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Post op Ladies can you please share?
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02-26-2004, 05:27 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 6,053
Hysterectomy: February 5th, 2002
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
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Originally posted by flameglow
My DR did not perscribe a bowel prep, but I want to ask him if I can clean myself beforehand. I believe that may help with the gas. I mean, if you have stool sitting inside before the surgery, I would think it creates ALOT of gas. If your clean, than what can cause gas? Hmmm....interesting though.
I also picked up large sweatpants. Does the swelly belly last long? How long to get in my regular clothes? Or is this something I can't plan. I don't know how much to buy. I am trying to think of everything I need. If you can think of things please let me know, especially things that can help my recovery.
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The bowel prep really doesn't do much for preventing post op gas, or constipation, and that isn't why most DR's do or don't order one. Some ladies who have had to do bowel prep have a lot of gas pains, some don't. Some ladies who didn't have to do bowel prep have lots of gas pains some don't. It seems to be due more to the amount of handling the bowels are subjected to.
I had a TAH/BSO. I could wear my jeans at two weeks, if I had to go out for something, like a DR's apt. Otherwise I stayed in my sweats for 6 weeks.
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02-26-2004, 05:50 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 179
Hysterectomy: February 19th, 2004
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
Hi Elizabeth !
I still have lots of questions myself LOLOLOLOL
I figure i am on the other side now ..I have new ones lol
I was just as scared as you are ....these ladies here have been such a huge help ...
I really think , if we didnt feel some anxiety going into surgery ..that would not be normal lol
i had so much pain from these organs ...in time i know i wont regret this ....
Hugs to you !!!!
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02-26-2004, 07:30 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 196
Hysterectomy: October 6th, 2003
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
I describe the pain after surgery as if you've done 100 situps with burning. I hear, though, if you have an epidural you won't feel anything. I had the pump and it took a little bit before the pain was under control. When it was I slept for two days. The first time you get up is a real trip, so listen close to your nurse's instruction, so you can have minimal pain. I swung my feet down too fast and BOY did that burn. After that I had my pain meds before getting up to do anything. Once I did I could go to the toidy and shower or whatever I wanted. I wanted to go down and look at the babies in the nursery, but I couldn't find it.
I was scared stiff before my surgery. The week before I planned something to do every day so I could get my mind off of it. I was scared right up until I was put out. When I woke up and it was all done I was so happy. Even with the pain I was SO happy it was over. Then I felt great and still do. I still itch once in awhile, but my incision is great and still shrinking. It won't be long before you are sharing your "battle" stories, too.
I wish you good luck on your surgery and I hope you have a very uneventful recovery, too.
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02-26-2004, 07:35 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 54
Hysterectomy: September 25th, 2003
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
Linda,
I am 52 and had a TAH (uterous, ovaries and all) removed. I think that is the right abbreviation. I looked to find the codes but don't know were to look. Maybe someone can help me there. I have to say that I put my surgery off for a year for one reason or another. Scared to go under......Anyway, I made it a point to get plenty of anti-nausea medicine in surgery and after. I get sick easy with drugs so this was very important to me. Surgery was longer than they expected for I was originally going in for vaginal but endo had cyst stuck to things.
When I got out of surgery I was in pain and could not believe I has having to transfer from one bed to another....Ouch! They put me on a morphine pump which put me to sleep much of the time. By the afternoon the next day the pump was gone and they gave me motrium. I didn't want to take anything else for I wanted to stay awake and not be so drugged. I got up the first evening which they said was the best thing I could do. They had these things on my legs to help with clots for 2 days. Felt good. By the second day I was forcing myself to get up and walk. I really feel the best thing you can do is get out of bed, sit up and walk. A little at a time. Friends I know that stayed in bed a long time after coming home from the hospital had a much longer recovery time. I went home on the 3rd afternoon and was happy to leave the hospital and be in my own bed. I walked around the house quite a bit and then layed down when tired. By the 4th day I was going in the car with my daugher and continued to do that all week. My one week check-up Dr. said I was doing great and could drive, walk but not lift anything. Of course no sex for 6 weeks. At the hospital I started taking gas tablets and continued at home. I took gas X all the time and Mylanta and this really helped. Don't be shy in taking these. I did not take any pain medicine except motrium at home. I also started taking a stool softner but it hurt to have a bowel movement (you tense up for you are afraid it will hurt your stomach) It is a normal reaction to the soreness and swelling. I knew that a bowel movement was a must so gave self an enemia and then kept taking softners after that to stay regular. I really think this is important. The drugs will effect you in this area so keep on top it. I did not have very much of an appetite (drugs again) so had to force myself to eat.
