made it home! make itching stop!

Hi all! Just wanted to let you know that my TAH on Monday went well. A few complications-allergic reactions to pain meds and blood sugar bottomed out a few times, but all better now. Considering what my body has been through...I don't really feel that bad!

One problem though. I am 6 days post op and the itching on the incision is about ready to push me over the edge!!!!! Can anyone help me with this? I have the dissolving stitches and steri strips if that helps. All I know is it's driving me crazy...I don't see how I'm gonna make it 9 more days to my post op appt to ask...so any help is appreciated. Also, is it normal for the skin around the incision to be numb? Will the feeling come back? Let's hope!

Thanks for any help! I'm just happy to be home...even if I do have major insomnia and sleep at weird times! At least it's my own bed!

H!I I didn't have a TAH, but a LAVH with 3 small tummy incisions, I put a small layer of neosporin on mine and I never had a problem with them itching. Perhaps some of the sisters that had the TAH will know something better!

Hi - I had my surgery in Sept - Don't worry = the numbness is normal. Your nerves will have to regenerate. I've heard it may take up to a year. (My numbness is not near the incision, but about an inch above and all the way up to my navel). As for the itching, you might try two things. A cool dry compress (like those gel pack things) works pretty good. Just ask your doctor first. I found if I used a blow-dryer to dry my incision that helped also. And as for the sleeping thing - enjoy sleeping when you can. This is your time to heal.I think my ovaries were jostled around so I didn't sleep so well plus I had occassional night sweats. Also, Percocet keeps me up. So if you're still on pain meds, they may be contributing to your sleep cycle disruptions.
Hooray for being home - nothing feels that good!!!

HI
Glad to hear you're home and doing better.
ITCHY - If it's just your incision - make sure you dry it well after your shower. Wrap a cold pack in a towel and lay it over your belly. Your steristrips may be irritating your skin. I found the knots at the end of the suture line kept catching on my unders and causing a lot of the itching. Once your DR approves it, break open Vit E capsules and rub the oil over your incision. I found that to relieve the itch.

I talked to my Dr on Friday about the numbness and tingling. She said that can take up to a year to settle down, depending on your recovery rate, and it will always be a little numb right on the incision line.

My problem now is that my tummy is itchy but when I go to scratch it, it's actually UNDER the numb part. Now how do we take care of that one?

Autumn

Witch Hazel (at the pharmacy near the alcohol and peroxide) seems to be a miracle for itching - you can put it on a sterile pad and leave it there.

Autumn,
I don't think it's the part under the numbness that is itching I think the problem is your numb so you can't feel yourself scratching. On 11/22 I will be 1 year post and the tingling is getting better but I still have the numbness from right above my incision to my belly button. My doctor said to give it 1 1/2 to 2 years to be as good as it was going to get.

Don't wait until you have an appointment to talk to your doctor. If you have questions,please call them. Ask to speak to the nurse and let her know you have post-op questions.

I am 6 weeks out and still numb. As far as itching, you may be allergic to the steristrips if you had other allergy problems. My mom is very allergic to them even though they are supposed to allergy free.... Call your doctor. They may let you remove them early.

I agree with the previous poster. If you are itching that bad there is a good chance it is because you are allergic to the steri strips. Mine were driving me nuts, and it felt so good to get them off, only to discover they had caused a little rash with lots of raised areas that reminded me of mosquito bites that get bigger when you scratch them. I had to have steri strips again later after my incision opened up, and one of the things that was annoying then was the itching caused by the hair growing back but hiding underneath the strips.

Call or visit your doctor and see about getting them removed.