TAH Still in pain

OK girls so who is in the 10th week TAH that still has pain ,can't go back to work , swollen on one side only, whole abdomen from top to bottom hurts,can't bend over even to shave my legs ( my Hubby has to do it) I hope this is part of the healing process? Iam so scared that something is wrong and my Dr wont tell me anything.

Hi to all and thank you for sharing! I am new here and this is the exact reason that I joined! I am 6 weeks post op and still having pain in my left side of tummy. Had STAH both ovaries removed. I went through a lifetime of endometriosis, about 2 years of heavy bleeding before being put on meds to stop that (heaven!) and had a fibroid. Even with all that known, I had undiagnosed abdominal/pelvic pain and tons of tests. I am so tired of tests, feeling sick - I thought that doing the hysterectomy (a last resort for me) would cure all and I would also be fine in 6 weeks. I am hoping that it will pass as some of you have said. Dr has me a tad scared about a possibility of a hernia. I can't even muster up the courage to have the ultra sound with this pain! Not sleeping either - am lying on right side for maybe 2 hrs and awake in pain. Can lie on back propped up to sleep but getting stiff and back aches. I'm trying to be cheery for hubby and family but find myself crying lots. (started estrogen 3 days ago and think that might be helping the mood - is helping the horrible hot flashes.) Thanks for sharing!

Carnationz, welcome to the sisterhood, sounds like we have a few things in common,I also have to lay on the other side cause when I lay on the swollen side iam in pain I have pillows all around me. Why do you think its a hernia? Cause I think that might be my problem also. So you see your not alone we are here for eachother

Hi Katwoman,
Honestly I think my dr is just guessing hence the ultra sound. He's been my gyno for 25 yrs and is good but I think with all the visits in the past year he's plain worn out with the cause of my pain. It was a guess to have the hysterectomy that it would end the pain - nobody could say for sure what was causing it but endo, fibroid and bleeding was reason enough for the hysterectomy alone. I had a vertical incision and it is taking a looong time (my opinion) to heal. Still seeping which he says is a break down of fat cells. I am overweight. (That seems to be his reason for most of my pain/problems - but I admit I am and it could be.) It's nice to have someone to talk to but sorry any of us have to go through this. I know the surrounded by pillows! If I lie on my right side I have a thin one under my tummy! If I am on my back I am propped upwards by 4 pillows. If my hubby mixes up even the order of the pillows while trying to make me comfortable I turn into a bear! Can't get comfortable again. Did you have the big vertical incision too? I read your post earlier but can't remember, sorry.

Carnationz,iam also over weight the Dr said that's why it is taking me so long to heal how true that is I don't know? My incision was horizontal from hip to hip. We have a lot in common I feel like we are friends already

Hi Katwoman, I had a c-section 23 years ago that was a horizontal incision and the plan was to use that same incision for the hysterectomy. Unfortunately I geared myself up for that because I thought I remembered that it wasn't so bad.........forgetting I am 23 years older! Sadly the fibroid was so unexpectedly large (they thought it was 5.5cm and it turned out to be 12.5 - and I am still wondering how can they not know with the ultra sounds and CT scan?) I was really disappointed when I woke up and found out I had to have the vertical incision but trust my drs judgement that it was in my best interest.
I think some of the pain I am having is muscular from sleeping in strange positions, and I have an ache when I bend forward or if I get tired. Thank you for sharing - I am glad to have a friend to go through this with!

Carnationz,I hope most of our pain is muscular but I feel after 2months we should be used to getting up and down and moving around. Sorry to sound do negative for me anyway I don't think its normal to be in pain 24/7. Are you still numb? I can't feel half of my abdomen and the top part that I do is hip to hip even with my belly button is where most of the pain is thats why I hope its not my bowls. Well I hope you have a better day with less pain are you back to work or home like me?.

hey i am not as newly recovered as most here.
i thought i might be able to address to pain issue for some of you,ask your dr. about this-what side did they do operation from.i have heard that whatever side they did surgery from can hurt you the worst.they checked me for hernias during surgery,there were none.i think mine was from cysty ovaries.but ask dr what side they performed operation from,i have heard they usually do from right side.pain issues will stay with you for a while or they did w/ me.i thought i'd never quit having pain issues and thought something bad was wrong with me.
i wish dr's office had informed better than what they did.i found that my dr(a male)was more sympathetic than most of his nurses(women).

Hey Carnation, welcome to our merry thread Sorry to hear of your problems
I should definatley go for the Ultrasound (maybe take some extra pain relief beforehand) and at least then you know what's going on. My ultrasound wasn't painful (uncomfortable around the incision area but not painful) and the internal US was fine.
I'm not suprised that you are feeling weepy what with all the discomfort and the hormonal issues *hugs

Keep us posted here how you are doing, we can be healing buddies and compare notes.


Hey Kat, how are you doing?

Hi all and thanks! I am numb on several parts of the incision and a little to the left of it. When I told dr he did pin test when I wasn't looking (but soon realized!) but didn't say anything. I think I was too exhausted to ask anything much that day. I am lucky not to have to go to work (work temp from my home on call and have just said I'm not available for awhile.) There was no hernia problem before the operation, he wants to check if one has formed from having the operation. I read in one of my books (oh ya - I ran out and bought $200 worth of hysterectomy books and took 2 + years to make this decision) that hernia is a "complication of a vertical incision." I had to Google it to know what it even meant and don't think I really fit the description of symptoms - or don't want to. I am relieved every time I hear someone say they thought the pain would never go away and it did. I have had at least 6-7 abdominal/pelvic ultrasounds in the past for my endo and fibroid and they really tend to push down (probably because I have a good layer of fat they need to see through.) They have ranged from uncomfortable to painful. I have been through a really rough couple of years, this last one full of undiagnosed pain and many many tests and I'm emotionally not ready for one more test. I also greatly fear that I'll end up back in surgery if it is a hernia (my imagination - not necessarily true - never asked the dr one question about it.) I don't mean to sound down but I feel like I just want a break from pain, tests, bad news....it's time for healthy new life to go ahead and I'm disappointed that hasn't happened - at 7 weeks LOL. I have a great patient husband but he's also working full time and has health issues and I feel guilty so I feel pressured into being better....he's looked after me for so long! I will go for the ultra sound but need to gear up mentally and that might take a couple of weeks. I just don't feel I can push myself right now. Thanks for listening! You guys are GREAT! Hugs!