Hurting!!!

As of yesterday, I am 3 weeks post-op. My doctor said no more pain meds, at this point to take midol.

Something feels like it is stabbing me from the inside. Does anyone know why and what I can do about it?

Am a crying, hurting mess and last week (on pain meds) was fine.

First off, hope you'll be feeling better soon my fellow sister. I've had stabbing pains and was off pain med prescription after a week and a half home. Thereafter, I did tylenol when needed and Motrin. Pain could come from nerve endings, stitches or muscle pulls. I'll be 5 weeks post op on Monday and still have pain, all part of the operation. It's no fun and it seems to take forever to heal. However, I do feel much better than awhile ago. Don't strain yourself and get plenty of rest and drink plenty of water. Another thing, walk and stand up straight. The nurse told me alot of women, such as myself, bend over after the operation when they walk because of their belly. Our muscles are all out of wack and a sudden move can cause a muscles strain. Time will heal you!

Hugs,

Lilli

Owwwwwww.... I feel for you. So far I've only had a laparoscopy which is small potatos compared to what you've been through...(but was still difficult and stressful enough for me). A saying that has gotten me through countless difficulties "Eventually every painful experience will be a tiny speed bump in your rearview mirror.." I guess the key word is "eventually". I will be sending positive thoughts your way.

Hi Zeit,
I'm sorry you're hurting so badly. Doctors are so different in how they think. My dr refilled my meds again at 5 wks. I never did take all those pills, but he was willing to give them to me.
Are you doing things you shouldn't be doing? At 3 wks I wasn't able to do much at all without significant pain. Maybe you need to try resting and some heat where its hurting so badly.
If this doesn't let up with rest I think you should call your dr back and let him know this isn't working. You might need to try several different kinds of over the counter meds to see what works best for you too.
I tried to get myself off of the prescription meds at 3 weeks and had a very bad time. My dr told me to stop over doing and just take them as I needed them, which didn't turn out to be all that much once I controlled my activity better.
I hope you will feel better soon. Don't hesitate to call your dr if you need to. I'm guessing your pain is just from doing too much.

's, Rita

I spent my first 14 days post op hurting so much more than the other sisters on this board talked about. I didn't walk around or make a sandwhich. I stayed in bed. I rationed my percadan tablets so they would last as long as possible. And I took ibuprofen around the clock.

I've had five other sugeries, some of this more serious than the hysteretomy. My recover from the other surgeries was so easy that I thought the TAH surgery recovery would be easy too.

Then on day 15 the pain went away and I didn't want so much as an advil. I'm four months post op now and feel FANTASTIC and don't have any problems except insomnia.

I'm writing this to let you know that it's possible for some of us to hurt a lot more than most. Don't think you are a whimp or not tough. Just take good care of yourself so that you can get better. Listen to your body and spend this time spoiling yourself.

Lisa

Zeit,
Everyone is different and had differnt things done. Please dont compare your recovery (and your need for pain meds) to the others that you see on the boards. I can tell you that a lot of women don't seem to talk about it much when they are having a blue day or they are in pain. When I was in pain I posted some, but I mostly checked the other threads to see how many others were feeling like I was, and what they were doing about it.

Please take this prime opportunity to get lots of rest and pampering. These opportunities don't come along very often. I have another week before I go back to work full time and my body is feeling really good now and my mind feels much more rested than it has in years. Be good to yourself, and if you are in pain, I would consider calling your doctor and make them help you so you can enjoy this time more.

I had those same feelings and they seemed to get worse around week 3. Mine seemed more annoying than truly painful. However, my doctor also didn't just tell me to take Midol. I had a prescription for 600 mg Ibuprofen that lasted through the first month. I also still had Tylox left from right after the surgery and 1-1/2 months worth of Darvocet from before the surgery. I was in so much pain prior to surgery that post-op pain was a relief because I knew it would end.

Notice my hystersisters name: INPAIN. Being in pain is not new to me.
MD's have the responsibility to provide pain management. I have been thru this many times with MD's refusing to provide pain meds. What worked for me was a letter to my MD which "documented" my pain specifically stating my need for additional pain medication and the MD's responsibility to me as his patient to provide pain management when needed. It also stated my age and the fact that I have no history of substance abuse or pain med abuse.
I then had a discussion with the MD and was provided with the pain meds.

We tend to treat MD's as though they are GOD's and they know best and we don't have a say in our treatment plan. I encourage everyone to undertand that you do have the right to communicate your needs and if you do not get satisfaction, document those needs to your MD.

Another example: My primary care physician told me (though her nurse)that she would not write me a script until I scheduled an hysterectomy. At the time I was not insured and did not have a job and could not schedule a hysterectomy although I wanted to. My MD knew of my situation.
I immediately called her and asked the question. Do you believe I am in pain?
MD Answer: yes, but you need a hysterectomy.
My Reply: You believe I am in pain and it is your professional opinion that I need a hysterectomy. As my primary care physcian it is your responsibility to provide me with pain management when I am in pain. You are my MD and you have no right to play God and blackmail me with pain medication to follow your suggested course of treatment. Do you feel doctor,that this is ethical, to blackmail your patients. You have stated that you believe I am in pain, you know I am in pain and it is your responsibility to provide me with medication to assist with pain management and I will ask you again to prescribe me pain meds without conditions. Needless to say I got the meds.

The third option is to call the hospital and get a patient advocate. Explain your situation and asked them to speak with your MD on your behalf.

Good luck...if you really need pain meds and cannot take the pain, it is up to you to ensure that you get the treatment that is required.

Great post inpain! I am SO SORRY that you had to go through all of that, what you did sounds like something I would do... because our doctors work for US, and sometimes they have to be reminded of that.

Your post made me remember something... it might be very beneficial to those of you that are in pain to keep a pain journal (documenting the type if pain, the location of the pain, the intensity and duration of the pain, your activities, and what affect ((if any)) your pain meds have had) so that you can document your pain and use this to communicate effectively with your doctor. There is a pain scale in the resources section here in HysterSisters, that could be a helpful reference to include.

inpain is absolutely right when she says "if you really need pain meds and cannot take the pain, it is up to you to ensure that you get the treatment that is required." Good luck everyone. I pray that you will be feeling better very soon.

I am post-op 6 days and am in horrible pain most times. Even in the hospital it took them almost a whole day to get my pain under control. I am glad I am not alone with pain issues.