SAH Always scared of everything, and trying not to be scared of my hysterectomy recovery

7 days post op, subtotal abdominal hysterectomy, bikini cut.

Grateful that I have a wonderful doctor, great surgery, was supposed to be a belly button down cut (on previous c section scar) but changed minds and did a bikini which was great. I peed as soon as the catheter came out the next day, and have been having a poop pretty much every day since the third day. Grateful for all that. It's the what ifs and horror stories stuck in my head that make me worry that something is wrong.

But today, nauseated and felt really ******* awful, made my already bad anxiety worse. Belly was so swollen. Kept on feeling like I would vomit but I took gravol, prayed and cried and prayed and cried some more. I haven't been sleeping well all week, either. And yesterday we had to travel 3 hours to get home. I'm supposed to take my bandage off tomorrow but I don't know how I will. I pooped some today, but I know more is in there, and so scared of getting nauseated and feeling awful again. Get weird pains and zaps on or around incision site. Lower back aches. Have some light brown spotting. Appetite is off. I could hold on and on. Just don't feel good. Need so badly to turn a corner. Thanks for reading.

I think you are overwhelming yourself with all these worries. That's not good because all that stress you're putting on yourself can hinder your healing.
Stress and anxiety will create sleeping issues, make you nauseous, raise your blood pressure, etc.
Please try to take some deep breathes and RELAX.

It sounds to me like you are recovering just fine. From what you shared, I don't see any cause for concern. You are doing GREAT!!
Try to find some things that you enjoy doing while you are healing. That can help take your mind off the anxiety. Binge watch some funny shows/movies on Netflix, color, (that absolutely help you relax!), read, invite a friend over to sit and chat, etc.

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Originally Posted by littledarlin27 Get weird pains and zaps on or around incision site. Lower back aches. Have some light brown spotting. Appetite is off. I could hold on and on. Just don't feel good. Need so badly to turn a corner. Thanks for reading.

By the way....all of that sounds totally normal to me. I think what you are experiencing is the normal healing process.

I am a day behind on surgery dates, but kind of with you on symptoms. Today has been my worst day yet.

The zaps are your nerves growing back together, is normal and actually a good sign. It will lessen with time and you can learn to ignore it, for the most part. Did you ever feel that with your c-section? I did and it was crazy! Especially when it was mostly numb around the whole incision, yet there were those zaps. I only have one little numb spot now, so they did a good job of reconnecting!

Are you able to take ibuprofen? It has been helping me a lot. I hate the strong stuff, it makes me feel stupid and tired. Ibuprofen reduces the swelling by a lot, so I'm taking it as recommended ( 2 every four to six hours)

Do you have a heating pad? Mine is on medium low and it feels so good. I'm not sure how it works, but it's really been a lifesaver for me. The swelling goes down and I feel less of the carbon dioxide gas pain (there is still a bubble floating around, it likes to slam itself into my liver when I roll over!)

Hang in there. It sucks to have all of these pains and symptoms at once, I know. For me, moving around and burping helped the nausea. Yup, I'm a burping, farting machine!

You will feel better soon. Keep doing everything the nurses suggested, or at least those that work for you. Rest, but keep moving, drink, keep peeing, rest some more.

By the way, when I removed my bandages after my gallbladder surgery, I felt sick to my stomach and decided to wait on the last one. Then I felt silly and removed it without issue. Know that you aren't alone in that fear, but it is just a fear, you can do it! Go slow, take your time, take some deep breaths. There is no reason rush to finish.

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Originally Posted by littledarlin27 7 days post op, subtotal abdominal hysterectomy, bikini cut. ... Get weird pains and zaps on or around incision site. Lower back aches. Have some light brown spotting. Appetite is off. I could hold on and on. Just don't feel good. Need so badly to turn a corner. Thanks for reading.

and glad you found us. You've had major surgery. In this era of instant solutions and quick fixes, many women are stunned to discover that recovery from a hysterectomy needs to be thought of in terms of weeks, not days like a tooth extraction or gall bladder removal. We have a lot of internal incisions and stitches, so turning the corner for many of us happens in weeks 4-6, and even then it's far from full healing.

