Adhesions surgery

Hello ladies!

I am new here and may be in the wrong place. I am 8 weeks post op from TAH, kept my ovaries. Last week, I had lap surgery to remove adhesions that trapped my right ovary behind the bowel, and adhesions that trapped my intestines to the right pelvic side wall. My GYN said that the left was also adhered, but weren't giving me problems, so he left them alone.

A few weeks ago, about 6 weeks post op from the TAH, I went to my GP with pain on my right side and back. He thought I presented with an ovarian cyst and sent for an ultrasound. A few days later, they got back with me to say that there is a simple cyst on my right ovary and go see my GYN doctor. I went to see a GYN (not my doctor who did TAH) and he told me that the cyst was small and not big enough to be causing pain. Also, he said that it was too early after surgery to have adhesions. He took a wait and see approach. I'm glad that I only waited the weekend, and went back to see my GYN on Monday. He couldn't feel a cyst and agreed that it was too small to be causing pain in my back. He thought that my ovary was adhered to the vaginal cuff.

Last week, I had the lap surgery. He found lots of adhesions that he thought were unusual for such a short amount of time. (Pretty dense adhesions). Turned out that I did not have a cyst afterall. The U/s picked up a "space" that was near the ovary, which was not in its right anatomical position. He wrapped the ovary in interceed to keep it from adhering again.

One of my incisions did not close, so I went back to him yesterday and I will have to pack the hole for a week or so until it completely heals.

So, here's my question: Has anyone dealt with agressive adhesions? What did they feel like? Were you in much pain? How may surgeries did you have?

I hope that it is only my imagination, but I am starting the feel the dull, aching, pulling sensation on my left side, as well as my right side again. It could be that I am still healing from the lap surgery. I asked the GYN if I should be able to feel the interceed on my ovary. He said no. I am hesitant to bring this up because I don't want to be perceived as a hypochondriac or a whiner. I have a post-op appointment at the end of the month, and I really don't want to go back sooner to present as a crybaby.

Thank you in advance for any insight that you may have.

(((mcdermottat)))

Oh sweetie, you have come to the right place...and the right person actually ...at least one of them. If you take a look at my sig line you can see that I am all too familiar with adhesions. I even had them occur so quickly and like you dense and thick and everywhere almost immediately after surgery gave me problems and 3 weeks after hyst, they opened me up. Did he remove the adhesions around your left ovary? You need to go back to the doc..if the pain is worse than right after surgery or different , then you need to go back. After my second surgery, i was pain free for 6 months, then had another open surgery, this time with seprafilm placed everywhere and in 4 weeks it was back again with a vengence. So I am currently working with pain management. They will not do surgery again unless I develop a bowel obstruction, cause obviously they will only return...especially since the barrier did not work.
My pain is debilitating without my meds and I can no longer work even with the meds. Any activity increases my pain. Even going to the grocery store sends me home in tears. I have filed for disability too. I have the sharp pains with the pulling tearing type pain also.

to Hystersisters

While I hate to see you having these issues, they are ones that some of us have experienced.



You are not a whiner or crybaby. We all have to become self advocates. Depending on the doctor and the staff, we sometimes have to make pests of ourselves in order to be taken seriously.

I am lucky to have a fantastic gyn and his right hand nurse is just the greatest. I am quite blessed.

I have had at least one uncaring jerk doctor who dismissed all my concerns and made me feel like an idiot. I hope that is not what you are experiencing. If its your doctor making you feel like a crybaby ... there are other doctors who won't. Feel free to get a second opinion ANYTIME you don't feel right about the care you are getting.

If you are just taking a guilt trip for no reason ... don't do that. You have enough on your plate without worrying about being an inconvenience. Its your doctor's job to take care of you ... that's how your doctor gets paid.

Just some thoughts of mine. Take care of you and keep us posted.

Thank you Michelle and Marian! I don't want to look like a crybaby to my husband, family, neighbors, boss, and co-workers. Even though my husband supports me during this time, I sometimes feel like I am making a mountain out of a molehill. The pain was not debilitating, and controlled by pain meds. However, I could not work while on pain meds and I have been off of work since before my hysterectomy.

Honestly, I love being a stay at home mom for my three girls. That is something I have never been able to do. They have been in day care all of their lives, and now I am the one to get them ready and send them to school, and I am home to greet them off of the bus. I have even baked brownies and cookies, and have had dinner waiting for them and my husband.

And, somehow I feel, on some other level, that I am making myself "be sick" so I can continue my sick leave from work. So, I look for you ladies, who have been through adhesions, to help me justify that I am actually sick and just not faking. It may sound silly, but I was RELEIVED when the doctor found extensive adhesions responsible for my pain. It wasn't in my head! And it is documented (with pictures, pathology reports, and doctor's excuse) that I need to take 4 more weeks off.

Another question: When can I resume abdominal exercises? I have the AB-Lounge and had been doing "8 min abs" prior to the lap surgery 5 days ago. Also, since the weather has become nice, I want to walk around the block for exercise. Doctor only said I can do "light activities" whatever that means. I've already resumed housework (We don't have a maid)

Thanks!

I wanted to let you know that you sound alot like I did. My TVH was in November and on March 1 I had a Lap to see what was causing my misery. It was the same thing. My adhesions were caused by a post op infection from the hyst in Nov. It was treated and thought to be gone. My appendix and part of my bowels were pulled down into it. My right ovary was also stuck to the back of my vagina (Sex was excrutiating and didn't know why). My dr. sent me home with some "lovely" pictures of the mess. I sometimes have the familiar back pain and side pain, but overall I am feeling much better and hope those above mentioned aches are just part of the healing process.

Hi (((mcdermottat))) and welcome! I've moved your post over here to the Post Op Recovery forum, which is the place to post when you're still in the first six months of your recovery.

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with adhesions... and also that you are doing housework and considering abdominal exercises. Talk with your DR, as every DR has his or her own views about this, but overdoing things too early in your recovery can be a major contributing factor in adhesion formation. Given that you have a history of adhesions, I would not recommend any strenuous activity at this point. After my last abdominal surgery, the surgeon told me that to minimize my chances of adhesion formation (I'd had some after the hyst which he lysed while he was in there), I should take it easy, and exercise gently... slow, fluid movement rather than straining or fast, hard movements. I did a lot of walking and swimming that year... and two years later don't have a problem with adhesions this time around.

Also, adhesions tend to beget adhesions, by which I mean that each procedure to remove them risks more of them forming You may want to spend some time looking through the links in our Resources directory, in the Adhesions Resources section, for more info.

I'm glad you found us! I hope you'll put the "Ab Lounge" away for a while now and take that nice stroll outside.

s,
-Linda

You've been thru alot in the last two months. While I've not had surgeries that close together, I have had several in a short span of time and I have found that with each additional surgery my recovery took me longer than the first one. I also learned the hard way that it is better to take it easy and not rush things. Slow and easy is the best way to go.

I wouldn't rush to jump into abdominal exercising just yet. The walks would probably be good, starting with short walks and working your way up in distance. Do talk with your doctor about what he/she thinks is a reasonable distance for you to be walking. I wouldn't start any exercises until he/she gives you the