TAH 4 days post hysterectomy (10/12): I'm worried...

Hi,
I'm very very new to this site. Just had a TAH (and both ovaries removed) 4 days ago (on October 12th) and came home from hospital yesterday. I have been following doc's orders - walking around a little bit, resting mostly, eating light, drinking lots of water. But my belly is getting more and more sore and tight. Still no solid BM, but I'm passing gas (sorry if tmi...) and I'm crying over stupid things- my kids are making a mess, the soup isn't hot enough, I can't figure out how to write a post on here... I know they said I'd be emotional but is this over the top? Should I be worried about how big and round my belly is?? I tried a compression garment, but it hurts me and I can barely get it closed (and it makes me cry)
Am I losing it?

Nikki
Nel420

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Nel420 Hi, I'm very very new to this site. Just had a TAH (and both ovaries removed) 4 days ago (on October 12th) and came home from hospital yesterday. I have been following doc's orders - walking around a little bit, resting mostly, eating light, drinking lots of water. But my belly is getting more and more sore and tight. Still no solid BM, but I'm passing gas (sorry if tmi...) and I'm crying over stupid things- my kids are making a mess, the soup isn't hot enough, I can't figure out how to write a post on here... I know they said I'd be emotional but is this over the top? Should I be worried about how big and round my belly is?? I tried a compression garment, but it hurts me and I can barely get it closed (and it makes me cry) Am I losing it? Nikki Nel420

Hi & welcome!

You are very early into recovery & aches & pains are to be expected. The 1st hurdle now is post op constipation which can be uncomfortable & even painful, so get busy to remedy..Apples, veggies, magnesium, nuts, pumpkin seeds are great. Prune juice, yogurt. A smoothie w fruit, spinach, flax seeds. Fiber-bran cereal, fiber bars, peppermint tea..Walking & water.

Swelly belly is inflammation from surgery, bloat from constipation, gas & hormones.It takes time. Watch the salt. Not everyone wears an ab binder. Its personal choice.

Feeling emotional may occur. Since your ovaries were removed, its pretty common to experience feeling emotional, brain fog, insomnia, fatigue etc..Talk to your Dr about that. Some take HRT & anti-anxiety meds. You should focus on you right now & like they say, pick your battles. Remove yourself from trivial things. Your house will still be there when you are feeling better so for now, ignore the mess. You can ask your kids to be helpers but tune it out if its not to your standards.You recovering is the focus now. Try some deep breathing & meditation.

Anytime you have concerns, call your Dr. Dont feel like its a bother.Thats what they are there for.

Best wishes w your continued recovery.

and

LailaStar offered you some great advice. I agree to not be your family's go-to gal and problem solver at this point in time - you need to heal and, to do that properly, rest. This was major surgery, and doing too much too soon could set you back in healing or may land you in ER.

Some of my favorite resources to get you through these early weeks are:

• Hysterectomy Recovery Videos on the Recovery Splash page
• Hysterectomy Checkpoints for a week-to-week guide
• 5 Things Your Family Needs to Know About Hysterectomy (specific to your situation!)

Also, check out your Recovery Thread at Recovery Progress Reports for Oct 9-15. Recovery Threads are dedicated threads for women who had surgery the same week as you. They are wonderful for getting support, comparing notes, and encouraging others.