If I would have only known that surgery was not going to be that bad and that recovery was much quicker than expected i would not have put this off for over a year. I also think a positive attitude after surgery is a must. I made up my mind that I didn't have time to recoup for a long time and was insistent that my life get back to normal quickly. I forced myself to do things even when I didn't feel like it. But DO NOT lift anything.
I only wish I could will the night sweats away!!!
Good Luck and think positive.
SusieQ
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02-26-2004, 07:46 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 121
Hysterectomy: December 15th, 2003
Surgery Type: TAH/SAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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But what about your crafts and stuff?
You've got a ton of good replies.
Kudos to you for knowing about what meds you can and cannot tolerate. That will help prevent some of the near misses some of the other ladies described.
I think you've got the hang of the "everybody's different" thing.
The gas IS different (somebody already said this) than the lap gas--I've had both procedures. During your surgery, they'll temporarily move all your intestines as far north as possible, so as to make room for their hands and their work. Regardless of the reason for your surgery, there's a lot of delicacy involved, because of the proximity of the uterus to the bladder and rectum. That's before you consider endo or adhesions or fibroids. It's actually quite tricky to make the right cuts and stitches without accidentally cutting or stitching something nearby. After they're done, they slide your intestines back down to where they should be. So that's one factor.
Then, many painkillers, especially those with any kind of opiate or opioid base, cause constipation, and so does the anasthesia, because it closes down your motility--natural motion of intestines. That's the second factor.
The third one is that, without a uterus and maybe fibroids or whatever else they're taking out of you, your intestines have extra space to adjust to.
Now, that's a lot of work for your poor bowel. It's all that moving around and putting back, combined with the stopped natural action, that allows "stuff" and gas to accumulate but not move. The ladies who talked about walking, drinking water, and using stool softeners were right. ONLY use an actual laxative if DOCTOR SAYS--usually they're way too harsh for post-op and then cause more trouble than they're worth.
Okay. Now, Pain. Mine was worst the first two days after surgery, but I also happend to still be in the hospital and still have professional help available. The morphine pump worked like a dream for me, but that's me. KNOW THYSELF. I went home with Percoset, which also worked well for me. It did contribute to the constipation, but as I worked my way off it, that went away too. By the way, it IS possible for you to be constipated AND have gas at the same time. The gas just goes around it all and works on out. My personal gas pains were pretty bad, but if I changed positions or walked around they didn't last as long. By about three weeks, they were mostly gone.
That's about the time the mysterious insomnia kicks in. For me, even though I ordinarily don't sleep on my back, that was in fact the most comfortable position for a while. Standing up straight and walking was next best, and sitting was the worst--it squished up everything too much for me to bear. So, when the insomnia sets in, whip out your crafts and go for it. There's a period of boredom where you feel great while you're resting but then get up to do something and realize that was a mistake. This is where reclining comes in. Not as bad as sitting up, not as boring as lying all the way down. Much more useful for crafts, crosswords, tv, and laptop in bed.
Swelly Belly? Totally variable. Sweats are good. Way to go to the lady who could get into her jeans. I still can't. I can, however, get into the next-size-up ones that I couldn't face buying so DH got them for me.
Hmmmm.....you expressed worry about living on Valium? This is WHY they make valium and all its related drugs. For stressful situations that are temporary. That would be you. When the stress passes, so will the need for valium. So, take it as directed, TRUST YOUR DOCTOR and don't cut your dosage for fear of dependence. For now, it's a legit need, and that need will pass. I'M NOT A PHARMACIST, but DH has been a therapist and drug counselor for more than 20 years, so that's unofficial but educated information there. ASK YOUR DOCTOR if you're worried.
