5 weeks 2 days post-op questions questions questions

I've been reading a lot of the posts and I seem to be getting bits and pieces of questions answered but not quite fully, so here goes:

1. In another post I had mentioned my exhaustion. I'm not just tired, I am downright feel it in my bones exhausted. I'm not doing a lot because of previous over exertion in week 1 (that's in another post), get up, shower, dress, cook dinner, wander around the house, maybe a short short trip to the grocery store. But I am so exhausted even my eyelids feel tired! LOL I never had this feeling before until the past week and a half. I've read other posts on this but all of the ladies seem to refer to the fact that they are taking some kind of hormone therapy, I'm not, I kept my right ovary so I wouldn't have to do that (or at least that's what the dr said).

2. I have not taken any pain meds for almost 2 weeks. I may have taken 1, 1.5 weeks ago. But when I had to get in the car tonight it really hit me how spacey I am, I was in no condition to drive, made it a block and said no way. I feel like I did when I was on the pain meds, or like you do when you are suddenly jerked awake, kind of in a fog. What's that all about???

3. I have this new pain, pain was pretty much all gone last week but now my lower back just aches something feirce and it wraps into my hips and down into my thighs. Don't understand that one either, would those parts and pain have anything to do with my surgery?

4. After about my 3.5 week mark I wasn't having probs with my BMs anymore. Now all of a sudden I am again since this weekend. I took laxatives on Sunday and oh boy they made me nausues (sp?) and then stomach pain and the dry heaves!! I've tried M.O.M but that stuff is so nasty to me it makes me throw up!! So I switched to stool softeners (Dulcolax) they aren't doing a dang bit of good. But the nausues feeling has stayed around, but just during the day. At night after I take all my psych meds and eat dinner I'm fine. I do eat during the day, so I don't understand that either. I drink tons of water (4 of those huge jug/cups they give you in the hospital during the day and then 1 throughout the night).

5. Some nights I get the uncontrollable munchies for really bad things like cherry creme filled kisses, girl scout mint cookies, oreos....and i don't mean just a few, i'll end up eating the whole tube i pulled out of the box of cookies, plus something else and then sometimes i have to offset the sugar by eating a ton of salty chips or nuts!! My husband is freaking out!!! LOL (The really weird thing though, I'm still losing weight!!)

6. I get some cramping in my abdomen sometimes, kind of like menstrual cramps, how can that be?? Don't have a uterus or cervix so there's no menstruating going on.....

7. Pain when I cough...not sneezing, not laughing, no other time except coughing, and it's deep down inside in the bottom of my pelvic region. If I clamp my thighs together and push up when I cough it's not so bad, but if I don't wow, it feels like something is going to bust out my pelvic bone!! The incision areas don't bother me anymore, belly is still a little sore to press on, but this is way down at the pelvic floor.

8. Okay now the kind of embarrassing question, I'm finding it hard to try and ask the dr about this cuz it seems he always has a different young young male student with him at our appts lately and I find it hard to get real comfy with someone until i've seen them a few times.....since my cervix was taken i have a vaginal cuff...now i know what that is but my question is did it take length out of the vaginal area? will i notice anything different with sex because of it? will hubby notice anything different? quite honestly it's been a long long time since health class (27 years!!! LOL) and i don't remember all the little bits and pieces of how much length there is in the vagina. If the dr gives his okay for us to resume sex at my 6 week appt. Tuesday is there any possibility of him hitting the cuff and tearing it open?? I honestly don't want to seem stupid here, but that was not something I ever really paid attention to, all I know is we "fit" together fine in the sexual department, and I would have never thought to pay attention during sex at just exactly how far up he goes and how much room there is in there! LOL Do any of you ladies who have passed this milestone have suggestions on things to do before sexual contact/intercourse that may be helpful? I'm definately in the mood, especially since the pain was getting so bad before the procedure that it's been since last summer since we have, but then again I'm scared to death that we might mess something up!!

Guess I should have said I had a TAH/LSO with Burch procedure on bladder on Feb. 6th.

Sorry for the terribly long post again....just wanted to give and get as much info as I could in one shot.

Well, I can't speak for everything, but I've got that terrible back pain too that you spoke about. I had it when I woke up for surgery and it stayed for about a week, then came back last night. Not even taking pain meds made it go away. I'd sure like to know where it is from too.

About munchies, my dr. told me to eat lots and lots of protein, because the body uses lots of extra fuel to heal internally. I was getting really dizzy and nausesated, and when I started to eat more protien like he said, I felt much better and not so "spacy" like you described. So now I try to eat some chicken along with my boxes of girl scout cookies.

And I'd like to know about the sex too! I had my cervix removed too and my dr. said at my post-opt this week to not even attempt sex before I saw him again because it could rip the stitches. But I'm curious if it will be different since it's not the same up there anymore.

