verical incision

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Originally posted by ElenaM Do you typically get to speak to your doctor right after surgery or are you too out of it at that point? I'm gonna want to know what was or wasn't taken out!!!

LOL! Sorry, but I remember my DR coming in to my room to see me a few hours after surgery. I was pretty out of it still, but I remember her face real close to mine, and her asking if I remembered being hit by a truck, and that she was the truck! It was the next morning when I saw her that I was coherent enough to understand anything she said to me.

Best wishes!

I had that kind of incision, and was expecting the pain to be horrible. It wasn't as bad as I had expected. I used a small blanket folded up when I rolled over and sat up to get out of bed. But I was up and walking quite well the day after surgery. It has been 11 days since surgery, and I feel great, except for being bored. The paid I had experienced from the fibroids were much worse than the surgery.

Sleeping after surgery on the other hand is a whole other story.

why is sleeping difficult after surgery? Doesn't the pain meds keep the pain controlled? I actually was wondering about if it is possible to sleep on your side after surgery or if you just have to be flat on your back.

I'm a bit stressed today. Seems my sinus infections is coming back. I'm on antibiotics so I don't know why this is happening. My surgery is Wednesday. I hope it won't be cancelled.

I wanted to sleep on my side the first night, but in my morphine fog, I don't remember if the nurse told me no or if she said that I'd be more comfortable on my back.

By the second day, I was sleeping on my side with a pillow up against my abdomen. The nice thing about hospital beds is being able to adjust them so that even if you have to sleep on your back, you can get pretty comfortable.

For me, it wasn't pain, it was just discomfort, and the meds controlled that very well.

Pain meds can cause insomnia. I know i have a harder time sleeping when i have to take them, and i know several other people who are the same way. I just veg out in my recliner and watch tv. I'm sure it'll be much the same after the Castle for a while.

I slept on my side the second night. The first night I had paid shots, not a morphine pump. I hear that lots of people have morphine pumps, but the shots every 3 hours the first night worked great. I went to Percoset for the next 2 days, then Tylenol.

As for sleeping, it is worse now that I am home. I have read that it is not unusual not to be able to sleep much, due to the hormones missing.

Don't let the surgery get you too worked up. You WILL BE FINE. I was a wreck, and it really wasn't that bad. The relief of the fibroids being gone are worth it all.

Good luck and keep in touch

Robin

I had vertical incision, and the nurses brought me a band the next day when they came to get me up. They said I could try just sitting in a chair or take a few steps if I was up to it.

The band was great. It was on my itemized hospital bill so included in the services in my town.

You might want to ask you DR about "intrathecal" pain control. I was getting ready to mention it in a post. It took the place of the morphine IV pump and I had very little pain and good mental clairity even the evening after my noon-ish surgery. It's a injection in the back but not the same as a spinal block; DR will have to explain it to you but it really worked for me.

Also, I think walking as much as you can before surgery will help. I was able to rise, shower, dress and fix simple meals from the time I came home from the castle. Just rested a lot in between.

I'm sure you'll do fine! Try not to worry in advance- focus on being as healthy and positive as you can be.

I am a tummy sleeper, and still not quite able to roll all the way onto my tummy, because of a little tenderness when I try. I have been sleeping on my side since my surgery. When I first came home, I mostly put a pillow under my knees to help me sleep on my back or a little on my side. After a few nights, I moved the pillow up, kind of between my legs, and was able to comfortably sleep on my side. Now I still use the pillow, along my body, and kind of roll over almost onto my tummy with the pillow just preventing me from going too far. I did experience some insomnia after a couple of weeks, but only for a few nights. I tried to keep to a schedule that was close to my normal sleeping schedule, and got up every morning with DH. When he went to work, I got settled into the recliner or on the sofa. I could rest as I needed, but I tried not to nap much after about the third week, so that I could sleep at night. I think that helped prevent the insomnia.

My DH had to work every day, except the day he brought me home from the castle. I had no problem getting around the house, and did most of my walking inside in the beginning, under the supervision of the cat and dog. My Dr left instructions that I was not to walk outside until 2 weeks after surgery, just in case of a trip or fall. At that point, I started by just walking to the end of the driveway to bring in the mail every day. Worked up to short walks in the mall, and gradually increased them. Now, I feel like my stamina is back to pre-surgery. I haven't started back on the treadmill, but that's from laziness.... this week I am going to get back into that routine!

Maureen