TVH with repairs

Was it painful immediately postop? Did you resume urination without a problem? Is sitting a problem in the weeks following surgery? Thanks!

wordwizard,

i was in pain in the recovery room when i first awakened.... but they had it under control within a few minutes... i am not gonna lie..those few minutes stunk...... they gave me Dialudid in my IV and a shot of Tordal in my hip.... i was also freezing cold..... and had about four heated blankets on me......

when they removed the catheter...i was able to pee right away... now if you are having a bladder sling that might be different... when i had my bladder sling done in 2007....they used a suprapubic catheter.. one that comes out of your belly right above your pubic hair line..... and that stayed in for a few days..... when they removed it.. i went home to sleep.. (it was like a week later and i still didn't feel the best) anyway..and i peed out of that hole while i was asleep on my stomach..... lovely...

anyway if you are not having a bladder sling don't even worry about that part.......

and yes sitting was a problem..... i still don't sit overly long.... without getting up for a break.....

the first couple of weeks..i didn't sit at all..... (no computer oh no!)
(luckily i was able to write from the hospital about my TVH...because they had a TV with a keyboard...and you could either watch TV or type on the internet depending on what you chose)

then when i started sitting...i sat for very short times..... had to build back up to being able to sit here a couple of hours at a time....

but despite all of that... i think it is totally worth it! as i am feeling better tonight and more hopeful and optimistic!

hugs,
jamesgirl

	Quote:
Originally Posted by wordwizard Was it painful immediately postop? Did you resume urination without a problem? Is sitting a problem in the weeks following surgery? Thanks!

Wordwizard, I had very little pain at all. I don't remember any immediate post op pain other than feeling really, really woozy and drugged. I pushed the morphine pump because the nurse told me to, but I didn't realize WHY I was pushing it. I do not remember being in the recovery room at all. Once I came to my senses a little, I only used it a few times the first day. It was mostly as a preventative measure -- I was worried that if I didn't use it, the pain might get ahead of me. Mostly the pain I had was on the side of "uncomfortable, but tolerable." After the first evening, the pump was removed and I didn't need any more pain medication at all while in the hospital.

The catheter was removed by dinner time and my bowels and bladder resumed working perfectly before the evening was over. (I had no bowel prep.) I had to stay in the hospital for the entire weekend to regulate my Coumadin therapy and take another blood transfusion for the anemia I had (long story - lost a lot of blood before surgery and had 10 transfusions.) Surgery on Friday morning, home on Tuesday morning. My nurse had me sit in a chair for dinner following my surgery, and the next day she had me start walking the hallways. She had me sit in a chair for about an hour after my shower each morning, too.

Sitting for long periods of time was a little uncomfortable. I preferred to recline, and once I was home, I spent those first few days in the recliner in the family room. The recliner seemed to take the pressure off of my tender parts just enough that I didn't need to use pain meds at home, either. I took a Percocet the first night home to help me sleep, then only used an occasional Tylenol after that.

Try not to fret about the post op pain. Your doctor and nurses will take very good care of you. If you feel like you need more or stronger pain medication, just ask for it. They want you to be comfortable because it helps you heal faster and better if you are not having to deal with a lot of pain. They are pros!

Best wishes and hugs as you prepare for your surgery.

Hi wordwizard

Although I didn't have repairs, I did have a TVH. It was painful, but my pain medications kept the pain at a tolerable level.

As soon as I was able to walk to and from the bathroom at the hospital, my catheter was removed. An hour after that, I tried to urinate for the first time and had no problem.

Sitting was a challenge for a few weeks, but I spend most of my time lying down or reclining. When I did sit vertically, it felt the most comfortable to be on a hard chair, scooted forward so it was really just my rear end on the chair. Sitting vertically on soft furniture was pretty uncomfortable because there was so much "give" to it and it would put upward pressure on my genital area.

You're smart to be asking these questions. I worried about the pain, but it never occurred to be to think about sitting, so I was really surprised to find that it was an issue. Do you have your surgery scheduled yet?