Hysterectomy dates Jul 09-Jul 16,2007

Wow. 2 weeks out from TAH/BSO. I am doing well and feeling good. HOpe you are well and get to enjoy one more night in the hospital befor going home with a different nurse. I had a night with nurse Ratchet. My meds built up in my system and I had a hard time focusing and waking up. She was not happy with me. Oh well everyone else was great. Remember not to over do it when you get home.
cstephpooh

Hi Everyone! I have great news to report.............I had a bm!!! wooo-hooo! The MOM worked so I will take it again tonight. Today I feel so much better. only a little tired, but thank God no pain. I def. stopped the vicodin for good. Only ibuprofen every - 8 hrs. I hope everyone is having a fun Friday!

That's great news, Phillipians446. I just finished another half mile. I've done 1 mile today and hope to do one more half before evening ends. I send everyone a hug, too! (and some fiber)

I had my TAH BSO on the 10th at 10 am and came home on the 12th around lunchtime. The surgery itself wasn't near as bad as I had imagined. ( I am petrified of dying on the table and completely fell apart when I had a lumpectomy done on my right breast in 1996)
My MD had wanted to do a LAVH BSO but due to the endo he had to perform the TAH BSO. I couldn't pass gas and had trouble urinating which kept me in a bit longer than I was hoping for. I made the huge mistake of eating a small portion of a salad and suffered the consequences for a better part of the 11th. Of course, most all the food on the menu was a gas producer and I did not want another bowl of soup. In hindsight, the soup would have been better.
Currently, I am having trouble starting and maintaining a stream of urine. My feet and ankles are swollen and am having some abd pain. However, all the aches and pains I had felt prior to surgery, no longer exist. The new pains are definitly surgical in origin. Oh, and the aftereffects of the anesthesia...yuck. I have had a dry mouth since I woke up from the anesthesia on the 10th. Nothing I have drank has helped. Its almost as if you can "taste" it. Brushing your teeth doesn't help one ioda either. My tongue is actually sore ( and I made another boo boo of eating ketchup on my salmon cake tonight) I may as well have drank battery acid.
Anything I eat burns my tongue and my tastebuds must have went on vacation. I am chalking all that up to the anesthesia, unless its an allergic reaction to the Unisyn they gave me IV to prevent infection.I got to itching so bad after 2 bags of Unisyn that they held the third bag to rule out allergy..morphene vs Unisyn.The itching stopped so must have been the antibiotic.
My incision site (bikini cut) is completely numb for about an inch to an inch and a half around the site itself. I can't sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time. I jerk myself awake, which is no fun at all with an abd incision. I had read on HysterSisters somewhere about post surgical insomnia, so it doesn't surprise me. However, if I am still plagued with sleeplessness on Monday when I go back to MD to get staples removed I will see if he can write me a script for a mild sedative. Can't heal if you can't get your rest.
God Bless,
Rayne

I got some "over the counter" stool softener and had a massive "blowout" this morning. It was the first normal bm I have had in a week. I had alot of rectal pressure since Thurs of last week and only passed small amounts of mucousy diarrhea like stool. The pressure on my colon was gone as soon as I woke up in recovery. Another trick to constipation without having to use meds..mix applesauce, bran flakes and prune juice together then eat. Hopice trick we used on my Aunt and it helped. Also chamomille tea helps as well.
Rayne

Hi,
I had a TAH but the doctor was able to leave the right ovary as I had hope when we first were considering options. I am still having problems with anemia probably because I was starting to bleed heavily the day before the surgery. My doctor said my uterus was full of fibroids and one large fibroid in particular was probably causing the massive bleeding I would experience monthly.

I stayed an extra day in the hospital (came home Friday) because I had developed a sinus headache which was causing me to be nauseated and develop dry heaves.(OUCH!). I couldn't transition off the pump onto oral meds and actually felt like I had to fight with one of the nurses about it.

She was going off her evening shift and her concern was more focused on making sure that orders were followed (from the AM) instead of being concerned about my comfort level. No offense to anyone who is a nurse but watch the bedside manner. She got insistent and when I told her no - that I wasn't able to take oral meds yet, she made it clear that it was going to be written up as a refusal - what am I, a 2 year old?

The next morning the attending came in and told me that they wouldn't have never tried to take me off the pump until I was ready. Somewhere - there was a great lack of communication.

As for today, other than the backache from lying down too long, I feel pretty good. I passed gas and even had a BM in the hospital and have not had too many problems in that regard.

