Recovery Progress Reports for Hysterectomy dates May 16-May 22,2011

Hi All. i had TAH on May 17 and am thrilled that I have turned the corner. I feel about 90%. No pain meds or ibuprofen, went out to dinner last night and enjoyed a couple of beers, sleeping great and bodily functions in order The swelling seems to have subsided but I will continue to wear my binder durign the day to prevent the "pouch". I wish you all a speedy recovery as well. I hope every day is better...I have really enjoyed and needed this lifeline. Thansk to all that took the time to share their expereinces. I'll still be checking in.

Hi everyone...I had my surgery, TVH, on the 19th of May at 7:30am....post op was rough...LOTS of pain...surgery took twice as long as expected...but they got my pain controlled quickly and the rest of the day and night went by mostly in full Nap mode. I got to go home the following morning...oxycodone and 800 mg ibuprofen in hand... DH is wonderful and making me take it easy when I get feeling too good lol... I didn't move much the first three days, just to the bathroom and back...stool softeners for the constipation from the oxy helps alot...Now I'm up to slowly moving around the house...getting my own water, tea, lunch etc...but DH still brings me breakfast and supper... I'm a lucky girl. Went out for the first time today...half hour ride in the car and to the ranch to see the ponies and staff there...nice to visit a bit...but soooo nice to be home. Even a little outing is tiring and I'm trying really hard not to over do it.

It has been 1wk and 2 days since my surgery, I feel like I am doing OK then I get up and start moving around and taking little field trips of riding to town with hubby and bringing kids to practice and when I get home I feel like I have been hit a train....the pain isn't really bad until I move around alot...trying not to take pain pills as much as possible. but now I think I am getting a yeast infection what do I do?

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladyace I FEEL LIKE HELL!! :0( Captain's log, day 8. Haha. Oh my Lord, when will the nausea and headaches end?? Insomnia also kicked in 2 nights ago. Ugh. I stopped taking my pain meds because my nausea and headaches were so bad, I felt they were making it worse. The numbness is wearing off around my incision finally so I'm feeling just super icky and in pain LOTS! I was hoping the contraction pains would be gone after I cleansed the bowels. This has not happened. To top it all off, I'm still having to press hard on my stomach to defaecate. That probably explains why my incision is so sore. It still hurts when I pee, only at the end though. I feel like I have to coax it to come out. I'm super bummed. I thought for sure I'd be feeling better by now. What is going on with me??? OH yeah, what the heck is up with the indigestion?? I've only had it like twice in my entire life, and now I've had it every night since surgery. WTH?? BAH!!!!

I have the same contraction type pains, and even gas makes my rectum hurt. And let's not get started on the bladder problems. It feels like it's spasming from the time I start until after I stop. My abdomen is starting to ache more like I thought it would right after surgery, it almost feels like period cramps. The indigestion hit me the day I went home after my second discharge from the hospital and I bought the TUMS smoothie tabs and they helped.
I think we are all healing the way we are supposed to but it seems longer and worse to us because we are the ones feeling it. When you live through it, it seems to drag on forever and like no one else has to deal with this. I am glad to see so many people feeling "great" and just keep telling myself that in no time I will be the feeling the same. If I didn't believe that I would go crazy. I'm here if you need to talk. I think we are in the same boat.
Kim

My day today (day 10) has been pretty good. I took a fairly long walk this morning and that felt good (just a few twinges of pain around the lower abdomen (vaginal cuff); then say up in a chair for the remainder the day. Husband took me out to dinner (steak!) and then we did some clothes shopping. (I'm a whole size smaller... not due to surgery, but due to me); and then home. I even wore my jeans out in public!

This is the best I've felt since my surgery. I think the key is walking; whether I feel like it or not.

I'm a bit sore right now, so I'm about to lay down for a while and watch tv; but I wanted to update. My holes are doing pretty good.. some of the steri strips have come off on their own (and a couple, I helped but they were about ready to fall off anyways).

So I guess today can be counted as a good day; we'll see about tomorrow...

one day at a time! Hour by hour, inch by inch...

