Post by laineybugger on Jun 5, 2007 17:16:01 GMT -5
Couldn't find a thread for these so I thought I would start my own. I have had 2 laparoscopies as well but this story is regarding my laparotomy.
Background - I had *just* recovered from my first laparoscopy. I returned to work and had my follow up visit with my surgeon. He told me there was a large chocolate cyst on my ovary that needed to be removed and he could not do that through the scope. I spent the next few weeks stressing about this more major surgery, arranging for MORE time off work (uugh) and making lists of things to take care of before the surgery. They advised me it would be a 2-4 day hospital day and 8 week recovery.
Day of - I was sooo nervous I wished I could have had breakfast and my anxiety meds but of course that's a big no no. I had Corey drive because I was so nervous. They immediately got me in a gown and an IV going. This is always an ordeal with me for some reason, just small veins I guess. They had to call in an IV specialist after a nurse tried and failed several times. ouch!
We were then told to wait. we waited and waited and waited. My scheduled surgery time came and went. My nerves were just SHOT by this time. I listened to my MP3 player to relax and it helped having Corey there to hold my hand, talk to me, etc.
We were told there was an emergency C-section of twins and my surgery was pushed back. My 10am surgery ended up happening around 4pm I think. I was STARVING by this time and starting to get lightheaded from the anxiety and lack of food. I just wanted to be knocked out and get it over with!
FINALLY, it was my turn. Corey and I said our teary good-byes and off I went. For some reason I remember a lot more of this particular surgeries than the others. I think my meds had started to wear off waiting so long. I was completely alert as they wheeled me in. The room seemed very tiny to me. Nurses had to squeeze behind the docs and I wondered how they would do what they needed!!! They got me all positioned and I remember being very scared looking up at the bright lights, I did not like being awake enough to remember the sights, sounds, and smells of it all.
Next thing I knew I was feeling freezing cold and shivering. I always have this reaction to anesthesia. I was agitated and trying to move around and not listening to the nurses who were trying to get me calmed down. This was not by choice, just my reaction to the anesthesia. The room seemed like it was spinning. A nurse gave me more blankets and I attempted to sit up a bit to wrap myself up and get warm. Immediately I knew this surgery was DIFFERENT. I hurt so bad I think I blacked out for a minute. I quickly learned not to move unless it was with assistance and *very* slowly. Of course the other difference with this surgery was I got checked into a room after I came out of recovery as opposed to going home from the outpatient center.
I slept the rest of that evening, I had a pain pump that I could hit so many times an hour for extra pain meds, that was my best friend for a few days! Oh, I was also very nauseous and vomiting from the anesthesia. They kept giving me meds for it and nothing seemed to help. The next morning they wanted me to try to eat something. My stomach felt a little more settled so I tried to eat pancakes. They did not stay down To this day I do not like the smell of pancakes. It was another 12 hours before they could get my stomach issues under control.
Day2 they had me slowly start to sit up, get out of bed and shuffle around a little. It hurt but it needed to be done. The catheter also came out this day. That was good and bad. They are never fun so I was happy to get rid of it... but this meant I had to shuffle my way to the restroom when I needed to go. They were working on keeping my stomach settled so I could eat. Apparently they don't release you until you can keep food down and have a BM. I got sick of nurses asking if I had a BM yet. hehe
Day3 was more of the same. They took away the pain pump and just gave me regular intervals of pain meds through my IV but I no longer had the option of a little extra when I needed it. I was moving around a bit more, shuffling up and down the hallway a couple times a day. I still had not had a BM so I was disappointed I thought I would be home by Saturday.
Day4 they decided to try a suppository. gross. but I could not leave until I had a BM. so I had no choice. Now I felt like we were playing th waiting game. We were getting bored and I was restless and ready to get home and to my own bed. Finally in the afternoon, I went out to the nurses station and very proudly told them I had gone poo! hehe They said "Ok, that's good but you will have to wait until Monday now since there is not a doc around to release you" I was sooo disappointed! They called my doc and he told them an associate doc of his was in the building off duty but that she could take care of it. A nurse came in to remove my big line of staples, 15 of them I think. Corey is a bit of a freak and likes such things, he was disappointed he missed it. I was prepared for that to hurt a lot but it was not too bad. The internal pain was a lot worse than the external staples coming out. She said I was healing up nicely. We got my stuff all packed up and waited for the doc. I was happy to see her and thanked her for releasing me and we headed home. I was walking half bent over back into my apartment and a neighbor saw me and said "you must have the flu like I do" hehe not quite. It must have taken me 30 minutes to get up the 3 flights of stairs.
Day5 I was happy to be home with my own bed and my kitties. The Vicodin and Ibuprofen were not quite the same as the Morphine and whatever else I had in the hospital. So I spent this first day home in pain and trying not to move so much.
In the days following I was eventually able to walk upright. At first it feels like your guts are going to fall out. I learned tricks like using a pillow on my lap and rolling onto my side before attempting to get up or out of bed.
My follow up appt went well. He said I was healed up nicely. He did not however want to discuss what comes next, drugs or more surgery, etc. He said let's just get you past this first.
