SAH: Upcoming hysterectomy 7/9: Slowly Becoming A Basket Case...

My surgery is this Thursday the 9th. Slept for MAYBE one hour last night. It's not the surgery that is bothering me -- it's the recovery. Then today, called the hospital. Have to come in tomorrow for pre-registration and blood typing. It's really real...

I have had 2 c-sections. I know the pain of abdominal surgery -- especially the first time you stand up. I understand this pain will be a bit worse due to the internal sutures and healing that will also be happening. Maybe if I was in pain now, I wouldn't be so apprehensive about the recovery. But, my problems don't involve pain so much. Just immense flooding and severe acute anemia. So I'm not looking forward to "being without pain" since I don't have much now, which means I'm definitely not looking forward to putting myself through so much pain to relieve the other issues...

Just call me Basket Case from here on out!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by chakita1 My surgery is this Thursday the 9th. Slept for MAYBE one hour last night. It's not the surgery that is bothering me -- it's the recovery. Then today, called the hospital. Have to come in tomorrow for pre-registration and blood typing. It's really real... I have had 2 c-sections. I know the pain of abdominal surgery -- especially the first time you stand up. I understand this pain will be a bit worse due to the internal sutures and healing that will also be happening. Maybe if I was in pain now, I wouldn't be so apprehensive about the recovery. But, my problems don't involve pain so much. Just immense flooding and severe acute anemia. So I'm not looking forward to "being without pain" since I don't have much now, which means I'm definitely not looking forward to putting myself through so much pain to relieve the other issues... Just call me Basket Case from here on out!

I need to say that though I woke up in pain and needed iv medication I got right away, the rest of my post operative pain was not as bad. I also had a c section in the past that that pain was much worse! After the initial shot of narcotics I took only ibuprofen and Tylenol in the hospital and when I came home I took 2 oxycodone because I was hurting from the long bumpy ride - other than that it was not bad at all in terms of pain.

What really helps after surgery is to get up by rolling on your side, hang out your legs and push yourself up to sitting with your hand. Try that before you go for surgery so you know how to get up best. I swear it is less painful than the method of pulling somebody into sitting position. I did not need any help to sit or stand up that way at all in the postoperative unit or once I made it to my floor.

Of course it was not as comfortable the first days but it was not as painful as other procedures I had!

So hope it will be an easy recovery for you!

Hi Chakita! Recovery does not have to be an awful, painful thing. I was fully prepared to be feeling crappy for awhile. I even told my husband to go home as soon as I got to my room and he brought my stuff because I would be feeling lousy and wouldn't want to talk to him. Instead, I woke up feeling surprisingly good, with no pain at all, and was glad that he stayed because it helped combat the boredom of those first hours when I had to stay in bed. When they were prepping me, the nurse asked me what I would hope for on a scale of 1-10 for pain after surgery. I jokingly said zero would be nice, and then said that I thought a 5 wouldn't be too bad. So I was really surprised to have no pain. And then became more surprised when the nurse told me I was not on narcoltics, they only had toradol and tylenol in my iv! I really had no pain to speak of my entire recovery, and once my iv came out later that night, never needed any type of pain med. My dr was a strong proponent of getting up and about and walking a lot, and I felt great and was able to do that, thus avoiding issues like extreme exhaustion, gas, constipation etc. Wishing you as easy a recovery as I had!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by chakita1 My surgery is this Thursday the 9th. Slept for MAYBE one hour last night. It's not the surgery that is bothering me -- it's the recovery. Then today, called the hospital. Have to come in tomorrow for pre-registration and blood typing. It's really real... I have had 2 c-sections. I know the pain of abdominal surgery -- especially the first time you stand up. I understand this pain will be a bit worse due to the internal sutures and healing that will also be happening. Maybe if I was in pain now, I wouldn't be so apprehensive about the recovery. But, my problems don't involve pain so much. Just immense flooding and severe acute anemia. So I'm not looking forward to "being without pain" since I don't have much now, which means I'm definitely not looking forward to putting myself through so much pain to relieve the other issues... Just call me Basket Case from here on out!

