Finally had my surgery last week.......................

cheylink

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     Some may know I was having surgery, a hysterectomy because of several fibroids. My first surgery, or anything for that matter in a hospital. The fibroids had gotten so bad that I was unable to work all summer and was in bed 20 out of 30 days a month from extreme cramps, excessive bleeding, back pain, bladder size of a kiwi, painful constipation....................lets just say that as was just as anxious to get it as I was nervous about it.

     I remember going out on the table and waking in excruciating pain. I was told they had to do abdominal surgery, 10 inch bikini incision. The first 24 hours were torture! Pain like Iv'e never felt and it was a battle to get the pain meds I needed. I was told that my surgeon would not come and talk to me, hospital policy, and was down talked by a jerk resident who I felt judged me because I had tattoos! The next day my surgeon came in and I was so grateful to see her! I told her about the night before and she was upset. She told me I had a very serious surgery and would be feeling pain should have been treated for it.

    Basically my fibroids were so large, one was 15cm and pressing into my spine, another was growing around one of my ovaries. SHe showed me a picture and it was unbelievable that all of it was inside me! But explained a lot. I have one Ovary left, just enough to keep me from early on set menopause
. Tubes, cervix, uterus, and one ovary gone.......

    Am home in bed healing, although who I though would be nurse Maia has been a little devil! The day I came home she wouldn't stop running around and meowing at me, like a 2 year old! She's upset she can't get under covers with me because I have pillows propping up my legs. Today she jumped off my belly!!!! That really hurt ..................She was nicer to me when I had the fibroids, its almost like she doesn't see that I'm healing but knows I don't have fibroids any more


   Oh yeah, another thing is I am on Iron tablets because slightly anemic after surgery, and so constipated! It's painful, anyone have any suggestions?
 

jcat

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I'm sorry to hear the surgery was so extensive and painful. It's unbelievable they didn't give you painkillers right away. They also should have given you something for constipation after abdominal surgery. IIRC, I used Dulcolax.
Lots of :vibes: that you heal quickly!
 

blueyedgirl5946

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For the constipation, can you take something. My husband got like that after he broke his back. The pain medicine is what caused his problem Anyway his doctor to me get ducolax gel suppositories from the drugstore, also Miralax powder to mix and drink. He said drink the Miralax and use the suppositiories at the same time. I helped my husband and he quit his pain medicine because he would stay constipated as long as he took it.
 

Winchester

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I've been wondering about you; I thought you would have had the surgery by now, but didn't want to bug you if you hadn't. The hospital should be shot for not giving you pain meds; that's just stupid. It may not have helped get rid of all the pain, but at least it would have kept things down to a low roar.

Do some research on magnesium. When I first started to take a larger amount of Vitamin D-3, my SIL told me to up my magnesium level a little to fight the constipation that sometimes happens with increased dosages of D-3. I started taking 250 mg of magnesium and it really seemed to help me....until my body got used to the extra D-3 and then I didn't feel that I had to continue taking it.

Keep in mind, though, too, that bowel movements may be very painful anyway right now because of the surgery. I had to have the bikini incision (not 10 inches though), too, and bowel movements hurt for a while afterward. Everything hurt for a while afterward. It sounds like you went through some serious pain that you wouldn't have had to go through. Like I said, somebody at your hospital dropped the ball on the pain meds!

As for Maia, that's what they do! When I came home from knee surgery, my left knee was all wrapped up and I was to stay in bed for a couple of days. Did the cats care? No! They were racing around the bedroom, up on the bed, down from the bed.....right on my knee! Brats, all of them!
 

dejolane

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Hope you are feeling better this week, Cheylink. I had a hysterectomy long ago too.
 

MoochNNoodles

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Oh that is awful.  When I've had my babies they constantly had me rating my pain.  If you get a follow up survey from the hospital; I would complain about it.  It's worth of that.  I've gotten them by phone as well as mail and I've used them to give both praise and criticism.  


I used colace after the kids were born and DH used a combo of that and mirilax after his injury when he was on pain meds. I can't do iron supplements because they give me the opposite problem!  I was anemic with my last pregnancy.  I did focus on iron rich foods for a bit.  Mostly things like spinach and red meat.  But also some beans and things.  Vitamin C is supposed to help you absorb iron too.  I also kept up with a multivitamin.  
 
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cheylink

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  Thanks everyone for the support and advice
. I took a 40 hour break from the iron because the constipation was just to much, and it finally paid off tonight! Iv'e never been so excited over bowel movements, tonight was a beautiful thing
!!! Tomorrow I will get my friend to pick me up something to help, I have to go back on the iron but only one tablet a day. We are not meant to shoot rocks from our booties!

     As far as my first 24 hour experience of hell in the hospital, yes I am very upset by it. Especially since I don't have insurance so a lot of the 6,000 dollars I am paying is part of my care and I was treated very poorly, left in pain several times, one nurse was extremely rude to me, a resident doctor was rude and gave me false information about important things like the procedure they did to me, and I was also told that my surgeon would not come see me because of hospital policy. When I did see my surgeon the next day she was upset that I was treated this way as well. It makes me question my billing and I want an itemized list. I also do want to file a complaint.

    I have to say that on my second day I had an angel of a nurse, she was an older woman who was very kind, attentive, and did regularly do the pain scale with me. She did a double shift and before she left she checked in on me, I told her how thankful I was of her kindness and care, she made me feel much better about what was the day before a very terrifying experience.

    I think Maia has now realized that the tummy is off limits, since yesterdays pounce on the belly and my scream and tears, she has calmed down and become snuggie Maia again. Still take no chances, pillow on belly when I'm lying down
 

catlover19

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I also used Colace after my daughter was born via c-section. I had to use glycerin suppositories too. It was bad for me, I was in a lot of pain from the surgery too. I wasn't able to rest because my daughter was in the nicu so I  made it worse being up and about.
 
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