Always remember that this site is a no-embarrassment zone, where bathroom issues are discussed on a regular basis, so you don't need to feel shy about asking for help. Helpful fruits to add to your smoothies include frozen cherries, blueberries, and bananas; other helpful foods include magnesium-rich dark chocolate, ground flaxseeds, oatmeal, psyllium or chia seeds, and canned pumpkin puree. Warming up your prune juice can boost its effects; other helpful drink choices include peppermint tea, and a glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon. Another top tip to encourage regularity is to squat on the toilet right after you eat; this stimulates the gastro-colic reflex, in which the stomach tells the brain that it's full, then the brain tells the colon to empty its contents to make room for the new stuff coming in, and the squat position properly aligns the rectum, so the poop can pass through more smoothly. For your emotional issues, taking your walks outdoors can really help. Also, if you're okay with eating soy, then 1-2 daily servings of tofu, edemame, or soy milk can help with hormonal balance. A broad-spectrum probiotic supplement can also help, by supporting the 90% of serotonin production that takes place in the intestinal tract, and depends on the friendly bacteria living in there, which may have been affected by antibiotics used in the surgery. Tofu, as well as most seafood, whole eggs, turkey, and nuts and seeds, are high in tryptophan, a a precursor to seritonin, and bananas are high in Vitamin B6, which helps it to enter the brain. Best wishes for your continued recovery!

No, no - you sound completely normal! I am now 12 days post-op, and just starting to feel like my swelling, gas, etc has come down. Don't be too hard on yourself! I found the first four days I did little walks (like, around the house, to the bathroom, down the laneway for 15 mins) and otherwise, slept or at least laid down. I made the smart, yet hard decision of not being the caregiver at my house after surgery - stayed at my Mom's for the first 4 days. I KNEW that no matter how much my guy and the kids love me (and my 2 Great Danes, for that matter) they would still 'expect' things from me. Put yourself FIRST! The first four days were bearable - but I didn't put any expectations on myself either. One of the biggest comforts was an electric heating pad on my belly. Now that I've had some bowel movements (back to the TMI, sorry) I am feeling more like myself. The emotional part really hits home with me - I was the same. So I watched super sad movies, and let myself purge it all out! As far as crying while trying to post here - I did that BEFORE my surgery. This site is full of wonderful, kind, amazing women, but trying to connect is a NIGHTMARE. I wish it was more user friendly, at the time in my life when I am a lousy 'user'! I've come on here several times since my surgery to post updates, etc, and given up because it's so hard to navigate. At least it is a great search resource, even if I'm still unable to actually 'start' a thread or post. Hope you can access all these replies - there's a lot of good support here Hang in there!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by LailaStar Hi & welcome! You are very early into recovery & aches & pains are to be expected. The 1st hurdle now is post op constipation which can be uncomfortable & even painful, so get busy to remedy..Apples, veggies, magnesium, nuts, pumpkin seeds are great. Prune juice, yogurt. A smoothie w fruit, spinach, flax seeds. Fiber-bran cereal, fiber bars, peppermint tea..Walking & water. Swelly belly is inflammation from surgery, bloat from constipation, gas & hormones.It takes time. Watch the salt. Not everyone wears an ab binder. Its personal choice. Feeling emotional may occur. Since your ovaries were removed, its pretty common to experience feeling emotional, brain fog, insomnia, fatigue etc..Talk to your Dr about that. Some take HRT & anti-anxiety meds. You should focus on you right now & like they say, pick your battles. Remove yourself from trivial things. Your house will still be there when you are feeling better so for now, ignore the mess. You can ask your kids to be helpers but tune it out if its not to your standards.You recovering is the focus now. Try some deep breathing & meditation. Anytime you have concerns, call your Dr. Dont feel like its a bother.Thats what they are there for. Best wishes w your continued recovery.

Ms. Laila Star,

Thank you very much for your kind response. I will try some of your suggestions to help with my bloating and constipation problems. I have always thought that smoothies may be a good, prepare-ahead type of breakfast for me, and now seems like a perfect time to try some out.
Pick your battles sounds like exactly what my husband would say. So I guess I need to actually listen. Weird how it seems like sensible advice coming from you, but sounds bossy coming from him...
The way you phrased it though- "remove yourself from trivial things" sits well with me. It's an active thing I can do. Actually remove myself from the messy downstairs if it's on my nerve. I like that. Thank you. I will keep my own space peaceful and remove myself from trivial things when I need to.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I really had no idea what to expect from this process, other than the generic "post-op recovery info" and this site seems full of supportive people and insight.

