site for future reference:

Recommendations for Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (or Fibromyalgia) Who Are Anticipating Surgery
ProHealth.com
by Dr. Charles W. Lapp, MD
January 8, 2008

Guidance for Fibromyalgia Patients who are having Elective Surgery
Fibromyalgia Information Foundation

Safer Dental for the Chemically Sensitive

Hospitalization for the Chemically Sensitive Patient

CFS and Anaesthetics

Dr. Myhill
CFS Information for Your Dentist
AMA



I have included a few site regarding dentistry and multiple chemical sensitivity since my friend has both CFS and MCS.  She will be going to a homeopathic dentist.  Yes there are such people.  I knew about them because my sister had a weird dental problem and her regular dentist kept telling her she was fine.  After visiting withe the homeopathic dentist she had surgery to remove a large cyst that had been growing on her jaw beneath her front teeth.

Since I collect links please let me know if you have any additional sites that I could add to the list.