Can you maybe borrow someone’s barn cat for a few days, lol?
Morphine also may make you itch, a not-uncommon side effect of opiates. I had morphine in my PCA when I had my first hip surgery to repair a broken femoral neck and I thought I was going to tear my skin off. I scratched myself bloody in spots until my doc replaced the morphine with Demerol.
When I had the acetabular component of my artificial hip replaced 7 years ago (the morphine hell surgery didn’t work), I got Dilaudid, which ALSO made me itch, but I got an antihistamine (not Benedryl, which hypes me to the nth degree) and that worked fine.
My college room mate had the same phobia. She would land in the ER doubled over with severe abdominal pain before she would vomit. And here I always thought it was an uncontrollable reflex :lol: nope.
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Well, I saw this thread and read the whole thing over the long weekend. Just want to add that, as a fellow (former) Michigander (but will always be one in my heart!), I am praying for the best for you.
You seem like a very, very brave person to me. You never know how you will react to something like this until you’re in it. You are a fighter! And you have strength and love surrounding you here.
Thank you for being so open and honest about this road you’re on. You are helping others just by being that way.
Re: vomiting phobia - it’s a real thing, I have a niece with it and I tend to avoid it as much as I can!
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Taken any of the morphine yet?
Morphine can often be the first line of defense against real pain. I’ve had it post surgery a number of times and yes, it works. Yes also with pain management the goal is to stay ahead of the pain.
IMO, at this point in your life, addiction is the least of your worries. Yeah, on the constipation but talk to Rachel (sp?) about that.
Yes, there are anti-nausea meds. For me, they made me feel worse than the morphine itself.
Pain be gone!
I echo what Bluey said. If your morphine is ER (extended release), SR (sustained release) or CR (controlled release) do not cut or break. If they are regular immediate release (IR) they can be halved. Check with your pharmacist if you are not sure.
Big thread…yes. I would much rather keep tabs on you and learn about your journey than most of the long threads on COTH. I check this thread about twice a day if I can:yes:.
I hope today good one.
Susan
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@Sannois, I’ve quietly followed this thread, and I just want to say I admire tremendously your courage and your outlook on things. I’m sure you probably don’t feel courageous, and I’m sure there are days where your outlook is less than sunny-feeling, but your posts read with such vigor and desire to live your life as authentically as you can, and to hell with the rest.
Just wanted to say I don’t always know what to say (which is why I haven’t commented on this thread until now), but I think you’re incredible. ((Hugs)) to you.
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HAve you seen a ground hog?? No barn cat would go near them, they are huge.
No I am in most farmers camp, the only good Ground hog is a dead ground hog.
This one probably weighs 35 lbs.
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Fun Michigan ground hog story from way back when - when I was a kid (long time ago now!).
My sister and I were out sunbathing in the backyard - we lived on 6 acres out in the middle of nowhere.
My sister THOUGHT she saw one of our cats and started calling the kitty to come over.
It got pretty close and then realized what it was - a groundhog!! The sunbathing ended pronto.
We still laugh about the ‘kitty’ story! Pretty sure the actual kitty would have been terrified of that thing.
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OH yeah, and little known fact, they climb TREES!!! I have seen than more than once way up eating tender leaves.
Another friend said her dog treed one a few weeks ago, she said No one believed her, Well I did.
YEars ago I managed a small hunter barn and had an Akita. she weighed 90 lbs. she was a love but had it in for Ground hogs. she would bring them in dead and leave them at the end of the barn isle. Our pastures were safe from leg breaking holes. 
the first time I saw her carrying one across the pasture I thought she had killed a small dog. well not that small.
LOL
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When I take narcotics I find I don’t get nausea if I take it with a thick milk product. Cottage cheese, yogurt, vanilla pudding. All it takes is a couple of bites. I think it coats the stomach.
They make me constipated so Senakot or something similar is pretty much a necessity. There is a tea that helps with that Celestial Seasons LaxaTea. Take them or start drinking the tea before it becomes an issue.
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For those that don’t realize what a groundhog is, here is more, a video also:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/did-the-groundhog-see-his-shadow-today
They are definitely not cuddly little critters.
I didn’t know they would climb trees.
Hope you get yours to go away, one way or another.
Could you put some mothballs down the hole, or pour some concrete mix in there, to run it off?
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I never knew groundhogs climbed trees! They are sneaky little buggers.
Good luck with the removal of yours.
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I also check the thread daily, and have been sending silent support.
my tomatoes have tiny tomatoes, but the plants are very small still. I planted them about 2 weeks ago, so I have to be patient
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Kim - Just as a humorous aside, I welcome you to read the following thread from a different message board: “How to kill evil Nazi Groundhogs” and the sequel: “Somewhere out there is a groundhog with my name on it”
I hope these make you chuckle.
StG
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I check in on your thread every day too, and send some transatlantic AO vibes with a positive spin xx
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When my Mom was having chemotherapy and pain meds she found some relief from the nausea side effects by sucking on sugar coated lemon drops. For her, those made a big difference. ((Hugs))
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I am phobic about throwing up too, so I can somewhat feel your pain over the possibility of getting sick.
From what friends have told me, they usually load you up on anti-nausea medication. One friend said that she would still get sick even with the meds, so she asked them to not give her any since they didn’t work anyway. After that, she was never sick from chemo again.
I’ve also heard that ginger candies work well for nausea.
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Kim has already told me that ginger is nearly guaranteed to make her hurl.
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Yup! LOL Sad but true. GACK! HAte Ginger.
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