Much love,
Nikki
Nel420

Thank you, Cussette! These are some very good resources and I appreciate you pointing me in their direction. I especially like the one about what to expect each day following surgery... I had heard about this site, but had no idea how much valuable information was here. I had planned to check it out after my surgery, but it looks like I could have benefitted from some research here before I went in.
Better late than never, though, I guess.
Thanks again for replying!
Nikki
Nel420

	Quote:
Originally Posted by almostalice No, no - you sound completely normal! I am now 12 days post-op, and just starting to feel like my swelling, gas, etc has come down. Don't be too hard on yourself! I found the first four days I did little walks (like, around the house, to the bathroom, down the laneway for 15 mins) and otherwise, slept or at least laid down. I made the smart, yet hard decision of not being the caregiver at my house after surgery - stayed at my Mom's for the first 4 days. I KNEW that no matter how much my guy and the kids love me (and my 2 Great Danes, for that matter) they would still 'expect' things from me. Put yourself FIRST! The first four days were bearable - but I didn't put any expectations on myself either. One of the biggest comforts was an electric heating pad on my belly. Now that I've had some bowel movements (back to the TMI, sorry) I am feeling more like myself. The emotional part really hits home with me - I was the same. So I watched super sad movies, and let myself purge it all out! As far as crying while trying to post here - I did that BEFORE my surgery. This site is full of wonderful, kind, amazing women, but trying to connect is a NIGHTMARE. I wish it was more user friendly, at the time in my life when I am a lousy 'user'! I've come on here several times since my surgery to post updates, etc, and given up because it's so hard to navigate. At least it is a great search resource, even if I'm still unable to actually 'start' a thread or post. Hope you can access all these replies - there's a lot of good support here Hang in there!

Ms. Alice,
Thank you for your response! It is unexpected and so reassuring to hear from so many lother people who have been through the same (similar, at least) experiences.
The sadness I'm feeling is very unsettling. One person who responded suggested hormone replacement therapy, and my doc gave me that before I left the hospital. She also suggested some anti anxiety medicine, but since my doctors know me to be anxious, I already have those too. So I'm afraid I'm all loaded up and just have to sit here and wait for the waves of hormones to wash over me and do what they will...
This morning I was trying to get dressed bc my husband was going to take me to lunch. So nice, right? But I couldn't find my clothes. In my own room. My closet is filled with things, but I had some kind of weird paralyzed, confused feeling, knowing that nothing there would feel right over my big swollen belly, so I just kind of lost it and started crying. When he finally came to see what was taking me so long, my husband was as confused as I was about what the heck was going on. I don't even know how to explain. I just said I can't find my clothes. I don't know where my clothes are. He went downstairs and got my suitcase that I had used at the hospital and brought it up and I was able to find something loose-fitting and comfortable to wear.
Have you had anything like this? Almost like a brain fart that lasted too long? Like a fog or something? I don't even know if this was hormone related or not... but it was very strange.
As soon as I got dressed, I feel like I was back on track, but I am not sure if I should let someone know about this? Or wait to see if anything like that happens again?
I think a sad movie bender sounds like a really healthy way to purge your tears; I might have to try that.
And I'm not sure either if I'm connecting the right way on this site. So far I posted my one question/rant and have gotten multiple replies. So I'm trying to reply back to those people. Your response was one that sounded like you're in a similar stage of recovery. So I guess that's why I felt like asking you about my weird brain fog thing, in case you've had it too.
One person told me about a bunch of different resources on here. One that has a day by day account of what to expect after surgery. That seemed pretty helpful.

Sorry this is so long. Thanks for listening.
Nikki
Nel420

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Nel420 Have you had anything like this? Almost like a brain fart that lasted too long? Like a fog or something? I don't even know if this was hormone related or not... but it was very strange. As soon as I got dressed, I feel like I was back on track, but I am not sure if I should let someone know about this? Or wait to see if anything like that happens again?