I will not lie and say it's the same as a laparoscopy. It's more painful and a longer/slower recovery. But I made it through!
Background - I had *just* recovered from my first laparoscopy. I returned to work and had my follow up visit with my surgeon. He told me there was a large chocolate cyst on my ovary that needed to be removed and he could not do that through the scope. I spent the next few weeks stressing about this more major surgery, arranging for MORE time off work (uugh) and making lists of things to take care of before the surgery. They advised me it would be a 2-4 day hospital day and 8 week recovery.
Day of - I was sooo nervous I wished I could have had breakfast and my anxiety meds but of course that's a big no no. I had Corey drive because I was so nervous. They immediately got me in a gown and an IV going. This is always an ordeal with me for some reason, just small veins I guess. They had to call in an IV specialist after a nurse tried and failed several times. ouch!
We were then told to wait. we waited and waited and waited. My scheduled surgery time came and went. My nerves were just SHOT by this time. I listened to my MP3 player to relax and it helped having Corey there to hold my hand, talk to me, etc.
We were told there was an emergency C-section of twins and my surgery was pushed back. My 10am surgery ended up happening around 4pm I think. I was STARVING by this time and starting to get lightheaded from the anxiety and lack of food. I just wanted to be knocked out and get it over with!
FINALLY, it was my turn. Corey and I said our teary good-byes and off I went. For some reason I remember a lot more of this particular surgeries than the others. I think my meds had started to wear off waiting so long. I was completely alert as they wheeled me in. The room seemed very tiny to me. Nurses had to squeeze behind the docs and I wondered how they would do what they needed!!! They got me all positioned and I remember being very scared looking up at the bright lights, I did not like being awake enough to remember the sights, sounds, and smells of it all.
Next thing I knew I was feeling freezing cold and shivering. I always have this reaction to anesthesia. I was agitated and trying to move around and not listening to the nurses who were trying to get me calmed down. This was not by choice, just my reaction to the anesthesia. The room seemed like it was spinning. A nurse gave me more blankets and I attempted to sit up a bit to wrap myself up and get warm. Immediately I knew this surgery was DIFFERENT. I hurt so bad I think I blacked out for a minute. I quickly learned not to move unless it was with assistance and *very* slowly. Of course the other difference with this surgery was I got checked into a room after I came out of recovery as opposed to going home from the outpatient center.
I slept the rest of that evening, I had a pain pump that I could hit so many times an hour for extra pain meds, that was my best friend for a few days! Oh, I was also very nauseous and vomiting from the anesthesia. They kept giving me meds for it and nothing seemed to help. The next morning they wanted me to try to eat something. My stomach felt a little more settled so I tried to eat pancakes. They did not stay down To this day I do not like the smell of pancakes. It was another 12 hours before they could get my stomach issues under control.
Day2 they had me slowly start to sit up, get out of bed and shuffle around a little. It hurt but it needed to be done. The catheter also came out this day. That was good and bad. They are never fun so I was happy to get rid of it... but this meant I had to shuffle my way to the restroom when I needed to go. They were working on keeping my stomach settled so I could eat. Apparently they don't release you until you can keep food down and have a BM. I got sick of nurses asking if I had a BM yet. hehe
Day3 was more of the same. They took away the pain pump and just gave me regular intervals of pain meds through my IV but I no longer had the option of a little extra when I needed it. I was moving around a bit more, shuffling up and down the hallway a couple times a day. I still had not had a BM so I was disappointed I thought I would be home by Saturday.
Day4 they decided to try a suppository. gross. but I could not leave until I had a BM. so I had no choice. Now I felt like we were playing th waiting game. We were getting bored and I was restless and ready to get home and to my own bed. Finally in the afternoon, I went out to the nurses station and very proudly told them I had gone poo! hehe They said "Ok, that's good but you will have to wait until Monday now since there is not a doc around to release you" I was sooo disappointed! They called my doc and he told them an associate doc of his was in the building off duty but that she could take care of it. A nurse came in to remove my big line of staples, 15 of them I think. Corey is a bit of a freak and likes such things, he was disappointed he missed it. I was prepared for that to hurt a lot but it was not too bad. The internal pain was a lot worse than the external staples coming out. She said I was healing up nicely. We got my stuff all packed up and waited for the doc. I was happy to see her and thanked her for releasing me and we headed home. I was walking half bent over back into my apartment and a neighbor saw me and said "you must have the flu like I do" hehe not quite. It must have taken me 30 minutes to get up the 3 flights of stairs.
Day5 I was happy to be home with my own bed and my kitties. The Vicodin and Ibuprofen were not quite the same as the Morphine and whatever else I had in the hospital. So I spent this first day home in pain and trying not to move so much.
In the days following I was eventually able to walk upright. At first it feels like your guts are going to fall out. I learned tricks like using a pillow on my lap and rolling onto my side before attempting to get up or out of bed.
My follow up appt went well. He said I was healed up nicely. He did not however want to discuss what comes next, drugs or more surgery, etc. He said let's just get you past this first.
I will not lie and say it's the same as a laparoscopy. It's more painful and a longer/slower recovery. But I made it through!