This sounds very similar to me good luck

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriam45 I need to say that though I woke up in pain and needed iv medication I got right away, the rest of my post operative pain was not as bad. I also had a c section in the past that that pain was much worse! After the initial shot of narcotics I took only ibuprofen and Tylenol in the hospital and when I came home I took 2 oxycodone because I was hurting from the long bumpy ride - other than that it was not bad at all in terms of pain. What really helps after surgery is to get up by rolling on your side, hang out your legs and push yourself up to sitting with your hand. Try that before you go for surgery so you know how to get up best. I swear it is less painful than the method of pulling somebody into sitting position. I did not need any help to sit or stand up that way at all in the postoperative unit or once I made it to my floor. Of course it was not as comfortable the first days but it was not as painful as other procedures I had! So hope it will be an easy recovery for you!

Thanks for your input on the c-section pain vs the pain from this abdominal surgery. Most every thing else I read on this site or elsewhere says that the hysterectomy pain is worse. There are some ladies who say it is commensurate. You're the first I've read that said c-section was worse! Good to know your experience... Thank you!!

I'm hoping the roll and push to get up will help. I remember not being able to do that for the first week or so because just the transition from my back to my side hurt so much. I have a very low tolerance from pain and in 36 years of menstruating have only had cramps 3 times and thought I was gonna die... And I had my gall bladder removed laproscopically on May 1st. Can I say the incision sites are still healing and I was sore for about 2 months?

Yeah...I'm pretty much a Pain Punk... LOL

	Quote:
Originally Posted by coughy16 Hi Chakita! Recovery does not have to be an awful, painful thing. I was fully prepared to be feeling crappy for awhile. I even told my husband to go home as soon as I got to my room and he brought my stuff because I would be feeling lousy and wouldn't want to talk to him. Instead, I woke up feeling surprisingly good, with no pain at all, and was glad that he stayed because it helped combat the boredom of those first hours when I had to stay in bed. When they were prepping me, the nurse asked me what I would hope for on a scale of 1-10 for pain after surgery. I jokingly said zero would be nice, and then said that I thought a 5 wouldn't be too bad. So I was really surprised to have no pain. And then became more surprised when the nurse told me I was not on narcoltics, they only had toradol and tylenol in my iv! I really had no pain to speak of my entire recovery, and once my iv came out later that night, never needed any type of pain med. My dr was a strong proponent of getting up and about and walking a lot, and I felt great and was able to do that, thus avoiding issues like extreme exhaustion, gas, constipation etc. Wishing you as easy a recovery as I had!

Haha! I told my hubby exactly the opposite -- that he wasn't allowed to leave the first night! My reasoning is more of a proponent for me in the room who is able to move. If I need something over night, I don't want to be at the mercy of nurses who don't always respond timely. Although I've had several procedures at the same hospital, I've not had anything done that required over night stays. I don't want to be caught short with unresponsive nurses (although I don't know for sure how they'll be -- better to be safe than sorry!)...

Thank you for your reassurance. I just know I'm a Pain Punk and I don't think it's gonna be pretty. But I will take your words with me in hopes that your experience is mine too!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Madlock This sounds very similar to me good luck

Thank you and good luck to you also! I assume you haven't been to the castle yet?

	Quote:
Originally Posted by chakita1 Haha! I told my hubby exactly the opposite -- that he wasn't allowed to leave the first night! My reasoning is more of a proponent for me in the room who is able to move. If I need something over night, I don't want to be at the mercy of nurses who don't always respond timely. Although I've had several procedures at the same hospital, I've not had anything done that required over night stays. I don't want to be caught short with unresponsive nurses (although I don't know for sure how they'll be -- better to be safe than sorry!)... Thank you for your reassurance. I just know I'm a Pain Punk and I don't think it's gonna be pretty. But I will take your words with me in hopes that your experience is mine too!

Oh, he didn't spend the night! Just stayed til around 8. I was perfectly capable of advocating for myself, and the nurses were great. I was up walking around, so there was no problem. There was no need for him to have to try to spend the night trying to sleep sitting up in the chair! I was telling him to go home as soon as I was done, but was glad that he didn't!

My hysterectomy is Thursday July 9th also and I have had 2 c-sections and about 4-5 other abdominal surgeries my latest being my gallbladder on May 11th, I also am a pain punk but I also have a high tolerance to pain meds which doesn't help, I am getting very nervous.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by jlpatton03 My hysterectomy is Thursday July 9th also and I have had 2 c-sections and about 4-5 other abdominal surgeries my latest being my gallbladder on May 11th, I also am a pain punk but I also have a high tolerance to pain meds which doesn't help, I am getting very nervous.

Wow -- I had my gallbladder out on May 1st... And now we're going to the castle on the same day. All will be well! (My current, constant chant to myself...). We can do this! (another chant of mine LOL)