Pain duration? Well, my endo had gotten awful before surgery, so the pain I felt after, once I got home, was, though reasonably severe, less than what I had before. Like the one lady who had the huge fibroid. You'll probably be amazed at the relief. The itching that set in as the incision healed drove me nuts, but I helped it out by putting ice packs on it from time to time. Actually, a bag of frozen peas or corn works great, because you can get it to conform to your shape and stay put. just wrap it in a clean dish towel first. Once my intestines woke up, moved into their new home and started functioning again, and I was off the prescription meds, what I had leftover was like a dull, generalized pain, with the occasional pinge here and there when an internal stitch would dissolve and let go (completely normal). By the way, did I mention CALL YOUR DOCTOR? It's really the best thing. If you feel bad about bugging the actual doc, figure out which nurse to ask for when you call. She'll know your chart, get to know you, and already knows your doctor, so she'll be a great resource.
Okay, now--one last thing. I may have missed it, but I didn't see anyone mention the bladder thing. Like the intestines, it has to readjust to the fact that there's empty space around it where your uterus used to press on it. It has to learn how to expell fluid for itself. This tends to result in alarming, but harmless, spasms when you pee. My doctor said they take about a month to settle down. Mine are better now, but I do still get them. They are easily confused, though, with a UTI, so, once again, CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU'RE IN DOUBT. I didn't know about them ahead of time, but I sure found out. At my two week check-up (my doc was delivering a baby, so a different one took my staples out at one week), I showed up with a list of questions which I'd been adding to as they came up, because otherwise I couldn't possibly have remembered them all. Lucky for me, my doctor sat through all of them, answered the, and didn't rush me. She was all compassion, empathy, and good humor.
Okay, another last thing--are you having an external incision? If so, don't mistake the discoloration, natural bruising from cutting you and then stretching the cut, for an infected incision. Ask in advance for a CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF...... list, because this will help you know when to call, and will lessen your anxiety. I tended to panic and think I was going to die every time some small thing changed--thank goodness for my DH, who has worked in hospitals, and for my Doctor's excellent nurse, who was really quick at returning my phone calls. And for the relative of valium, Klonopin, which I take (was before, so still am), and for this site.
Geeze Louise--this is a long post at the end of a long list of posts. I hope you do read it, or if not you, someone does, and that it puts someone in a better condition to sleep tonight. It's bedtime for me, so I'll go now. Bless all you PrePrincesses (and Post ones with all your wisdom), and sleepy tight.
Jo
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02-26-2004, 08:26 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 605
Hysterectomy: January 19th, 2004
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Undecided
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
If your doc didn't prescribe a bowel prep, don't take it on yourself to do one! And I have to say, I haven't noticed any fewer gas horror stories from the prep-sisters vs. the non-prep-sisters. SURE, gas can be painful, but for most of us, it's less painful than plenty of other pain we once accepted as "normal".
Make sure you reserve one of those pillows from your pillow mountain to put under your knees. For me, having that slight bend in my knee at night took a lot of pressure off my poor abdomen!
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02-26-2004, 08:35 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 179
Hysterectomy: February 19th, 2004
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
i myself did have a bowel prep( ordered by my doc) ...and i had the terrible gas
lol
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02-27-2004, 06:09 AM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 359
Hysterectomy: March 25th, 2004
Surgery Type: SAH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
OH ladies I forgot to mention -
I think I already asked this but don't know if I got to many posts on it, but do you have drains, tubes in your nose or oxygen on when you get up from surgery? I am having an SAH.
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02-27-2004, 07:56 AM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 605
Hysterectomy: January 19th, 2004
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Undecided
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
I had no drains, no oxygen--just a catheter. And I hope you mean "waking up"--there was no "getting up" for me for 24 hours!
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02-27-2004, 08:16 AM
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Guest
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Posts: 295
Hysterectomy: September 2nd, 2003
Surgery Type: TAH/SAH
Ovaries: Undecided
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Post op Ladies can you please share?
I did have oxygen for a while and a catheter, but no drains.
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TAH/BSO
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