Pain???!

Please tell me, I am having an Abdom. T.H. ---I'm not sure if anyone here has had a c-section, but I'm assuming this is like that??? Will there be any extreme pain afterwards? What do they give you for pain? Do they still have pain pumps? My dr.'s office told me "times have changed over 15 yrs"(I'm sure they have) but they told me they can put something on the incision to make it heal quicker and you don't have as much pain --- (yeah, ok...whatever you say....) I never heard of anything like that- although it has been 15 yrs. since my last child too....as for after the surgery, will I have pain other than the "normal" trying to manevuer < sp! around syndrome?
Questions, Questions, Questions....they are suddenly all popping into my head at once!

I had a TAH on April 2nd. I am now 6 weeks out, and I feel really good - most of the time better than I did before surgery. I'd had two c-sections 20-plus years ago, and felt almost no pain from my incision. My doctor used the On-Q system which supplies a novocaine-like substance directly into the incision. It hangs in a pouch and can stay in place for a few days. It does not, however, help with the internal pain, which is why they also give you pain meds. A lot of hospitals do use a morphine pump after hysterectomy, however my doctor did not, and I was fine. The hospitals are very good at managing your pain, and will ask you regularly to rate your pain from 1 to 10. At its worst, mine was a 6 right after surgery, but by the next day it was around 4-5, and by the time I was discharged the next day, it was a 3. I'd have to say the pain LEVEL was comparable to the c-section (for me anyway, but everyone is different), although with the hysterectomy, the pain lasts longer. (Or maybe because I'm older, I don't heal as fast as I did in my 20s!) If you've only had one c-section, you may find that maneuvering is not as difficult as you remember. Once you've had an abdominal incision, the nerves don't all reconnect, so the second time around is less painful.

By the way, the most painful part of my experience was the waiting! So glad it's over! Best wishes to you!

I have had 3 csections and have been wondering this question myself. My youngest is going to be 12 in June.
I can imagine a hyst to hurt longer due to the fact that a baby is supposed to come out. The things that are being taken out now are not meant to be cut out so the pain is going to last a little longer I think. But I have no clue. Ill let you know in a few days or so how I am feeling.
Good Luck!

I had an abdominal and while it wasn't a cake walk, it is now (9 months later) a fading memory. Think about the pain you had with your C-sections, if you think about it, you know it hurt but you no longer remember the pain as it was.

I'll try and and answer each of your questions as I experienced but remember we each are different and there are a whole variety of experiences associated with this surgery based on each womans pain tolerance, surgery requirements, etc.

I'm not sure if anyone here has had a c-section, but I'm assuming this is like that???
- I've never had a C-section but my experience with friends who have had them is they are not bedridden for the majority of their days for a week. I think that that is 'just an incision' (which isn't what really hurts as the nerves are cut) and a hyst is an excision. You tell me, did a C-section feel like a horse kicked you in the gut? This is something I have experienced and while not the same.....

Will there be any extreme pain afterwards?
- When I woke up in recovery the nurse asked if I was in pain. I remember saying yes but I think that was because I moved. A lot of women say they are asked 1 - 10 what your pain. Looking back I would have said a 7 or 8. They gave me something and I faded back out.
- The worst pain was getting out of bed the first time. The 'thing' that's nice to know about that is just that. It will never be as bad as that first time. The next morning was rough too but really that was the worst of that type of pain.
- Gas pain is hard too. I found to combat that, I had to get on my side to fart. With the staples, that hurt but once I got there it was ok. You hold a pillow to your gut, hit the pain pump and roll.

What do they give you for pain?
- I had diluadin in my pain pump. My mom has a severe morphine reaction so I didn't want to risk it.

Do they still have pain pumps? My dr.'s office told me "times have changed over 15 yrs"(I'm sure they have) but they told me they can put something on the incision to make it heal quicker and you don't have as much pain --- (yeah, ok...whatever you say....) I never heard of anything like that- although it has been 15 yrs. since my last child too....as for after the surgery, will I have pain other than the "normal" trying to manevuer < sp! around syndrome?
Questions, Questions, Questions....they are suddenly all popping into my head at once!


Ask your questions, that's why we are here for each other right?

Julie

I agree with what Julie said. I have had 3 c-sections, but I guess if you never have had one, a horse kick would be a good description! That first time out of bed does hurt. And maybe the 2nd and 3rd time, but you know what to expect. I had a morphine pump and was in horrible pain in recovery. But it was back pain, not incision pain. Horrible pain, but they got it under control with demoral and I was fine. Once I got to my room I used my pain pump the rest of the day and a little through the night. I went to Percocet the next morning. I had a scrip for 30 and I bet I have 10 left. My sections were horizontal, my TAH was vertical. A little different, but same manuvers from your sections. I am almost at 6 weeks and I hardly remember the pain. I had period pain worse than most of this recovery. And I haven't had a headache since!

Best wishes, and the waiting really was the hardest part!

Sandra

The pain was not much worse than a C section but the recovery seemed much longer. (ie: it took 6 weeks before I was back to normal and with c sections, I was back to normal in a few weeks)