2 weeks post-op pain

Hi Ladies,
Are any of you post-op ladies still having alot of pain? I was supposed to have a LAVH but ended up with a TAH. I have an incision in my belly button that drains constantly and an 8 inch bikini incision where I had 2 previous c-sections. I have alot of gas pressure and sometimes I am doubled over. Taking percocets but I am afraid of becoming too constipated. I have alot of leg edema (swelling) too. Walking is extremely slow but every once in awhile I get a burst of energy. I have had a complete hyst with ovaries removed and luckily I have not had any hot flashes or mood swings as yet. Is this normal? Any advise would be great.
Hugs to all from me

Hi there!

I had a TAH/panniculectomy, and I will tell you honestly that at 2 weeks post-op, I had all I could do to run the remote control, get a shower taken every day, and tottle to the bathroom and kitchen.

I was still taking narcotics around the clock -- and in fact, I had to sleep sitting up with pillows propped up all around me because if I woke up with all the meds worn off during the night, it took me at least 10 minutes to stand up!

So I know where you're coming from. I'll also tell you that at 3 weeks (actually, 22 days) I suddenly started having some stretches of time where I felt pretty much OK. But for the first three weeks, things were tough.

I don't know if this makes you feel any better, but I just wanted you to know that your recovery sounds like mine. It does get better, but it takes a while for some of us.

(If your doctor says it's OK, try staging your medication... You take your Percoset at 6 a.m., some ibuprofen at 9 a.m., Percoset at noon, ibuprofen at 3 p.m., etc. This way you never have everything "worn off" at once. And you may be able to get by with only half a Percoset some of the time this way.)

Thanks MJ,
I did go to my doctor today to check things out and it would seem that I may have an abscess around the belly button. My surgery was pretty tough and caused a large hematoma (I was literally black and blue my whole abdomen). Because they were originally going to do a LAVH and decided to do the TAH, the doc just opened up my belly button incision more so that it could drain. Pretty gross stuff. She gave me more percocets and told me to lay low (do nothing) for the next 10 days. She also gave me a heavy dose of an antibiotic. I guess if there is an abscess, surgery is required to take care of it. The doc is trying to see if she can avoid having to open me up again by draining the incision. I like your idea of switching between the ibuprophen and the percocets. That will definitely help with the bowels. So I guess I am normal in the 2 week stage then. Thank you so much for your reply. It helped me alot. Hugs to you. Susan

I also had a large hematoma along my incision, in front of the abdominal wall. They are no fun -- that's for sure.

I am glad they found yours so soon. Mine wasn't diagnosed until I was 7 months post-op and by then it wouldn't resolve on its own.

I do hope you can avoid further surgery. Even though you're on antibiotics, make sure you monitor yourself closely for any signs of infection, and don't be shy about asking for pain control if you need it. to you.

Thank you again for your info. Its pretty scarey what your body can go thru so I am on top of every little pain. After my doctor visit today, I feel like I got hit by a truck. Tomorrow will be a very slow day for me. Resting all day. Going to be way too HOT in New England area tomorrow and Wednesday. Best to stay near the AC. Thanks again.

It will be 3 weeks for me tomorrow and I am still taking Vicodin and Ibuprofin to manage my pain. I tried to alternate Viodin - Ibuprofin...but that didn't work. I still need the Vicodin every 4 hours.

I am happy to say that after two weeks of constipation I am no longer having any troubles with my bowels. This is due to the fact that I am taking Senokot S, eating salads, fruit and other fiber, plus drinking loads of water.

If my pain persists tomorrow, I am planning to call the doctor. I really didn't expect my pain to last this long.

I hope everything heals up for you ok.

I am having pain on my left side. I am been using a heating pad when it gets real bad. I am no longer taking the meds from the doctor and just using tynenol.