Hello Ladies. I'm 4 weeks post op & i've had 2 c-sections so I feel like an abdominal surgery pro at this point, and here is what I've learned:
1. Bring Gas -X and stool softeners to the hospital. They want you to pass gas, but they dont give you anything to aid in it until & unless you're in excruciating pain & by then it's unbearable. With my TAH, I started taking it roughly 8 hours after my surgery and was able to pass gas my the next morning. The gas can be excruciating. Dont underestimate the importance of getting it out.
2. I'm large busted, so I brought 2 comfy sports bras, a size bigger for easy dressing, and I slipped one on under my personal jammies as soon as my IV was out and it made me feel human & "put together."
3. I brought several bottles of my favorite flavored water and that really helped flush things out i believe. I could never have drank that much tap water. I had to successfully urinate twice before they'd take the IV out, so that sped that along too.
4. I had IV Dilauded for 24 hours after my TAH, before switching to Percocets and had i been given a choice, i would have chosen Percocets from the get go. It may not have been enough, but the IV Dilaudid required me to push the button every 5 minutes to dispense, so if i dozed off or fell asleep, i'd wake with no pain meds in me & in horrible pain & i'd have to call for an IV push. It was a real pain (literally.). Once i switched to the Percocets, I was able to rest for longer periods without pain.
All the other advice here is great. Also, a heating pad on my belly the first few days home was soooo soothing. A must have.
Good luck to all of you. The first week is a little rough but then every day you feel an improvement, and it's great.
My TAH advice
