This might help with the "Peeing"

It seems everyone that undergoes a hysterectomy has some difficulty going to the bathroom after their surgery. I have had 3 c-sections and each time I experience difficulty as well. The nurse after my first c-section recommended I use the squirt bottle they gave patients for cleaning their episiotomy. I used it to squirt warm water over my area and it relaxed enough for the urine to come out. I know a hysterectomy is a totally different surgery than a c-section, but they both require the use of catheders and create swelling. I know I am going to take some type of squirt bottle with me when I have my surgery.

On a totally different note it has been recommended that I take my favorite bottled water as well.

Sherri

Interestingly, I had a thyroidectomy last spring. I was supposed to stay overnight, but the Dr. released me that evening. Even in the recovery room I was starting to get a strong urge to pee and was suprised but thought maybe it was from the IV. When the charge nurse was giving me home care instructions, I mentioned that it felt like I might have a UTI. She said "oh, it's probably because you were catheretized" but then looked in the notes and saw that I hadn't been. I drank a cup of broth, the whole pitcher of water and ate a cup of jello before I left the hospital. All the way home, I felt like I was going to explode but when I got home I had to majorly strain just to get a small amount of urine out. So, I drank 2 more bottles of water and was getting more and more uncomfortable. I then realized my fingers were so swollen, I couldn't move my rings. I went to take a hot bath and I looked 7 months pregnant. I honestly went to the bathroom every 20-30 minutes for the majority of the night, but never could get more than a few tspns out until the wee hours of the morning when everything started working again. i always wondered why that had happened, but figured it had to do with the anesthesia and it's affect on the body. Is that the same type of thing that happens post-hysterectomy?

I can tell you that I would've stayed the night in the hospital if I'd known how ucky that was going to be.

Catarina,

I had the same thing happen to me when I had my galblader out! I ended up back in the ER the same night as my Surgery and was cathed and had 1 full bag and almost another full bag of urine come out. I was crying in the waiting room where they left me for almost an hour swearing to Dh that my bladder was going to explode. He yelled at the desk clerk, and finaly they took me back and the nurse was all mean utnil she did the cath and then you could tell she felt bad, she was all You poor thing you really did have to go! Duhhh.

running warm water and keeping my hand under it helped me. I also found that if I leaned forward on the seat ( boobs touching knees, OUCH ) helped me to empty a bit too. I am still not able to comfortably empty tpday, but more and more each time.

Rabbitsky,
I'm glad your surgery went well. I hope to come home the same day as well. I swear get an empty dish detergent bottle or something and squirt warm water over your privates and see if that helps. The warm water relaxes everything down there.

Sherri

I'm rather concerned about it also as I was cathed both times during natural and c-section deliveries. I blame the first time on the fact that after pushing that baby for 20 some hours, I swelled up in there. I didn't even have any feeling I had to go at all.

Same for the c-section..pushing and pushing for 26 hours and got nowhere. The nurses would take it out, I'd try to go, they'd put it back in. Took me about 5 days to finally go on my own.

I brought the subject up with my doctor and he told me not to be so negative and not worry about it. Says we'll just do the same thing if it happens. I must say, I was a bit put off by his comment. He's not the one that can't pee!

I've had cathetars since without any problem, of course, they were only in for an hour or so at a time; and he does plan on taking it out the very next day after I'm up and around. I'll just deal with it and not panic like I did the other two times if it happens.

If I've ever had a catheter, I didn't know it. I haven't ever had a major surgery, so maybe it's never been necessary. Is it awful to wake up with? Someone mentioned being sent home with instructions to self-catheterize for 3-4 days, as needed. Is this something the average person could do? The night I had a problem with going, I think I could've done just about anything to relieve the pressure, but I wonder how difficult it really is.

No, it's no problem waking up with it. The most you feel is a little tug on your leg where the nurses tape the tubing. I must say, it is kind of nice to just lay in bed and all of a sudden you see the pee going into the bag.

I do have slight incontinence issues, and all I have to do is get into a coughing spell and I wet my pants...so I know my muscles sure aren't as tight as they were 20 years ago when I had babies.

I forgot about the ol' warm water out of a squirt bottle trick. Dang- this post would have come in handy a few days ago!

I have always had issues with a 'lazy' bladder after surgery, and so it wasn't a surprise that I had to be catheterized this time around. I remember thinking that I felt it was odd that I felt a STRONG painful urge to pee even though I had a catheter in.

It took almost four hours of really trying hard to squeeze a few drops after they took the catheter out. I knew they probably wouldn't release me unless I peed, so I was in the bathroom every 15 minutes giving it a try.

Turns out that I was having bladder spasms and it wasn't until today that I could pee without wanting to scream in pain. The worst part was that I could only pee a little bit at a time, and left the toilet still feeling like i had a full bladder.

I'm glad I'm not one of those that goes for months having the spasms. I've read that the bladder doesn't like being moved around, and that's what causes it.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbitsky running warm water and keeping my hand under it helped me. I also found that if I leaned forward on the seat ( boobs touching knees, OUCH ) helped me to empty a bit too. I am still not able to comfortably empty tpday, but more and more each time.

Glad to see you posting, Rabbit, welcome home!
Seeing all you get your surgeries makes me realize mine is getting closer and closer - two weeks to go today, and tomorrow's my pre-op!