I am now 7 days post op. I am still having pain especially down there. I feel like a bee is stinging me or a needle is poking me everytime I sit down. I had an A&P repair and therefore I have an episiotomy type incision and it gets to be VERY painful. Not to mention that everytime I sit on the toilet I feel like my right thigh bone is breaking or that my right hip is dislocated. I don't know it is just swelling still or if something is really wrong. Plus both my thighs hurt but I think that is because I fell down the steps twice last night. Needless to say I have been resting ALOT today. I have been having a really hard time doing this since I am so used to being on the go. I sure hope this gets better.
Kim

Wow - missed a day and pages of posts to catch up on. For those of you having issues - sending lots of positive energy for healing your way.

I'm feeling pretty good today. Took a walk around the neighborhood - about 1/2 - 3/4 mile - and felt fine. Taking ibuprofen still but more for my foot than post-surgery pain - plantar fasciitis flaring up a little since walking more. No field trips for me today - just been taking it easy, but doing stuff like light meal prep, loading unloading top rack of dishwasher, washing a few dishes. For the first time I've had a day where I feel so good I've forgotten several times that I've had surgery. Have to be careful about that so I don't overdo it.



SO is picking up take-out tonight to give us both a break from meal prep and going to watch a movie on netflix together.

I had a total hysterectomy on May 19th - uterus and fallopian tubes and cervix and the right ovary removed.
I requested they leave one ovary in because there was no sign of cancer from my D&C tests. (more on that below)

The first two days at the hospital were Morphine. Then I popped the IV line out somehow. They gave me Tylenol twice, and Percecet, then nothing.
The surgery was done over an old childhood kidney surgery scar. I don't know if that helped with the pain - but it was more like doing major situps - just really sore.

Stayed at my friends house for a few days. But was not sleeping well, so I came back to my place. A "reacher-grabber" device is helping me around my apartment. And a "Comfort Wipe" device really helped me with Number 2. I am short and chubby and there was no way I could reach back there without bending. Doc had me on stool softeners for a while.

Have to call a Pet sitter to come clean the Cat litter box - and they are expensive. None of my friends are cat people, so this is a big problem. But my friends are driving me to Drs appts, and the grocery.

The incision got infected a few days ago so I am on Cephalexin. In a suspension because I can not swallow pills. The dr just called it in over the phone.

Well, today I went to the doctor to get the staples removed. I now have steri-strips. It did not hurt to get the staples removed.
She said the infection is only a small portion. But I might have to do another round of antibiotics.

And unfortunately - she told me that they found not one, but 2 different kinds of cancer.
The D&C Biopsy totally missed them.
I am devasted, I can not even begin to say how much.
I was the one who insisted that they keep one ovary because they said there was no cancer - and I did not want to have hormonal problems.
(I can't do hormone replacement because I had breast cancer 6 years ago.)
Doc wants the ovary out at the end of my recovery, which means more surgery and more down time off from work. I am still sorting out this awful news and trying to figure out a plan.

I had 1) Figo 1 Endometrial Cancer with 10% myometrial invasion
and
2) Low Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma - they thought this was a huge fibroid and thats what they told me it was, and it wasn't.

Other than this, I am moving normally, but slow. Doing dishes, light trash. Reading, watching movies.
Just waiting for all this to be over and done with so I can go back to work.

Thank you.

I had been feeling great until this afternoon. I started to drive and do the bare minimal things that I had to do. Like take my daughter to the Dr, go to the mail box etc. So today I was waiting on a call, phone in my office, I was in my room and I kind of ran to get it. Now I'm paying for it. Urgh. Guess I could've walked, but you know how you play phone tag with a business and you NEED to talk to them.

Anyhoo, pain is in full effect!!! Hope it goes away by tomorrow.

Today I had a much better day. Took a good long nap but I actually got some light housework done, no bending or lifting of course. Went to the cemetery this evening and did some walking. Still have the bloaty feeling. The one thing I have done different is to wear some supportive briefs, which I think have made a huge difference. Got that idea on here. Plus I think just comparing myself to others gave me some reassurance.