not sure if the pain is normal

I am a 34 year old mother of two who had a TAH on June 29th and when I was in the hospital had some problems with belly swelling. I looked like I was 8 months along. I have IBS so I knew that I would have problems. I knew that swelling was normal and that I would be in pain for a bit. But, I am still having MANY problems. the site is burning inside and the pressure is not fun at all and I have been getting sick alot. I called the DR. and she ran a test to see if I had a UTI and she put me on meds for that. Some times the pain is so much that pain pills are not helping at all. I stand up and it feels like all is falling out. My belly on the right side is sticking out more than the left and it is angled. When you touch the skin on my belly it hurts and even if the pants, shirts, anything touches it I want to cry. I have sharp pains all the time and I just don't know if anyone else has that problem after a TAH. I have always had strange problems but is this just part of it?

Thanks for your time.

my surgery was just 1 day before yours and i'm not having any of those symptoms. i also had TAH, but of course everyone heals different.

i would definately call your doctor, just to be safe.

i know the burning feeling i have/had is from using my stomach muscles down there, like coughing or sneezing or moving too fast, but i'm not sure you should have it alll the time?

also the feeling like your falling out. i noticed that a little earlier in my recovery, i would feel that way if i stood too long, or did too much. are you taking it easy? if you are, and still feel like that, tell your doctor.

i hope you get some relief soon. keep us posted. <3

I had a LAVH and was feeling like that at week 2. You are a week behind me. Week 3 was better and heading into 4 I am finally starting to use less medication.

I would call your doctor. With pain meds, you still shouldn't be in sooo much agony or what you were given for pain may just not be working for you. But you sound as if you are in a great deal of discomfort.

You are fairly early on in your recovery and I know, at week 6 now, some clothes I still can stand to wear. Early on at home all I could stand were soft panties and a tank top.

For peace of mind, I would call your dr. There is nothing worse than being in so much pain, worrying and trying to recover from major surgery.

Hugs to you. Please let us know how you are doing.

Hey Renee,

I had my TAH/BSO on June 20th and you describe the symptoms I had (and still have to an extent) nearly exactly (nothing showed up on my urinalysis).

My doc says she had to do some pretty extensive work inside me and that right now it is one big abrasion inside my pelvis (everything was stuck together down there because of adhesions, endometriosis, etc--a house of horrors, it sounds like).

I, like you, wondered (and still do) if my level of discomfort is normal.

I had taken myself off the narcotics at about 2 weeks, but went back on them last week for just a few days--and this time, the meds really helped ease the pain. Those sharp "pinging" pains I had (like you mentioned) have really lessened considerably for me at this point.

Things seem to be feeling better as far as the all over burning feeling inside but I have been feeling some kind of pressure "down there" and it feels worse when I put my jeans on (Standing while wearing jeans is okay, but sitting down in the jeans makes me feel somewhat nauseous). And I noticed upon getting out of the car several times today, that the pain/pressure also worsened for a few moments, then lessened--but was still there.

I'm wondering if the area where the doc stitched the "cover" on top of the vagina is just really irritated and slow to heal. Of course I'm worrying myself that it will be something that won't go away, or a problem that I created in my recovery thus far.

None of us has ever gone through anything like this before so we have no way of knowing what is normal for us--that can be very tough.

I'm eager to hear what your doctor says to you, Renee.

Take care and remember to NOT do too much!

Ann
Age 48, TAH/BSO, endometriosis, adenomyosis

hi i too had all of the above problems do call your dr. and talk about it and see if there are other pain meds you can try remember none of the pain meds will take all of the pain away but they should take the edge off as for as the clothes all i wore were long gowns i felt like an old lady sometimes but it helps and i do mean NOTHING but the gowns until i started spotting from doing to much the it was granny panties or the very low cut ones they would sit under the site and that would help i too am lopsided and my dr. said that it is from the "knot" inside that it is normal the knot is the semi-permanent sutures and that the knot is and will be more painful than the other stuff she said that it is what causes the sharp pains and the only meds that would help the knot pain is ibuprophen (spell?) or toradol the anit- inflammatory stuff so talk to your dr. about that the toradol is what i am taking and it has worked wonders good luck i hope you get to feeling better let us know how it goes and most of all TAKE IT EASY!!!

Thank you all for writing. I did have a nasty UTI and I called the Doctor about the other problems and they had me come in and then I had to go today for a transvaginal and abdominal ultrasound. Let me tell you what ,that is not fun at all when you are in pain. I should know something in the next two days. After I had it done the pain was REALLY bad and the pain got worse. I am having a hard time walking now. The pain the left side was so bad that even the meds didn't help controll it. I am just looking now as tomorrow is another day and things has to be better.

I am glad to know that I am not the only with problems and fears. So once again Thank you and I will let you know what happens...