update

[calluna]

Andrea, it really is very early to be seeing any improvement at all, please don't worry. It takes time for everything to settle down, remember that Mr Dixon did warn you that everything was likely to be stirred up after the surgery, ie worse than normal. And he is right, I am sure. Take it easy, time is needed now.

When I had this surgery, it knocked me back much more than I was expecting. Because it is laparascopic everyone says, oh, you will get better so much faster! - not necessarily true. There has been so much work done inside and that all has to heal.

Be kind to yourself, rest and heal. And if it hurts, take the meds!

[chillijava]

hi guys
thanks for the encouragement, its really what i need right now. i guess i wasnt prepared for the op i didnt think it was a big deal, i had a hyst and that was bad as concerning the pain and to be honest this is just as bad. because it was a lap and my hyst was a abdo cut i thought it would be easier but i was wrong. the problem is finding a comfortable position to lay in, because of the pn pain, i cant lay flat on my back for long as my bum goes numb and i get achy pains all down my legs and the vulval and anus pain starts, i cant sit for obvious reasons, if i lay on either side i get the same pn pain depending on which leg i am laying on, the only way i have ever got any rest over the past months is to lay on my tummy and for obvious reasons thats not an option at the moment, so i have to keep switching positions. i have just upped my tramadol dose althought it zonks me out and i will ring my gp monday. i bet you are all thinking what a whiney ******* but i just wanted you to know how grateful i am to know that there are ladies out there that know what i am going though and it is really appreciated
andrea

[janetm2]

Andrea,
I remember someone saying the put pillows all around to raise themselves so their bum was up and the pressure was on other parts. Maybe that would help you to lie on your back.
Janet

[calluna]

Andrea, no you are not a whiny anything and nobody is thinking anything like that. This op is a much bigger deal that the hyst. That did not take 4 hours!

So glad you are contacting your GP tomorrow! There is no need to be in such pain.

At the same point post-op I was taking tramadol plus diclofenac plus paracetamol, all at maximum dose. I found the first week post-op to be very challenging with regard to pain - that's phrasing it tactfully. When I finally went to my GP about a week after I came home from hospital, and she prescribed diclofenac and also told me to keep the paracetamol going, I was very sceptical because it was hurting SO MUCH, would it make any difference? But it did really help with the post-op pain.

I do hope you start to feel better soon.

[chillijava]

hi all
well i am still surviving the best i can, i rang the ward monday and spoke to one of the sisters who gave me a little reassurance as from what i was telling her that things were going ok. i spoke to my gp as i still dont feel well enough to visit him and anyway i cant sit down yet as i still have pain and we have upped the dose of tramadol, i couldnt add an anti-inflammatory as i have ibs and these type of meds make my stomach bad. my bowels seem to be getting along ok now but still feel stramge when i have a bm and i still feel some irritation when i have a wee and also i still have pain.
i must admit the issues i saw dr greenslade and mr dixon with are still there and worse than they were before namely burning just inside the vagina and anus, but i was thinking that this is due to swelling inside these areas which i presume has happened, does anyone know how long the swelling from abdo sugery takes to go down. it seems as though any pressure through wanting to go to wee or for a bm makes the pn pain worse and so logically if i am also swollen inside this would add to the pressure. i know i have to be patient but i so need this operation to be the thing that puts everything right, any advice or thoughts would be appreciated, hope you are all ok
andrea

[chillijava]

i am getting quite fed up being a lady of leisure! and i now know i was definately not prepared for this op.
strange isnt it i dont like housework but i would give anything to be able to run round with a hoover i feel ok in myself just very tired and still quite worried that the pn pain is worse than before the op, i keep thinking what if the op has made it worse, i am a complete worry wart and not very patient, i know i need to be but i have so much stuff going on in my life i need to be getting on, my mother has altzheimers and only me to care for her and i havent been able to get to see her for a while, sorry to vent and sound sorry for myself but that how i feel at the moment, like i am in a downward spiral, thanks for listening

andrea

[calluna]

Hang in there Andrea. With a pre-existing pain condition, recovery from just about anything is going to take longer and be more uncomfortable. It is still very early days and things will still be very sore from the surgery. At least you know that the prolapse is now definitely fixed, and that the approach taken by Mr D spares the nerves - the traditional approach puts the nerve at much greater risk of injury. And he did warn you that things were likely to be stirred up afterwards - seems that he has been quite right in that respect.

Are you able to get some alternative care arranged for your mother? - you absolutely should not be caring for anyone else at the moment.

And stay away from the hoover!

[chillijava]

hi calluna
no i am afraid i am the only one she has to care for her, at the moment my husband is going to work, doing all the house work and also looking after my mum what a star he is but he is looking really tired and i just wish i could help him. i feel ok in myself apart from the pain and feeling tired but tramadol does knock me out, i wish i could just get it out of my mind that things arent going to work out for me and that the increased pain levels will be with me forever, i just cant seem to be positive at the moment

andrea

[calluna]

Oh dear... difficult situation.

My mum has had problems with dementia too, in her case it is vascular dementia not Alzheimer's, it can be so hard to manage can't it. She's in a nursing home now, but before she went to live there she had carers coming in four times a day to help with washing and dressing, also to cook her meals and make sure she took her meds, this was all paid for by her DLA. We found that the social services were wonderful, really, so helpful and lots of good ideas. Perhaps you could have a word with whoever is looking after her case?

It is exactly two weeks since your surgery. You need to be thinking about a bare minimum of six to eight weeks just to get over the surgery, physically I mean. It isn't surprising you are tired - you have only just got the anaesthetic out of your system. Listen to your body, you need to rest. You are not lying around doing nothing - you are resting and healing, your body needs you to do this.

I'm going to suggest a book to you - this one. The author has had chronic pain for a long time - spinal problems, I can't recall the details - and writes as someone who knows what it is actually like, rather than someone just theorising. This book was recommended to me by a psychologist whom I saw via my GP, for help with pain management. At first I just borrowed this book from the library, but then I got my own copy as I was continually renewing it. It has helped me a lot. I was very sceptical that reading a book could help, but it did.

And remember that flares are horrendous whilst they last, but they do settle down. Mr D did warn you that things were likely to be stirred up, he had that right.

Oh dear, I wish I could just pop round and make you a cup of tea!

Remember that book. Worth a try, I promise!

[helenlegs 11]

Here's hoping that thinks improve for you soon Andrea. I know it had been said before but this is still such early days. Look after yourself, you deserve it.
Take care,
Helen