ER visit

Hello ladies. I went to the ER on Thursday for my pain in my right side, and lower back and for feeling nauseated. Well blood, urine, and CT's were performed and nothing was found except that I have fluid in my pelvic area (ER doctor said it was from the surgery, I had my hysterectomy on the 23rd of July), and I had a moderate to large amount of bowel. I told the doctor that I have been constipated ever since the surgery and I have tried everything and nothing is helping. I will go and still feel like I have more to get out but it won't come. They sent me home and told me to follow up with my doctor the next day. I call my doctor and he was out of the office so another doctor told me that she put in a perscription of milke of magnesia, fibercon and colace. I am taking the magnesia every 6 hours everyday until I talk to my doctor on Monday. Well, needless to say it is working and I feel better, my stomach doesn't hurt and I don't feel miserable. My 3 week check up is also next week so I am looking forward to hear what he has to say. I am still having the hardest time sleeping. I am usually in the bed (before surgery) by 9:00, and sleep a few minutes later. Now I will doze off at 11:30 and wake up around 12:00. Then I am up for the next two to three hours because I can't go back to sleep. I am wondering if my doctor can give me something for this insomnia because I can't function on 3 hours of sleep. Is anyone else having problems sleeping at night?

Kim

Hi Kim,

Sorry your having so many troubles. I know it's really hard for some people to get the bowels to wake up and start working normal again after surgery. I'm glad your getting some relief and hope that it lets up. I am also having trouble sleeping...but mine is that I just tend to lay there for hours before I finally can nod off. For the last few days I have skipped my afternoon nap and taken a pain pill about an hour before I lay down, and it seems to help a bit. I don't know what it is about this surgery that seems to throw off sleep, but I have read of many sisters who struggle with it in recovery. I hope things start getting more normal with your tummy...I'm sure it was really bad, but am so glad that you went in and had things checked out.

Blessings
Tank

I had the same sleeping problem about the time of recovery. Dr tried ambien but it didnt work for me, it actually wired me. So if sudafed wires you I think ambien will too.
The only thing that worked for me was laying next to DH. If I sleep next to him Im ok but if he isnt here I don't sleep well.
Im glad to hear you are releasing your bowels better nothing worse than backed up bowels.

I read on one of the post-op advice threads that warm Ovaltine helps with the sleep issues. I decided to try it, mixing it with a cup of soy milk, and drinking it about a half hour before going to bed. It does seem to help; I had only been sleeping about four hours a night since surgery, and now I can sleep about six or seven, unless the bladder says otherwise. Unfortunately, instead of just an urge to urinate, it feels like I've been punched in the lower abdomen, and it takes a while to feel ok even after I've been to the bathroom. I assume it's pressure on where most of the work was done (had both uterus and cervix removed, among other things). It seems to bother me more now than in the first week after surgery. Anyway, try the Ovaltine and it might help at least a bit.