She got shingles after the surgery and won’t take a narcotic for the chronic, severe pain. She says it will make her vomit because of an empty stomach. She won’t eat if she is nauseous and the pain is really debilitating. I don’t see her getting better. Her nutrition intake is practically non -existent . Any helpful hints would be appreciated. She must have a second surgery soon to reverse the first procedure and it is not looking promising.
You say she is due to have another procedure to "reverse" the first. Makes me think that she has had some surgery involving intestinal tract? Can you tell us a bit more about her general condition, and what surgery she has had?
You have some good advice below.
Zofran is excellent for nausea, but can cause constipation, so sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.
If she can get her pain under control, the nausea might also subside. It's a tricky road to walk--keeping the pain manageable, not upsetting an already tender tummy.
Maybe she can have a shot of something for the pain, then when it's better, she can do something orally and stay on top of the pain.