I'm not sure what your expectations might have been, but I think the resources we have here will really help you out . Some of my favorite resources are the videos for each week

Video: Weeks 1-2
Video: Weeks 3-4
Video: Weeks 5-6

Also, the personalized Hysterectomy Checkpoints page is a great resource. That's one resource where I liked the free smart phone app even more. Visit your app store to download it.

You mentioned your swollen belly - it's so common it has a nickname and it's own emoji, swelly belly That happens because of the inflammation associated with all those internal incisions, and where there's inflammation, fluids gather as part of the healing process. Yep, there's an article about it at Tummy Care - Swelly Belly. My doc predicted I'd start noticing it less around 8 weeks, and he was right. Had a few bouts of it beyond at weeks, but it was usually because I did something my body wasn't ready to do yet. At just shy of 5 months, the last time I experienced it was 1-1/2 months ago.

My appetite was off for around two weeks. All I wanted was steamed veggies, but I did try to include non-fatty protein in my meals (chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt) to keep my strength up. Anything heavy or highly processed... just didn't sound good at all.

Right now, rest is so important. Don't try to pick up where you left off pre-op, with housework, activities, work or anything like that. Adhere to post-surgery restrictions so that you don't do too much too soon, and rest. Read a novel, go through magazines, binge watch a good TV show, write thank you notes for friends and neighbors who brought you meals, walk to the mailbox, or up the street and back. If you feel tired, take a nap or sit in the recliner and just close your eyes.

If you are having symptoms that just don't feel right, remember you're still a patient of your doctor. It's okay to call the office. Do stick with us, too, because there are always Sisters looking out for one another.

Rest well!

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Originally Posted by NimbleNymph Yup, I'm a burping, farting machine!

BAHAHAhahaha! Sooooo many of us can relate to this, there really needs to be a t-shirt....

7 days is really early. I felt I was starting to turn a corner 2 weeks post op. I understand feeling nervous. I feel that a lot and feel like I can't trust my own body right now. Allow yourself time to heal, to nap. Just take care of yourself.

Oh, my heart goes out to you! You are so fresh out of surgery and things are likely to be really out of whack for you. It isn't easy, no doubt about it. One thing to be very thankful for is that you are pooping. I know that sounds silly, but I am jealous. Jealous of poop, who would have thought that was a thing

Seriously, I can relate about the worrying and being anxious. We've never been through this, and there are SOOOOO many things they don't warn you about, don't tell you about. Very overwhelming. AND the wacked out hormones just make it worse.

My best advice to you:
One, if you haven't already, hook up on the recovery thread for your week of surgery. The sisters on your week will prove to be an invaluable help on many levels, and for me it is to be able to have others to "talk" to who understand. That is something I can't get anywhere else. The first few days on the forum I cried when I read posts. Yeah, yeah, some hormones I'm sure, but it felt SO good to talk to someone who actually could relate, and in many cases, was or had gone through what I was experiencing.

Two, if you are concerned or continue to experience things that you think are out of the ordinary, DO get in touch with your doctor. The worrying doesn't help with anything, and she may be able to quell some of that anxiousness. Even if she says its normal, if it gives you peace of mind, pick up that phone! And if something is off or taking longer to resolve, you're that closer to help (like the nausea--there are things they can give you to help that).

Three, find something that is a positive distraction. For me it was books (I'm a cheap romantic comedy junkie), watching movies with the college age son who took time off work to help me.

Four, get a shower in if you can. Some days it was a lot of work and made me sore, but just rinsing off and a quick shampoo, all of five minutes, made a difference in my mood.

Five, getting a little walk in as you can. That walking was so good for me even if it was just a little bit, even just a lap or two around the kitchen island. It helped with my mood, and I didn't worry obsessively about clots. And it helped with the pooping. Even if it was uncomfortable, for me it was well worth it!

Hang in there, and try not to obsess. It WILL get better, but it does take time and a lot of patience.