finally got a date, now alot of questions for my sisters

well, my doctor set my date for september 26, 2005. he will do a tah and keep the ovaries. he also mentioned removing my appendix. i am very nervous about the bowel prep, although he didn't mention this on any of my pre-op work. i know this sounds crazy, but do you drink the stuff, because i have a very weak stomach, my doctors ususally have me take 10 ex-lax whenever i have to take a test or something that calls for bowel prep. i too experienced terrible gas settling in my shoulder after lap. surgery, i actually got a pinched nerve from the way they postitioned me. that also scares me. my doctor said it would be 3 day hospital stay and then about 12 week recovery, because i also have systemic lupus, and would recover slowly. if anyone can tell me what to expect when i wake up it would be appreciated

I had to do a bowel prep and I was also anxious about it. I had to do an enema. If you have a weak stomach and can't tolerate the stuff they make you drink you might could do the enema instead. It really wasn't that bad. Maybe you could mention it to your doctor, if you have to do a bowel prep at all. You should find out at your pre-op.

About the gas.....I also experienced terrible gas pains the morning after my surgery. I had gas trapped behind my ribcage and around my diaphragm. I had never experienced that before....it was horrible. I couldn't lay down in bed and it hurt to breathe. I still say those gas pains were worse than the surgery or the overall recovery.

I would mention your concern about the gas before your surgery and maybe they can go ahead and give you something and take extra precautions to get as much air out as possible.

As far as what to expect when you wake up....It will be hard for anyone to tell you how YOU will feel. All of us seem to have different experiences. I was one of the lucky ones that woke up with ZERO pain! But I can tell you that I barely remember the day of surgery. I slept all day and night. They kept me so drugged that most of my hospital stay was a blur.

Good luck to you. I hope you have an uneventful surgery and a smooth recovery.

I had the LAVH-BSO surgery and had to do the bowel prep as well (this is pretty common, so that your bowel is clean/empty in case there's a nick when they are in there, you sure don't want the contents of the bowel spilling into your abdomen!!)

I was told to go buy the Fleet enema at the pharmacy.
I dreaded this as well, but it really wasn't too bad.
(Of course there's other things I'd rather have been doing!! )

17 years ago when I had the laparoscopy tubal ligation, I had horrific gas pains up in my shoulder (the nurse told me they inflate your belly w/air to see better, then they try to get all the air out before they close the incision) Any air left in there is a bubble, and when you sit upright, it gets caught up under your diaphragm and causes transferred pain up to the shoulder (I thought I was having a heart attack!) It has to slowly absorb into the intestines, then walk, walk, walking helps it come out the best way it knows how!

However...this time w/the LAVH-BSO I had no gas pain at all!!!!

Even though I asked for an anti-nausea prior to surgery, the little patch behind my ear didn't work and I was queasy when I woke up, and asked for anti-nausea (Phenergan), which knocked me back out and kept my tummy settled. No problem!

Glad you will get 12 weeks to recover!!
Sounds perfect! Don't rush the recovery!!

I think some of the gals who keep their ovaries, find that the shock of surgery might cause them to kinda go to sleep for a bit, but they do wake up and get back to work. I just don't know when...since mine were removed.

s
Best of luck to you!
Shoozie

Hi Merryooch,

If your Dr didn't mention a bowel prep, then he may not require one. My Dr didn't have me do any bowel prep at all. Find out from him/her what he/she wants and only do what they instruct you to do. No more, no less.

I'm sorry, I don't have any experience with lupus, but maybe someone else will come along who can give you some info about that.


Kay

Hi, Mary,
Each doctor seems to have their own directives for the bowel prep...
at your pre-op, express your concerns and write down questions to ask.That is so helpful, especially since I tend to get "flustered" when I see the doctor and all questions fly out of my memory banks! I, too, have SLE and am 5 weeks out from TAH-BSO, with projected return to work (teaching) at 6 weeks. I am so exhausted and still tire easily, with huge "swelly belly" so sure hope I can go back then...have not even driven yet!! But, ironically, my lupus symptoms have abated and I have felt super great in that area!!...I see my rheumatologist today and will ask him questions, too...good luck, sending sister hugs, and this site is just wonderful for all sorts of questions!!

Mary,
. I had TAH and kept ovaries on 7/11/05. The CO2 gas pains that you had in your shoulder after lap surgery won't be a problem if you have TAH because they don't inflate your belly (what's the sense when you're completely open anyway?). The gas pains you may have will be intestinal gas, but it can be a doozie!!! I used Phazyme, but have heard Gas-X is good also.

As far as the bowel prep, I had to use an enema. I dreaded that more than the actual surgery itself, but it truly was not bad at all. I had made it out to be a LOT worse that it actually ended up being. Be sure to tell your doc about your weak stomach if he/she requires a bowel prep because, as they say, There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Best wishes. Keep in touch.

I had a TAH and also kept ovaries. I was not required to do any bowel prep, just nothing to eat or drink for a specified length of time. I was quite relieved to find that I didn't have to do any prep, as I have IBS, which would have been quite irritated by the procedure! Maybe you won't have to do one either. Best of luck to you in your surgery and recovery.

i am curious marsellie, did you have an mri to look for adenomyosis before your hyster.? i too have ibs (thats a real treat hugh?) lol
thank you all for your input

Merry, I didn't have an MRI and didn't know about adenomyosis. In fact, I'd never heard of it until I was getting ready for surgery. I'd had ultrasounds many times over the last 10 years or so and knew I had multiple fibroids which had become quite large over the last year or so. Apparently adenomyosis can look like fibroids on ultrasound. The worst symptoms had only recently developed, and I'd decided to go for surgery anyway. BTW, I had absolutely no bowel problems after surgery and the IBS comes and goes (no pun intended) mostly from stress. Drink water, lots and lots of water. I ate my bran, and lots of greens too. Good luck, and I hope the lupus does not flare up on you.