Hello Ladies,
What a Ride! My surgery was set for June 2nd at 8:30 am. I had a foot surgery done 4 days earlier and had an ECG test done (Heart Test) It came back abnormal, I asked the Pre-Op nurses if this was a problem and the told me No.
(They actually said if she makes it thru the foot surgery then they won't have a problem doing the TAH!) Not very comforting!
Had the foot surgery on May 29th with no problem and recovered for 4 days and went in 6:30 am Monday for my TAH.. by the way Im 43. As I was being prepared for my surgery a nurse came in and said that my ECG had showed that I had had a Heat Attack at some point in my life. Well my family and I just about had one then! They said the could not do such a major surgery untill things were checked out. So they did another ECG and it showed Normal even though the NURSE was very adiment that I had had a HEART ATTACK. So this set back took about 4 hours and I finally was rushed into surgery at 1 pm. Mind you they had went ahead and preformed there regular surgeries set for that day.
When I woke up from surgery I was in MAJOR pain. They started off with the Morphine and I went thru and Hours worth in less than 30 min then upgraded me to Diladin.. sorry not sure how to spell it.
I was then brougjt to my room about 4 pm and I was in pain and hitting my pump every 15 minutes and needed it before 15 minutes! They had to call my Doctor in 3 times. She finally asked my mother what medications I had been on prior to surgery and Mom informed her alot... with 2 foot surgeries from Dec 28th 2007 till now with great pain in my female organs ... I had developed a tolerance to pain medication and the Doc said that if she gave me more I'd stop breathing.
I suffered thru the pain and was hitting my pump of Diladin ever 15 min and in soo much pain.
It was later that evening some friends from work stopped by and I decided I needed to get up and move because I had GAS pain and swelling in my belly that was terrible. As they wheeled me outside I just about passed out. (So don't try to get up too soon and go for a smoke. FYI for smokers, it just about did me in and I was so high on the pain meds I really was not making good decisions.)
The first night was ruff but lots of pain meds help get me thru it... the second day and night were still ruff but the pain meds got me thru. Wed when I was fianlly able to go home I was in a lot of pain but happy to leave the hospital.
My parents took me home with them and got me settled in bed...as best one can be settled. It was so hard to get in the bed or turn in the bed and get comfortable .. I was swollen like I was having triplets with GAS and the pressure was painful..I believe my Gas problems were amplified because I have a histery of Colitis (gas and constipation that would strike now and then and especially if I was stressed and swolling air from being upset) And since this was stressful well I swolled air and it contriputed to the problem and the medications .. pain medications were compounding the pain. I was sitting on the toliet constantly trying to push any air out I could. I was in tears. Tried Gas X .. stool softeners and nothing worked.
By Thursday I was sleeping all day and takin pain medication every 3 hours. And just not feeling well. Oh and I did not have an appitite and just could hardly eat. Jell - 0 and water became my life support.
By Thursday evening I told my family I just did not feel well.. and I was cold and shivering and felt like I had the FLU! We asked a friend to get a thermometer and took my temp about 10 pm and it was 103!!!!!!! I new I was in bad shape cause I could feel it but the fever came on soo fast.
My family rushed me to the er and by this time I was outta my head. I could barely hold my head up or talk and was in so much pain.
So here we go with more IV's and tons of blood tests and a CT scan.
I felt so bad at this point I was doing lots of praying!
The tests confirmed I had an infection that as they described as ( You got a Bug while being opened up in the surgery room) They thought I had an abcess on the part where they closed me up and pulled the stitches together on the inside.
I was admitted and started an antibiotic treatment ASAP!
Spent Thursday night till Saturday evening in the Hospital being feed Antibiotics round the clock. It took over 48 overs to get my fever to 100... and thats where I stayed for another 24 hours but they finally let me go home.
While in the hospital my Gas pain and presure got so bad they fianlly had to give me a sopository which was the only thing that helped get me going... once I started to go I started to feel better as far as that was concerened. But the antibiotics where making me sick and I didn't want to eat and was soo weak. By the time I got home I had lost 10 pounds that fast! I need to lose a few but not that way! Terrible way to lose weight!
Now it's June 10th ..8 days after surgery and I think this is the way one is supposed to feel if all goes as planned.
If I didn't have the infection! I was lucky though they didn't have to take me back to surgery to open me back up to drain the abcess because I caught the infection in TIME!!! And the antibiotics worked!
The 8th day in now Im home with my PUPPIES who I missed soo bad and they were about in SHOOK theirselves! I've been going slow and get tired really easy. And the night sweats kicked in about 2 days ago about a week after the surgery. And the hotflashes are almost constant!
My doc has not put me on any hormones yet and.... Question
I wondered if anyone had any Ideas .. I'm thinking maybe I need to wait untill I'm off all the meds for the infection or if it even matters? I'm taking tons of different meds right now...2 for infection one for pain... one for fever and one for stool softner ..one for feeling sick to my belly from taking all this medication.
I guess the bottom line with all this is ....
If I can make it thru this... as sick as I was and as painful the Gas pressure was and as High as my fever was...
ANYONE can make it thru! It was ruff..not gonna deny that and there was a few points I didn't know if I was gonna get thru it... But by the Grace of God and Lot's of prays and turing it over to him and his will I've made it this far! Just another one of the Great things he's done for me in my Life!
Oh and just to let you know the sence of Humor God has ...
I'm a smoker as stated earlier....and when I was admitted the second time to the hospital there were no rooms open so guess where I was sent. Yes to the Cancer Ward!
So may family now got a second scare... they thoght my Pathology tests where back and that they had found cancer is why they put me there.
It wasn't funny at the time but now it is... I was told I had a Heart Attack and then was sent to the Cancer Ward. I think once I get well I'm gonna really try to quit smoking I think I get HIS hint!
So thats my story and I wanted to share and let everyone know that I've survived and will get stronger and feel alittle better each day!
If anyone needs info or wants to talk well hay.. I'm gonna be around for a few weeks!!!
God Bless Us All......
Kim Clark
I'm Home From the Hospital, got a BUG on the Operating Table
