coughing/sneezing/stitches popping

Date is looming closer, paranoia setting in. Now I'm worrying about sneezing or worse a cough, anything that will make my body heave and stitches popping and bleeding...sorry. Someone wrote recently they had seen a video that told them how to cope with a cough/sneeze. Any one know the answer? To what degree of 'heaving' can our bodies take?

Happy New Year Everyone!

Hi. I know that feeling. Before my surgery I told someone the only thing I was hoping was that I did not vomit after surgery with stitches or staples in my abdomen. I didn't think I would, but didn't want to even think about it. Well, 36 hours after surgery I started vomiting. I survived.

A week after I was home I had just gotten into bed for the night and a sneeze came on. I stifled that one. The next night the exact same thing and I couldn't stop it. It hurt, but not real bad. I made sure if I coughed that I was sitting up, not laying down and it was much easier.

I have severe allergies...My allergist suggested that I keep a pillow to hold so if I sneeze etc. I can hug pillow and it will support the incision site. It worked for my gallbladder surgery. Take care,,,

I kept a pillow close by to pull against my tummy before coughing and sneezing - it helped a lot.
All my stitches were inside so if anything popped I was none the wiser. When the tape came off my incision on day 2 there was nothing there but a thin red line (swollen & bruised). Are you sure that you are having staples?

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I had my staples removed, (with about 1/2 inch of the incision still slightly open), when I was 8 days post-op. Two days later, I caught a horrible case of the flu with lots of coughing and sneezing. I was petrified that my incision would open back up, but it didn't. Just keep a tummy pillow nearby for support. It helps immensely!

This may be a completely stupid question, but is this something that needs to be worried about with a vaginal hysterectomy? I am scheduled for mine on the 22nd of January.

Hi sister, keep your pillow handy because you will sneeze and cough. LAVH/BSO two weeks ago. Happened to me several times. It hurts but only for a minute. Takes alot more than that to pull the sutures and or staples out if ya keep your handy dandy little pillow with you.
Good luck to you and Happy New year
Jerri

Thanks for all of your encouraging replies. I'm having a vaginal hyst, so there will be nothing to see (i hope) will holding a cushion still help with everything happening inside?

Feel like the countdown has really started now we are actually in 'next year' - op on 19th Jan.
Happy new Year everyone.

One thing I found earlier with a broken rib last spring -- the codiene in percoset does a great job of stopping coughing ( I don't know about the sneezes, though). I was reallly worrying about coughing at that time, but dr reassured me that cough syrup with codiene is given for a severe cough to stop the coughing. I never coughed while on the percoset (or tylenol with codiene).


With my TAH-BSO, I noticed that as long as I took the codiene for pain, there was no coughing. It was only after I stopped the codiene that I coughed again. By that time, it wasn't very painful and there was no worry of breaking an incision. Just another reason to make sure you take the pain meds as the dr wants you to.

Linda