My foot is beginning to hurt.
A considerable amount.
Must be time for another dose.
One of these:
When I first looked at the label on the bottle when I had these last November, all my pea head saw was "hydrazine".
"Hydrazine?", came the question from one of the voices in my head. "Hydrazine is rocket fuel, isn't it?"
So I took a second look.
And the other voice in my head replied, "Take another look, man, it is Hydroxizine. The doctor said that it helps activate the narcotic. Relax, and take one."
And one of these (I shot both sides to ensure there was no doubt what it is.):
Oxycontin, 5mg, instant release. Same drug as the stuff that I took (30mg extended release) for 20 years for chronic neck and back pain, but that is time release, designed to slowly let the narcotic out over a 12 hour period.
This is instant release. It begins working within 15 to 20 minutes, and holds up pretty well. The directions say "Take one every 4 hours, or as needed for pain." I find that for the first couple of days, 4 hours is too long. As the surgical site heals the effective period increases. When it gets to 5 or 6 hours, I cut the pills in half (they are scored for it, and unlike the extended release give a 2.5mg dose when halved), and go back to a more frequent dose. That helps in two ways, it insures I will have them for as long as I have pain, and it helps me wean off of the narcotic slowly to avoid withdrawals.
And a couple ice packs around my knee.
The ice packs around the knee keep the nerve bundles from sending the pain signals to the brain. With the cast it isn't possible to ice the foot.
OK, off to the medicine cabinet.
BFN!