Well I made it through surgery. It wasn't easy. They started lapriscopically then changed to abdominal due to the size of my enlarged uterus and that I've never had children. So I have five holes for the lapriscopic part and then a stapled incision from just above my belly button through my belly button and down to my groin area.
There's been a lot of pain...you never realize how much you use those muscles until you can't. I was in the hospital for four days. I had a small wound vac attached over my incision that used pressure to help with drainage and closure...and also hurt! They had put in two tap blocks (kind of like two epidural catherders -one on each side) to help with pain after surgery and I had a pain pump I could push every so often....which was a problem because if I feel asleep I obviously couldn't push it and I'd get behind and wake up in extreme pain. Trying to move around was fun attached to two different iv posts from all the things I was hooked up to. A catheter bag, and a wound vac case. The pain meds also made me really itchy. I was stingy and itchy around where the tap blocks were and found out why when they removed them....they used steri strips there and appatently I am allergic to them. Hello Blisters!!! They must have also used done with the wound vac because when they took it off I had done blisters under where it was over my belly button. Which hurts like hello with staples there. Stings and hurts more when I move. I'm actually kind of worried about them.
Im home now and mostly in bed although I am making sure to get up and walk around and use the bathroom. I have to give myself a shot each day of Lovonox in the thigh to prevent blood clots. It can only get better right. At least that's what I keep telling myself even though I'm worried about my staples...they hurt when anything touches them and I've read horrible stories about people's incisions opening...
There's been a lot of pain...you never realize how much you use those muscles until you can't. I was in the hospital for four days. I had a small wound vac attached over my incision that used pressure to help with drainage and closure...and also hurt! They had put in two tap blocks (kind of like two epidural catherders -one on each side) to help with pain after surgery and I had a pain pump I could push every so often....which was a problem because if I feel asleep I obviously couldn't push it and I'd get behind and wake up in extreme pain. Trying to move around was fun attached to two different iv posts from all the things I was hooked up to. A catheter bag, and a wound vac case. The pain meds also made me really itchy. I was stingy and itchy around where the tap blocks were and found out why when they removed them....they used steri strips there and appatently I am allergic to them. Hello Blisters!!! They must have also used done with the wound vac because when they took it off I had done blisters under where it was over my belly button. Which hurts like hello with staples there. Stings and hurts more when I move. I'm actually kind of worried about them.
Im home now and mostly in bed although I am making sure to get up and walk around and use the bathroom. I have to give myself a shot each day of Lovonox in the thigh to prevent blood clots. It can only get better right. At least that's what I keep telling myself even though I'm worried about my staples...they hurt when anything touches them and I've read horrible stories about people's incisions opening...
Replies
I don\'t have much time right now to talk but when I get home I\'ll write you.
When I woke up from my hyst-, it hurt like hell. I could hardly breath it hurt so much. You are normal as far as I was feeling too.
I\'ve had experience with blisters, pain pumps and staples so I know where you are.
It will get better!!! Rest for now and you are doing the right thing by getting up every so often. Life right now is stressful for you. Just know--this too shall pass.
Take care
Mary
Back now. I don\'t know about the wound vac because I never had one, just a drain. The epidural I had didn\'t work that time. I had one for a ruptured ovary about 2 months before the hyst. My scar is from above the waist to the pubic bone.
When I woke up from the hyst, it was my surgeon who was touching my arm and telling me I was ok and it was over. I hurt so bad I couldn\'t believe it. Never have I hurt so much. The pain meds just seemed like nothing. I knew I couldn\'t let Mom know how much it hurt so I tried to get myself together as much as I could.
Back in my room I tried to sleep and a former friend talked non stop. I wanted to say shut up but didn\'t. That day was horrible. I\'m a bleeder too. The nurse had to put on a double thickness as I went thru the main one in a couple of hours.
Thank goodness for the catheter so I wouldn\'t have to try to get up. My veins didn\'t want to take the IVs either. 8 sticks in about 24 hours.
Then they gave me the premarin pills. So I\'m allergic!!! Blisters that break open and bleed mostly under the boobs.
The next day was lying flat on my back and trying to cope with the pain. It got better but that night, my first hot flash. So hot, I didn\'t know what to do. Finally I realized what it was and calmed down. Never told the nurse.
With the first surgery I had the pain pump. I\'m stubborn so I wasn\'t going to use it. The pain got so bad, I hit the button every hour or so. That got me goofy. Strong drug!
I got the catheter out the next night and I thought that would help the pain. It didn\'t.
The thought of staples worried me but it was ok. You won\'t tear or pull apart. When you get them out which doesn\'t hurt, you can feel it sort of. Only the lowest 2 kind of stung. My surgeon cleaned the scar and sprayed something on which mede my stomach feel so good. It was cooling and soothing. You still might use a thin covering over the scar for a while just to protect it. I did.
I was able to shower in a few days. The clorine stings but only did for me the first time. Don\'t rub over the staples with a wash cloth. Just dribble the soapy water on it.
I wore the white elastic knee socks for a month or more for the blood clots and because I wasn\'t walking around much.
Your experiences are a bit different than mine but mine was in 1999--halloween weekend!
I\'ve had 2 hernias since then. One was the summer of 2000 which was caused by too much heavy lifting too soon. The second one was in 2005 from a different cause.
There are emotions, physical things you go thru. I didn\'t have any kids either. It will get better.
Rest, do what you can but don\'t push at first especially the stalpes are in. Once they are out, life gets better. The pain goes away. It really does!!
Take care
Mary
Thank you for the advice and sharing your story. It is getting better each day. I\'m hoping once I get the staples out it will feel better too..still have a week until that.