LAVH 10 days post hysterectomy: belly swelling and sensation of something falling through

LAVH, kept ovaries. Surgery date was August 5th. Really expected things to go much smoother. Did not use any pain medication because it wasn't prescribed properly and it was difficult for the pharmacist to get in contact with doctor. I'm past that now but continue to get a lot of belly swelling. Mornings are better but as the day wears on, the swelling builds. Have one incision that gets quite uncomfortable but does not appear infected. The worst part is the sensation that "something is falling through". In addition, I have a pulling/burning sensation when urinating. No fever. Should I be concerned?? My post-op appointment isn't until September 3rd. Thank you for any insight.

The swelly belly (that's what we call it) sounds perfectly normal. As for the sensation that something is falling through, I am not quite sure I know what you mean. Could you describe it more? The pulling/ burning sensation may be normal and caused by something like bladder spasms, but it may be a UTI. It can't hurt to give your doc a call and ask what they recommend.

I have a weird sense of a sensation of pulling, feels like I can feel gravity on my guts. Unless you feel something actually falling through your vaginal canal, I think it sounds normal. The burning could be a UTI though But, I really cannot stress enough that you should call with any questions!! They usually have a nurse or special triage nurse to help with post-surgery questions. They just do not prepare us well enough at all! I have called at least 10 times in the last 4 weeks with questions. Hope everything is ok, but your issues do sound like others I have seen on here.

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Originally Posted by Confused1114 I have a weird sense of a sensation of pulling, feels like I can feel gravity on my guts. Unless you feel something actually falling through your vaginal canal, I think it sounds normal. The burning could be a UTI though But, I really cannot stress enough that you should call with any questions!! They usually have a nurse or special triage nurse to help with post-surgery questions. They just do not prepare us well enough at all! I have called at least 10 times in the last 4 weeks with questions. Hope everything is ok, but your issues do sound like others I have seen on here.

I have to agree with you on how doc's do not prepare you for after surgery. Bloating, pain, tiredness, things falling back in place, etc.was never mentioned. I came to this web page a lot for answers.

Thanks everyone! I'd be lost without this forum, ugh! Difficult to get through to someone with knowledge at the doctor office. The sensation I feel is like wearing a tampon. I haven't been able to wear one for years because it wouldn't stay in place. My symptoms seem to subside overnight and I feel pretty good in the mornings. As the day goes on I get that sensation of something in the vagina, swelling of belly, incision pain and abdominal/groin pains. Was told last night by a friend that I should have sutures passing soon and probably some bleeding, really?? Had Fallopian tubes, uterus and cervix removed. Bleeding from what?? I sure wish I was more informed of what to expect during recovery and how long these symptoms may last....thank you all for your help. I truly appreciate it!

I have noticed that I swell more as day goes on and that includes the vaginal canal and that feels like I have a tampon stuck. I find the compression belt helps me a lot with the swelling, but still more swollen by night. And, no the doc didn't tell me about this, I saw it was normal here. Also, I didn't know about the discharge and passing stitches until I saw it here. I do not believe that I have passed and atiches, but have heard that sometimes they disintegrate (on here). I had no bleeding or discharge after day 3 and then suddenly had some after 3 weeks. And then it was watery pink and brownish. I did call doc and he confirmed that was normal. Still have a little at 4.5 weeks postop.

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Originally Posted by Confused1114 I have noticed that I swell more as day goes on and that includes the vaginal canal and that feels like I have a tampon stuck. I find the compression belt helps me a lot with the swelling, but still more swollen by night. And, no the doc didn't tell me about this, I saw it was normal here. Also, I didn't know about the discharge and passing stitches until I saw it here. I do not believe that I have passed and atiches, but have heard that sometimes they disintegrate (on here). I had no bleeding or discharge after day 3 and then suddenly had some after 3 weeks. And then it was watery pink and brownish. I did call doc and he confirmed that was normal. Still have a little at 4.5 weeks postop.

Good to know! Wish I would've been explained all of this so I wouldn't worry about nothing. Still at 4.5 weeks post-op?? I better keep the hygiene products for a bit I suppose. LOL!

I never needed more than a panty liner even with all the different colored discharge that came with the different phases of healing. Looking back on it, I could have gone without even a panty liner because I only saw discharge/blood when I wiped. I just wanted to feel that I was covered in case there was more. Fortunately, there never was.

I had a TAH, so your experience may be different, but when I first stood up after surgery, I felt like all my organs were going to fall out. This must be a common experience because when the nurse saw me standing all hunched over with my hand holding my belly, and I told her that I felt like everything was going to fall out, she said, "Nothing's going to fall out. Stand up straight and hold your arms at your side. If you hunch over you'll heal that way and then you'll never be able to stand up straight." Once I started forcing myself to stand up straight, the feeling of everything falling out soon went away. I never used a binder.

In the first 6-8 weeks or so after surgery, I would sometimes feel like I had a thick discharge, but when I checked there was nothing there. I think a lot of this is just your nerves sending weird messages to your brain.

Good morning! You say it feels better in the a.m. perhaps you're over doing it throughout the day? Hopefully you're on the mend soon!