LAVH, bleeding post-op and bladder problems :(

Hi all - this is gonna be long and not a very good recovery story.....

I had my LAVH (kept ovaries) 3 days ago, and my recovery hasn't been too good. I'm hoping what I'm experiencing isn't too abnormal, as I am worried.

I had adenomyosis with tons of hemorrhagic bleeding, etc. and I decided to get the LAVH done sooner rather than later. I had just recovered from my second c-section about 10 weeks ago, so this has been pretty rough.

I hardly remember going under when they started, but when I awoke and they took me to recovery, I was in immense and horrible pain - mainly from my bladder. They had a catheter in me and said Iwas draining just fine, but the pain from my bladder was so intense that I was screaming and writhing in pain. The morphine didn't touch the pain at all and they kept having to give me other pain medicine with it. They said they couldn't figure out why it was so painful...my best description would be that it felt so full and painful that I thought it was going to explode any minute. It was horrible.

The surgery was in the morning, and I had horrific pain with the catheter all through that day, despite being on a morphine drip. I begged the nurses to take it out because it hurt sooooooo bad. They finally did, but warned me that if I couldn't pee on my own, then they'd have to put it back in. It felt sooooo good getting it removed, but I could NOT pee no matter what on my own. So...back in it went. I cried and cried from the pain. The whole first day I kept on vomiting from horrible nausea from the morphine, too. They kept trying to give me anti-nausea medicine, but it did NOTHING. I didn't want to NOT take the morphine, though, because I was in such horrible pain.

I was in agony and could not sleep despite clicking the morphine drip as much as possible (every 6 minutes). The next morning, they removed the catheter, and for the next 8 hours, I tried and tried to pee on my own. No luck - not a drop. They did an in-and-out catheter (I guess to get a specimen to check), and I started running fever and my oxygen levels got low. My bladder was very full and felt like I was going to explode again. My doctor came in and said I could be released, but I had to wear a catheter at home and drain my own bag, etc. I began to cry because it was so awful and I was running fever. He sent me home with it in (hurt like HELL getting it back in - that was the fourth time messing with a )(*$%) catheter and I know I was soooo sore from it and they got me infected from it). We were going to stay a little longer because I was in immense pain and we wanted to time it where I took my pain meds, had something to eat, and could take my time getting to our car for the god-awful ride home. The nurse discharging me was rude and told me as my meal was being placed in front of me that we needed to get out ASAP as they were no longer responsible for me. (All other nurses told me as long as we were out by midnight, we were good - this was around 5 pm or so....)

As she was having me sign the paperwork with tears streaming down my face, she was unsympathetic and horrid. After she acted like that, we deliberately took our time (honkerblonked us both off - I was running fever from infection and in horrible pain and only spent one night in the hospital for this procedure...I didn't feel it was right that they were releasing me having to wear a catheter bag and obvously with an infection with fever!! And being so rude about it!!). PS - I have to have this stupid catheter in me until Monday. I was released on Thursday. It sucks and it HURTS and it has to be drained every two seconds...it is AWFUL!!!

I woke up the next day at home and was running a 102 fever. Called the doc again (he had sent me home with antibiotics and pain medicine) and was told that the antibiotics should take care of everything, and to take something extra along with the T3 they prscribed me, like ibuprofen. I started taking that and it has controlled my fever and has taken away some more of the pain, thank goodness.

On top of this, I am bleeding black blood. Is that normal? It's not a ton...kinda like a light period. Enough to be annoying while I have a darn catheter foley in me.

I was told by my doctor upon getting discharged (first time being told) that my surgery had taken a little longer than normal because my uterus was attached to my bladder thanks to previous c-sections. No wonder why I was having so many freaking problems with my bladder!! Everyone was acting like I was exaggerating it or something (they kept saying they didn't understand why I was having so much bladder problems). I think it was seriously injured during the surgery??

Has anyone else had this experience? I just want to start to feel better. I thought pain and hemorraging was bad before the surgery, but this crap is hell.

Thanks for listening.....
Kathryn

I am so sorry to hear your recovery has been rough so far!!!
While my surgery was a little different TVH with cycstocele and rectocele repairs due to prolapse. I woke up in a lot of pain & I did not have a pain pump due to past experience with nausea. I feel all my pain was from the catheter & my bladder. The nurses & doctor also did not know why I was in so much pain. After the cath came out I was able to urinate & things then improved. I think the biggest help with urinating is being on an anti- inflamitory like Motrin on a regular schedule. Everything swells & it is hard to go. I would call the doctor about the bleeding you are having especially if it is a different color.
Your experience at the hospital was awful they should have madewasure that your pain is under control and also your temperature. Hugs to you and I hope things feel better real soon!!