If anyone had any hints on dealing with the backache, please let me know. I am taking nothing more than Tylenol at this point, although I may try some advil later - my stomache doesn't take well to NSAIDs and is why I am reluctant to take the pain medication prescribed. I had the itchies from the pump medication and from a dose of percocets I did take. I am not a martyr believe me - I just don't want to have those dry heaves again nor do I want to keep dumping one medication into my system to counter act another medication (like something to relieve the nausea or Benadryl to counter the itching).

It's good to hear from you all as the days pass. Today my breakfast was four prunes, a grapefruit and about 32 ounces of water so far. I have also walked a mile (in 1/2 mile increments) before the sun starts beating down. It is hard to sit still. Last nite I took two colace to continue to try and soften my innards and one percocet (the percocet helps my cramps/pain calm down for a good night's sleep).......but during the day I basically take no pain meds and/or just 3 generic iboprophen to date. I still worry about stools, but since I succeeded in moving my bowels yesterday, and the nurse who called said I could remain constipated, I just need to adjust to 'the new me'.... I hope you all have a decent Saturday. My tummy feels a bit crampy right now, so it's time to quit sitting at the computer! Again, I wish a good day to all of my hystersisters...........E.

P.S. I am so lucky the two nurses I had for my short hospital stay were 'angels'........they maintained their sense of humor and never ever EVER got frustrated w/me even when I was sicker as sick could be from the anesthesia and pain medicine that first surgury day/night. Amidst my/the new station chaos, they were angels. I'm sorry it didn't go as smoothly for Reliefisdue! Reliefisdue....I know what you mean about itching and sickness from meds. They switched my meds the first night bec. I was so sick from them. The percocet...I just take one at night bec. my cramps (translate: cramps = surgical pain I have learned) don't let me settle down in bed. Once I take the one percocet I am able to get a decent evening's sleep..........but the generic iboprophen also helps w/the cramping a lot. And when I walk....sometimes I come home and feel 'better' for having done it. Plus chugging a LOT of water. I had a lot of trouble w/urination in the hospital and even here sometimes... just kept chugging and trying and walking in and out of that bathroom.

Good luck to you............hopefully w/each day it will get a little bit better. I have signed a lot of emails 'owie'

Hystersisters,
For and foremost let me thank God for letting me be able to tell my recovery story. I went in on Thursday, the 12th at 6am and came home by 10 the next morning for a LSH. I am feeling good. It took me a long time (years) to decide to do this. I had a lap for adhesions in 03 that helped for a while. My dr. and nurses were incredible. The hospital itself was very professional. My surgery was a little under 2 hrs and all went well. They didn't discover any endo and we are awaiting the path report for adeno. I did have mulitple fibroids that caused a lot of pressure and pain/bloating and a lot of other things. I do see a difference already: my back feels better and my vagina seems tighter (TMI). If I don't have adeno in the path report it is incredible that 5 small fibroids could debilitate me so that sex and exercise were problematic. Here it is 2 days later and I don't feel much pain at all and the gas is not bad at all. I have taken gasx which is probably helping along with some peppermint tea the hysters recommended. I have no bandages, no surgical tape, no ooozing. My dr. used surgical glue and I have 4 sites. side to side, navel and under the navel. They look great. I am upset and cried in the hospital when I woke up and found he couldn't save the right ovary. I really specified only take if necessary. I thought that he could just remove the cyst. He gave me a video and I have tried to watch some of it, probably to avoid a law suit. He told my family after surgery that I can function with one like someone can with one kidney or lung. All in all, he is an excellent surgeon or I just heal super well. I am taking oxocodone for pain and percecot while in the hosptial. Will I be alright with one ovary? Please don't be afraid when your time comes. If at all possible try and go with the LSH. It is easier than the lap I had a few years ago. God Bless

Had vah on 7/12/07 9 am came home 7/13/07 at about 6 pm. Feel pretty good. Worse part was (pump) medication at hospital made me so sick spent first night dry heaving. Once they realized it was that and they took me off it about 4 hours later felt much better. They were going to keep me overnight anothe4r night but I really wanted to get home and my dr let me go as long as I don't do anything!!!! Pain hasn't been too bad since being home.....last night had to take one perc and took a motrin this morning. Good luck to everyone

Painfree,
Thanks so much for your words or encouragement and I hope that one day I can help someone else. I think that yesterday I did over do it I was feelingso well. I know that everyone heals differently, but for me it was great. I am still baffled about how 5 little fibroids can make u feel so bad. I was telling my son this morning that I will save a lot on feminine products. He is such a guy thinking that since I have my ovaries, I will still bleed. Will I need any HRT for the one ovary? I hlpe not. Oh yeah, none of my pants won't close. I also need some advice on the BM. My doc said don't worry too much since my tummy was so empty.