Pain a must read for anyone::endo vs Tah pain

Just wondering, I had endo metrosis removed about four years ago..it was the most painful thing I ever experienced! I had a D&C with my first child and thought that was pretty bad...

Now I am obsessed with the pain thing, has anyone had endo removed and also had a TAH? how was the pain comparable?

I read a recent article on pain and how the more times you have had physical pain in the past the more sensitive you are to it in the future. It seems that nerve cells in your spinal chord can undergo permanent changes as a result of being exposed to past pain.
It suggest spinals and epidurals to prevent further pain in the future. This is a must read for anyone going to the castle!

see the article at:http://health.medscape.com/cx/viewarticle/401813

DO discuss an epidural with your anestesiologist/doc if you decide to go with the TAH. I had one and had to go with general anestesia. I was literally screaming when I woke up. The doc said that repeated surgery patients usually need more pain meds after surgery - I was definately one of them.

I do have permenent nerve damage - but much in part to the repeated surgeries that I've had over the years (10 in all). The article is very accurate, and gives good advice on how to prevent pain:http://www.rsdrx.com/rsdpuz4.0/001.htm

YukonDiva,

I've had a few D&C's with very little pain through the years.

After my TAH, the actual "pain" from the incision and the work done inside was very manageable. In fact, I would not even call it "pain" more of a dull ache.

Everybody's tolerance level for pain is different, mine is very high, just be sure to tell your doctor that you cannot tolerate "pain," I'm sure there is a medication that can "dull" any pain you are experiencing.

Wishing you an uneventful surgery and a speedy recovery!

Hi, thanks for the link. It's most interesting. I just had laparascopic surgery for a very pesky and painful fibroid. I suffered with pain for 6 months (which was intensified with Lupron).I did wonder how this would affect me in the future. I have normally had a high pain tolerence level (both births unmedicated - ouch!). Now I find with the chronic pain experience I really don't care to have much more. The laparascopic hyst was very good - the gas pains put me over the edge. Things are going very well, and I am cautiously not overdoing it, because I don't want to take anymore pain meds (have'nt since 3 days post-op). Thanks again for the info.

My hysterectomy was my seventh surgery for female problems. I have had my endo removed with several laser surgeries. I have had several d&c's but I don't recall having a great deal of pain from them and recovery was relatively quick. One of my surgeries was a major abdominal surgery so I had something to compare this to. They did my TAH through the same incision which has healed so nicely you can't tell that I had any additional surgery done. It is a low bikini cut. This was somewhat painful for the first week. After that I really didn't need anymore pain medicine. I was upset when they took the morphine pump away in the hospital after the 2nd day but I was really sore. I wouldn't call it serious pain. I would have to say that this surgery was easier than the first abdominal surgery which was done in 1986. Technology and pain management techniques have improved since then along with surgical techniques. You can handle this. You will have pain which they will manage well in the hospital. I kinda liked the morphine pump. That really worked. After that you will be somewhat uncomfortable and will not be able to rest on your stomach but after the 2 week mark you will really begin to feel well with little soreness. You still have to take it easy because of the internal stitches however. Don't worry. You will make it through this. And in my case, it is so nice to not have excessive bleeding, shooting pains, weakness and headaches constantly. I am at 4 weeks post op and feeling better and better everyday.
:jumping:

Because my bowel was covered with scar tissue and attached to the uterus they did a lot of work on it during my surgery. The doctor did not agree with the anesthe. before the surgery about the epidural. The doctor felt that the epidural delays the proper functioning of the bowel after most surgeries. I was also having alot of work done to the bowel. I was worried about possibly having more pain if I didn't go with the epidural. In the end, I wanted the bowel to function properly so I went without the epidural. I didn't need it and I still had a delay in the bowel functioning so maybe it was a good decision. The pain was absolutely manageable without the epidural. If you are worried about the spine, ask if you can skip it. It is doable.