If you go to the tabs at the top of this page there is one called "Articles and Resources" amongst those are sites that answer your question about vaginal length and sex. I forget exactly which one as I read through many of them yesterday to get ready for next week. There were things there that I hadn't thought about including that the number one complaint concerning recovery of hysterectomy is fatigue. Hope you have the time and that those articles help you.

Brain fog is real and is your body's way of telling you what it needs. Rest, more protein or whatever you seem to be craving. At least that has held true for myself.

Hope this helps some.

babs

Thanks for your replies. With what you both mentioned about the protein it kind of fits. We have been having steak and chicken and eggs and items like that for dinner, but during the day i eat a warm it up in the microwave crap that you buy in bulk at Sam's Club!! You know like the crap you grab and zap at a convenience store, so maybe that's why I'm feeling better at night is because I'm getting the good protein and during the day I'm eating crap!!! LOL But then again maybe it's the outrageous sugar highs i'm getting too from all the cookies and candy!!! LOL Seriously though I think I'll go ahead and try changing my daytime diet and that might just help...thank you.

I'm going to head on up to those tabs and start some reading. Thanks for that tip Babs!! I don't know why I didn't think to look in there before writing that atrociously long post!!

Thanks for the posts ladies, I'm going to head in the kitchen and find something REAL to eat!!!

I'm 2 years post op hope this helps;

1. ~ Exhaustion: Your body is telling you to rest, really rest not haze around but be in bed actually sleeping, no excuses! We don't all require that much sleep but some do. Allow yourself this healing time. The best healing actually happens when you body is allowed to shut down. Do it for a good 3 days and you'll thank me!

2. ~ Foggy Head: I still at times have this feeling and I'm on no meds. It is related to estrogen imbalance. It just takes time to equal out. If your feeling unsure about something then hold off. Listening to how you body is reacting is key here. It will eventually find its balance, just be patient.

#. Low back Pain: Couple things, muscle strain / injury takes (sometimes) longer to heal than a broken bone. The fact you didn't have this pain immediatley after surgery is for 2 reasons... a) it is referred to as 'deep tissue" injury and can take several weeks to present itself, it will heal again give it time. OR b) depending on where you live you could be being affected by a barametric pressure change, do you notice an increase before the weather changes, try keeping a journal and monitor the weather at the same time. It won't hurt while it is actually raining but the day before the storm blows in, this unfortunatley won't change all that much.

4. Bowel Movement Troubles: Try Colase. a small capsul its available in the drug store with no perscription, its a stool softner it works wonders! you won't become dependant on it your bm might just be a different consitancy than before, anesetic affects that too and it takes up to 12 weeks to be absorbed completely (that might be also contributing to that 'foggy feeling')

5> Eating Junk: No mystery / explanation there! Comfort food is allowed in the beginning just don't let it drag on or you will gain weight!

6. Cramps: Your organs are adjusting to their new living space, also if your having trouble with your bowels you will experience more cramping than normal.

7 Painful Coughing: Try holding a pillow against your abdomen, its painful since it is pulling muscles internally, can't be helped it will go away with more time, the pillow helped me.

8 Vaginal Cuff too Low: Unless your husband is 2 feet long you'll be fine. It is very high up there and won't even be touched. Try to relax and GO SLOW. a lubricant will be helpful so have some handy in case so you can help out since you'll be already nervous and have a lot on your mind

Hopefully this has helped. All of a sudden when your in this situation you think of all these things it seems over whelming, try to look at it logically and its not so bad. Good news your normal!!!

take care
hlb

WOW!! Thanks HLB....you hit on it all. It definately helps to hear things from you other ladies who have experienced these things. I've read all kinds of stuff all over the web before finding this site but it's just not the same, it's all medical mumbo jumbo, from a drs perspective, but it is much more helpful to actually hear about it and get advice from ladies who have been through it. And it's not in all that medical mumbo jumbo terms. I am definately glad to hear what I'm experiencing is normal. I think of calling the dr, but I feel I will drive him or his nurses nuts with all the questions!!! Thank you so much for your insight!!

My surgery (TAH/BSO) was on 2/5 so I am close to you in the recovery process and experiencing many of the same things.

The exhaustion can be overwhelming at times and helped me decide to take the full 8 weeks of disability instead of my planned 6 weeks. Just too tired some days to even consider putting in a full day of work. I am a sales rep so on my feet all day and in and out of the car many times. Trying to eat well and taking lots of vitamins, especially B12.

My lower back hurt me too until early this week. Heating pad and Aleve helped. I started walking more for exercise this week as opposed to short strolls and my back seems better. I think the low back pain is due to the fact that our stomach muscles are just weak right now and we are unconsiously using our back muscles to compensate. I too had some hip and leg pain.

Regarding BM's. I have been eating lots of fiber and still taking 1-2 stool softeners per day. I get easily constipated so I am afraid to stop them just yet. Trying to drink lots of water and juices. I have had some cramps but I think they are gas pains.

Good luck as you continue your recovery. I try to remind myself that I did have major surgery and you can't just heal in a few weeks.