Yes, brain fog is a fairly common complaint post-op. Lingering effects of anesthesia, other pain meds, the hormonal imbalance and decline in estrogen from having both ovaries removed, and the exhaustion from having had major surgery - they can all play a part in brain fog. Will you be on HRT at some point? You may wish to keep a journal of things such as that, mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia and other symptoms which may be hormone-related.

It's the Hysterectomy Checkpoints which give you a week by week guide. There is a HysterSisters app available for your phone; though it needs updating to be more compatible with mobile software, Checkpoints for the phone app are day-to-day. I LOVED reading them when I was newly post op!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Nel420 Ms. Alice, Thank you for your response! It is unexpected and so reassuring to hear from so many lother people who have been through the same (similar, at least) experiences. The sadness I'm feeling is very unsettling. One person who responded suggested hormone replacement therapy, and my doc gave me that before I left the hospital. She also suggested some anti anxiety medicine, but since my doctors know me to be anxious, I already have those too. So I'm afraid I'm all loaded up and just have to sit here and wait for the waves of hormones to wash over me and do what they will... This morning I was trying to get dressed bc my husband was going to take me to lunch. So nice, right? But I couldn't find my clothes. In my own room. My closet is filled with things, but I had some kind of weird paralyzed, confused feeling, knowing that nothing there would feel right over my big swollen belly, so I just kind of lost it and started crying. When he finally came to see what was taking me so long, my husband was as confused as I was about what the heck was going on. I don't even know how to explain. I just said I can't find my clothes. I don't know where my clothes are. He went downstairs and got my suitcase that I had used at the hospital and brought it up and I was able to find something loose-fitting and comfortable to wear. Have you had anything like this? Almost like a brain fart that lasted too long? Like a fog or something? I don't even know if this was hormone related or not... but it was very strange. As soon as I got dressed, I feel like I was back on track, but I am not sure if I should let someone know about this? Or wait to see if anything like that happens again? I think a sad movie bender sounds like a really healthy way to purge your tears; I might have to try that. And I'm not sure either if I'm connecting the right way on this site. So far I posted my one question/rant and have gotten multiple replies. So I'm trying to reply back to those people. Your response was one that sounded like you're in a similar stage of recovery. So I guess that's why I felt like asking you about my weird brain fog thing, in case you've had it too. One person told me about a bunch of different resources on here. One that has a day by day account of what to expect after surgery. That seemed pretty helpful. Sorry this is so long. Thanks for listening. Nikki Nel420

Hey Nikki - no worries! I'm home recovering anyways, I've got time to read and reply Initially (first couple of days) I felt pretty good - maybe because I was so relieved that my fear of the surgery were behind me. But yeah, by day 4 I was definitely emotional - very! Now, I didn't have my ovaries removed, so the hormone replacement thing isn't part of my recovery, but I can understand why they're suggesting it to you. It definitely plays with your mind (and heart!). I think that's why I loved the heating pad - more than pain-relieving, it was a comfort thing. Comfy clothes, blankets, heating pad. Wallowing in a warm cocoon of emotions LOL After about 10 days, I felt a little more 'stable', but still very tired, easily upset, and irritated. Also, not fitting into anything but PJs and yoga pants. Ugh. Yes, I definitely had brain fog, or trouble thinking clearly - on about the 6th night, I was making supper and instead of using cold water and flour to make gravy, I poured the boiling hot drippings into the flour jar. Uh.....WHAT? And then stood there, knowing that wasn't right, but not WHY. Scary. I've been making that since I was a little kid with my Grammy. Maybe that's why they tell us not to drive hahah. Tomorrow is 2 weeks for me, and this is the first day I can say I feel NORMAL. So, be kind to yourself. Do the weepy movies thing (aim for happy/sad ones - you know, Steel Magnolias or something...not depressing sad) I watched Seabiscuit, and bawled and smiled my way through it. Something about that plucky little horse Talk anytime you want - I don't know if we're connecting in the right way, but I'm hearing you.